The mom test - Rob fitzpatrick: 8 simple tips that predict product success

Scan time: 2-3 min / Full read time: 4-5 min

Chapters in book: 8 / Chapters in here: 8  (same order as book)

Hey rebel solopreneurs 🦸‍♂️🦸‍♀️

Everyone says "talk to your customers" but nobody warns you they'll straight-up lie to your face.

You ask friends and family about your brilliant idea, they smile and say "That's amazing!"

You think you're onto something huge.

Then you launch and... nothing.

Complete silence.

Sound familiar?

The problem isn't your idea - it's your questions.

You're accidentally teaching people to give you nice lies instead of brutal truths.

Rob Fitzpatrick from The Mom Test shows you the conversation tricks that separate real problems from made-up ones, so you can build stuff people actually want instead of wasting months on wishful thinking.

Let's dig for gold.

💰 Multi-millionaire entrepreneurs who love this book

⛳️ The author's journey: from polite lies to brutal truths

Rob Fitzpatrick thought he was doing everything right.

He had a "great" idea for his first startup.

He asked everyone - friends, family, potential customers - what they thought.

They all said the same thing: "This is brilliant! I would definitely use this!"

But when he launched, nobody bought.

Not one person.

The feedback had been a lie.

Not mean lies - nice lies. People didn't wanna hurt his feelings, so they said what they thought he wanted to hear.

This failure taught Rob something huge: the problem wasn't his idea, it was his questions.

He was asking "Would you buy this?" instead of "How do you currently solve this problem?"

After his startup crashed and burned, Rob became obsessed with finding the truth.

He studied every conversation, every question, every response.

He discovered that most entrepreneurs unknowingly train customers to lie to them.

Rob created The Mom Test - a simple way to ask questions so specific and behavior-focused that even your mom can't lie to you about them.

Instead of asking about made-up futures, you ask about specific past behaviors.

"The Mom Test is a set of simple rules for crafting good questions that even your mom can't lie to you about," says Rob.

The change was instant.

Rob started getting honest feedback about real problems.

His next ventures worked because he built solutions for actual pain points, not imaginary ones.

"You're not allowed to tell them what their problem is, and in return, they're not allowed to tell you what to build," adds Rob.

Let's explore Rob's conversation strategies that'll show you the truth behind all that politeness so you can build stuff people actually want.

Time to uncover the treasure...

1. Ask behavior-focused questions (🤔 Mom test questions)

🧸 Example

• Sarah had a meal planning app idea and asked her friends "Would you use an app that plans your meals?" Everyone said yes! (Shocking, right?)

• But when she asked "How did you decide what to cook last Tuesday? Walk me through your actual process," she discovered they mostly grabbed whatever was in the fridge or ordered takeout.

• The real problem wasn't planning - it was decision fatigue after long work days.

🔥 The power insight

• Mom test questions means asking about specific past behaviors, not made-up futures

• You get honest data about what people actually do, not what they think they should do

• It's like asking "Show me your workout schedule from last week" instead of "Would you exercise more?"

• Truth uncovered... but how do you spot when people are still being nice (even when it's obviously BS)?

2. Recognize polite lies (🚨 Bad data red flags)

🧸 Example

• When Dropbox's Drew Houston asked people "Would you use online file sync?" everyone said yes. (Because who wants to be the jerk who says no?)

• But when he asked "Show me how you currently share files with your team," he discovered they used email attachments and USB drives.

• The compliments were masking the real friction points - people found current solutions "good enough" despite the hassles.

🔥 The power insight

• Bad data red flags means spotting compliments, vague excitement, and fake promises

• You learn to ignore the sugar-coating and dig for the real emotions underneath

• It's like being a detective who knows when someone's story doesn't add up

• Red flags spotted... but what questions actually show you the truth (without sounding like a cop)?

3. Uncover real problems (🎯 Problem discovery questions)

🧸 Example

• Brian Chesky of Airbnb didn't ask "Do you want to stay in strangers' homes?" Instead he asked "Tell me about the last time you traveled and had trouble finding accommodation. What happened?"

• This revealed the real pain: expensive hotels, no availability during events, and lack of local character.

