Mom Test Resources

The Mom Test is an excellent guide for startups and entrepreneurs looking to get valuable, unbiased feedback from their customers. This video explains the main points from the book in a digestible format.

Watch the video and download the templates below to learn more about the Mom Test philosophy and how to it apply it to your business.

Read the Video Summary Below

Video Overview:

The Hidden Truth Behind Customer Conversations: Lessons from The Mom Test

In the world of startups and new business ideas, one of the biggest traps founders fall into is asking the wrong questions to the wrong people. Rob Fitzpatrick’s book The Mom Test is all about how to avoid those traps and get to real, useful feedback that helps you build something people actually want. This short but loaded talk breaks down the three core lessons every entrepreneur needs to understand.

Let’s walk through the key points and then get into a simple, actionable guide you can use today.

Lesson 1: Don’t Pitch. Ask About Their Life. (0:45)

One of the biggest mistakes founders make is pitching their idea too early. When you describe your idea, people naturally want to be supportive, especially friends or family. That’s why your mom will tell you, “It sounds great!” even if she secretly thinks it’s a terrible plan.

Instead of pitching, ask about their actual experience. For example:

• How do you currently solve [this problem]?
• What have you tried before?
• What’s frustrating about that?

By focusing on their real experiences, you get facts instead of opinions. The moment you pitch your idea, you bias their answers.

If you hear the words “I would totally use that” or “that sounds cool” early in the conversation, you’ve probably gone too far into pitching.

Lesson 2: Look for Behavior, Not Compliments (2:12)

People love to be nice. They don’t want to hurt your feelings. This is why compliments are dangerous.

Instead, you need to dig into actual behavior. For example:

• When was the last time you dealt with this?
• How much money have you spent trying to fix it?
• How often does this happen?

By focusing on behavior, you get evidence of whether this is a real problem worth solving. People will tell you lots of problems, but most of them aren’t painful enough for them to actually pay for a solution.

Past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.

Lesson 3: Avoid “Would You” Questions (3:45)

Any question that starts with “Would you…” is usually useless.

• Would you pay for this?
• Would you use this?
• Would you recommend it to others?

The problem is that people’s predictions about their future actions are almost always wrong. They want to be helpful, so they’ll say “yes” even if they have no intention of following through.

Instead, ask about what they already do.

Better questions include:

• What did you do the last time this came up?
• How are you currently handling it?
• How often does that happen?

The Simple Step-by-Step Guide to Applying The Mom Test

Here’s a practical way to start using these principles right now.

Step 1: Prepare Your Conversation (5:15)

• Make a list of facts you want to learn.
• Avoid any mention of your idea.
• Write down neutral, open-ended questions that focus on their current situation.

Step 2: Start With Broad Questions

• Begin with something like, “Tell me about how you handle X.”
• Let them talk freely.
• Don’t steer the conversation toward your solution.

Step 3: Dig Deeper

• Use follow-ups like:
  • Can you give me an example?
  • When did that last happen?
  • How much time/money does this cost you?

Step 4: Listen For Signals

• Pay attention to:
  • Frequency of the problem
  • Money or time spent solving it
  • Emotional frustration or urgency

Step 5: End Gracefully (6:55)

• Don’t try to sell.
• Thank them for sharing.
• Ask if they know others who struggle with the same issue.

Final Thought

At its core, The Mom Test teaches us that our job as founders is not to convince people that our idea is good. Our job is to learn whether the problem is real and painful enough that people are already trying to solve it. Only then do we have something worth building.

The next time you’re tempted to pitch your idea to friends, family, or even strangers, remember: talk about their life, not your idea.