In The Mom Test, the author, Rob Fitzpatrick, describes a classic scenario in which a founder shares a tentative idea with a close friend or family member and receives only positive, polite feedback. For example, when he asks his mother about his idea of creating and monetising a recipe app, she responds with encouragement. A little further probing shows that she has no real intention of using or paying for it, because she clearly does not find any value in it.
The “mom” metaphor may seem a bit gimmicky, but it is simply a way of highlighting how easy it is to be misled by well-meaning compliments. If we directly ask people, “Do you think my product/idea is good?”, they will usually say yes. Even if they would never actually use or pay for it in real life. People want to be polite or encouraging, especially when they see how emotionally invested we are in an idea.
The trick therefore, is to ask questions intelligently, in ways that would evoke honest responses. The Mom Test offers a set of guidance for striking conversations with customers that reveal real problems, behaviours, and priorities.
The writing is refreshingly direct. The book avoids jargon and theory-heavy frameworks. It uses lots of examples and reads like advice from someone who has made the mistakes we are likely to make in our research.
Some of the practical insights are:
• Talk to customers about their life rather than your idea. Focus on their real problems and how they are already dealing with them, rather than pitching your solution.
• Ask about specifics in the past rather than hypotheticals about the future.
• Listen more and talk less to reduce your own bias and give people the space to share real experiences.
The book seems to be written with startup founders and product builders in mind. The lessons, though, apply equally well to anyone who needs honest feedback, whether in communications, research, product development, or strategy roles. Good questions, asked with discipline and humility, can save enormous time, money, and misplaced confidence.