• The emotional frustration was obvious when people described these experiences.

🔥 The power insight

• Problem discovery questions means digging into actual pain points, not pitching solutions

• You find problems worth solving by listening to the emotion behind the stories

• It's like being a therapist who helps people figure out what's actually bugging them

• Real problems found... but how do you have these chats naturally (without being weird about it)?

4. Keep conversations natural (☕ Casual conversations)

🧸 Example

• Instead of scheduling formal "customer interviews," the founder of Buffer would casually ask people at coffee shops "I noticed you're working on your laptop - how do you usually share articles on social media?"

• This natural approach got honest responses because people didn't feel like they were being "interviewed" or judged.

🔥 The power insight

• Casual conversations means blending customer research into normal human chats

• You get better data when people forget they're helping with "market research"

• It's like getting gossip from friends vs. giving testimony in court

• Natural chats flowing... but how do you know who's actually serious (vs. just being polite again)?

5. Test real commitment (🔥 Commitment escalation)

🧸 Example

• When testing a B2B software idea, instead of accepting "This looks interesting" (the corporate version of "that's nice, honey"), the founder would ask "What would need to happen for you to trial this with your team next month?"

• This revealed who was actually serious. Real prospects started freaking out about budget approvals and timeline concerns, while polite ones gave vague responses.

🔥 The power insight

• Commitment escalation means pushing for concrete next steps, not just verbal interest

• You separate real buyers from nice browsers by asking them to put skin in the game

• It's like the difference between "We should grab coffee sometime" and "Are you free Tuesday at 2pm?"

• Commitment tested... but where do you find these chats (without looking desperate)?

6. Find the right people (🔍 Customer access strategies)

🧸 Example

• To validate a productivity app for freelancers, the founder joined 12 freelancer Facebook groups, answered questions helpfully for two weeks, then naturally asked about their workflow challenges.

• This built trust before asking for insights. Community members were happy to share because he'd already provided value.

🔥 The power insight

• Customer access strategies means finding and approaching potential customers the right way

• You build trust first by being genuinely helpful, not by immediately asking for favors

• It's like making friends before asking to borrow their car

• Right people found... but how do you focus on the best customers (without missing out on everyone else)?

7. Focus your target (🎯 Customer segmentation)

🧸 Example

• A meal planning app founder initially targeted "busy parents" but learned through conversations that single working professionals had different needs than families.

• Parents wanted kid-friendly meals and bulk prep, while professionals wanted quick, healthy options for one.

• By focusing on one segment, they could ask better questions and build better solutions.

🔥 The power insight

• Customer segmentation means getting narrow and specific about who you're serving

• You can't ask good questions if you're trying to serve everyone at once

• It's like being a specialist doctor instead of trying to treat everything

• Target focused... but how do you turn chats into action (without drowning in notes)?

8. Create a learning system (📊 Learning loop)

🧸 Example

• A SaaS founder created a simple spreadsheet tracking conversation partner, key insights, commitment level, and next steps.

• After 20 conversations, clear patterns emerged about which features mattered most and which customers were most serious.

• The system prevented insights from getting lost in the noise.

🔥 The power insight

• Learning loop means systematically capturing and acting on customer insights

• You turn random chats into reliable data that guides your decisions

• It's like being a scientist who records experiments instead of just hoping to remember

🧘‍♀️ The simple success recipe

1. Ask about specific past behaviors - Like asking someone to show you their grocery list instead of asking if they eat healthy

2. Spot nice lies and dig deeper - Like knowing when someone says "fine" but their face says otherwise

3. Push for real commitment - Like asking someone to put a deposit down instead of just saying they're interested

🥂 Your turn! That's it, my fellow rebels!

Ask about specific past behaviors, not made-up futures - it's the difference between building stuff people want vs. stuff they think they should want.

Start today by asking one person "Show me how you currently solve [your problem]" instead of "Would you use my solution?"

Every nice lie is just a redirect to find the real truth underneath.

The customers who matter will respect your honest questions and give you honest answers.

You've got the detective skills to uncover what people actually need - time to put them to work!

Keep rocking 🚀 🍩

Yours 'making success painless and fun' vijay peduru 🦸‍♂️