The Mom Test
In one sentence
Ask customers about their real life and past behaviour — never 'do you like my idea?'.
The simple version
If you ask your mum whether your business idea is good, she'll say yes because she loves you. Most people do the same. The Mom Test is a set of rules for asking questions that even your mum can't lie to you about.
❌ 'Would you buy this?'
✅ 'How do you deal with this today?'
❌ 'Do you like my idea?'
✅ 'When did this last happen?'
❌ 'How much would you pay?'
✅ 'What have you already paid to fix it?'
❌ Accepting compliments
✅ Asking for a commitment
Why it matters
Polite compliments feel like validation but mean nothing. Good questions get you facts you can actually build on.
How to do it
- 1Talk about their life, not your idea.
- 2Ask about specific things they did in the past, not what they might do in the future.
- 3Talk less and listen more.
- 4Ask 'when did this last happen?' and 'what did you do about it?'
- 5Ask for a commitment (time, money, an intro) to test real interest.
Real-world example
Bad: 'Would you use an app that tracks your expenses?' Good: 'How did you track your spending last month? What was annoying about it? Have you paid for anything to help?'
What the books say
“Talk about their life instead of your idea. Ask about specifics in the past instead of generics or opinions about the future. Talk less and listen more.”
Compliments, hypothetical promises and vague enthusiasm are not data — commitments are.
Common mistakes
- Fishing for compliments ('Wouldn't it be great if…').
- Accepting 'I'd definitely buy that' as proof.
- Talking about features before understanding the problem.
Questions people ask
Why not just ask if they'd buy it?
People are bad at predicting their own future behaviour and want to be nice. Past actions are a far more honest signal.
What counts as a commitment?
Anything that costs them something: a follow-up meeting, a pre-order, a deposit, or introducing you to their boss.
References
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More books on this in the library
The Mom Test
A practical guide to customer conversations that teaches founders how to ask the right questions and avoid misleading feedback. The book provides a simple framework to uncover honest customer insights during interviews.
The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you
Guide to conducting effective customer interviews without biasing responses or getting false compliments. Shelved 137 times as startup on Goodreads with average rating 4.37 from 14,040 ratings, published 2013.
Drive
Daniel Pink reveals what truly motivates us: autonomy, mastery, and purpose—not money. Essential for founders building motivated teams.
Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths, and Total Nonsense: Profiting from Evidence-Based Management
A book advocating evidence-based management, teaching leaders to make decisions grounded in data and rigorous logic rather than myths and fads. Useful for startup founders looking to build a culture of experimentation and data-driven decision-making.
The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future
Chris Guillebeau’s guide to starting a micro-business on a shoestring budget, focusing on turning skills and passions into income with minimal upfront investment. It offers case studies and practical frameworks ideal for aspiring startup founders who want to validate ideas quickly and build sustainable, low-cost ventures.
The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness
A widely acclaimed book by Morgan Housel that explores how human behavior, emotion, and psychology shape financial decisions. While not startup-specific, it is highly relevant to founders for learning how to think about risk, wealth, long-term decision-making, and personal finance as they navigate the volatile journey of building a company.