Rob Fitzpatrick

The Mom Test

1. IDEA 1

   Even your mother might mislead you

   Fitzpatrick explains that people, even your own mother, will often tell you your business idea is good to be kind. He offers rules for asking questions that even a loving mother could not mislead you with.

2. IDEA 2

   Talk about their life

   Instead of describing your idea, Fitzpatrick suggests asking people about their lives and problems. Their real experiences reveal whether your idea is useful. In this view, people tend to say what you want to hear when you describe your idea, so their answers may not help.

3. IDEA 3

   Ask about the past

   Fitzpatrick recommends asking about specific past behaviour rather than future intentions. What people did is more reliable than what they say they will do. In this view, a person who tells you what they did last time they faced the problem gives you facts rather than polite guesses.

All 8 ideas from The Mom Test →