I’ve watched a lot of business owners fall into the same trap. They’re so excited about their idea that they skip the work of finding out whether anyone actually wants it. They ask friends and family. The friends and family tell them it’s a great idea. The owner believes them, builds the thing, and waits for customers who never show up.
If you’ve been there, or you can see yourself heading there, read The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick.
The premise is in the title. If you asked your mom whether your idea was a good one, she’d say yes. Not because she’s right. Because she loves you. The same is true of most of the people you’d talk to about a new idea. They want to support you. That doesn’t make their feedback useful.
The book teaches you how to ask questions that get past that. Steve Blank‘s Four Steps to the Epiphany tells founders to “get out of the building” and talk to customers. The Mom Test tells you what to ask once you’ve left the building.
The method has a few key moves. Focus on the customer’s life, not your idea. Listen more than you talk. Ask about specific things they’ve done in the past, not what they might do in the future. Avoid questions that are really asking for validation in disguise.
What I take from it is that customer feedback is only useful when you’ve engineered the conversation to surface the truth. Otherwise you’re just collecting polite affirmation, which feels good and tells you nothing.
If you’re working on a new product or service and you want to know whether it has a real chance, The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick is worth reading.
About the Author
Ron Tester is a physical therapist with thirty years in the field. He built, grew, and operated a multidisciplinary home health company employing PTs, OTs, and SLPs through a successful exit. He now coaches outpatient PT, OT, and SLP clinic owners on operating at the owner level. Certified Executive Coach and Book Yourself® Solid Coach. Learn more at https://rontestercoaching.com/about.