The Mom Test

You'll save thousands of dollars and countless hours by learning how to effectively validate your business idea before investing in it.

Overview

TL;DR

The Mom Test provides practical strategies for entrepreneurs to gather honest feedback about business ideas by asking the right questions, avoiding misleading compliments, securing real commitment, targeting specific customer groups, and creating comfortable conversation environments that yield valuable insights.

The Mom Test equips entrepreneurs with a framework to cut through the noise of polite encouragement and gather honest, actionable feedback about business ideas from customers and investors alike.

Impact & Outcome

• Dramatically improved decision-making for new business ventures

• Reduced risk of building products nobody wants

Who is it for

• First-time Entrepreneurs: looking to validate business ideas before investing time and money

• Product Developers: looking to gather authentic customer feedback that leads to better solutions

The Author Rob Fitzpatrick draws from his extensive experience as a tech entrepreneur and partner at Founder Centric, where he helps universities, businesses, and EU-funded startups design effective startup education programs. His practical approach has helped countless entrepreneurs avoid common pitfalls in the early stages of business development.

Key Ideas

1. Ask Questions That Reveal Genuine Customer Needs

The right questions uncover what customers actually need rather than what they think of your idea.

Good entrepreneurs know that gathering honest feedback requires asking smart questions that reveal customer problems rather than simply pitching solutions. Instead of describing your brilliant idea and asking for opinions, focus on understanding the problems your potential customers currently face.

When you talk too much about your idea, you unconsciously lead people toward giving you the answers you want to hear. By shifting your approach to ask about their current problems, workarounds, and pain points, you create space for authentic answers.