The Mom Test
by Rob Fitzpatrick
How to talk to customers so they cannot lie to you: ask about their life and past behavior, not your idea; avoid compliments and hypotheticals; dig for commitment. It is very short, very practical and the single most useful book on customer conversations for anyone testing a product or service.
Read it if…
you are validating a business idea and keep hearing 'that sounds great.'
Skip it if…
you are not building anything; it is narrowly about customer conversations.
Three things you will actually use
- Talk about their life, not your idea.
- Ask about specifics in the past, not opinions about the future.
- Push for commitment: time, money, reputation.
Do this first
Have three conversations this week where you never mention your idea and only ask about the person's past behavior.
Our verdict
Short, sharp and essential for founders.
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