Field guide · The Mom Test, Rob Fitzpatrick

Even your mom will lie to you about your idea.

So don't ask her about it. Three rules that make a customer conversation impossible to lie in, and the habits that turn it into facts, commitment and a next step.

1 your idea Talk about their life

Customers can't lie to you if you don't talk to them about your idea.

2 generics, opinions about the future Ask about specifics in the past

People are bad at predicting what they'd do and good at describing what they did.

3 pitching Talk less, listen more

The more you're talking, the worse you're doing.

Try it

Does this question pass the Mom Test?

Pick a verdict for each one. A question passes if even someone who loves you can't give you a misleading answer.

Avoiding bad data

Three kinds of bad data, and what to do with each

Compliments

  • "That's so cool, I love it!"
  • "Great idea."
Deflect them.

Approval doesn't make the business better. Steer back to their life.

Fluff

  • "I usually…"
  • "I would totally pay for that."
  • "I might use something like this."
Anchor it.

Pin generic and future claims to a real instance: "When did that last happen?"

Opinions, ideas, requests, emotions

  • "You should add X."
  • "That drives me crazy."
Dig beneath them.

"What would that let you do? How are you coping without it? Why haven't you fixed this already?"

The process

Before, during and after every conversation

Before

  1. Choose a focused, findable segment.
  2. With your team, decide the big 3 learning goals.
  3. Decide the ideal next steps and commitments.
  4. Write best guesses about what they care about.
  5. Answer anything you can with desk research first.

During

  1. Frame it and keep it casual.
  2. Ask questions that pass the Mom Test.
  3. Deflect compliments, anchor fluff, dig beneath signals.
  4. Take good notes.
  5. Press for commitment and next steps.

After

  1. Review notes and key quotes with the team.
  2. Move notes into permanent storage.
  3. Update your beliefs and plans.
  4. Decide the next 3 big questions.
↺ back to Before
"What do we want to learn from these guys?"
Results of a good meeting

Facts, commitment, advancement

Facts

Concrete, specific facts about what they do and why they do it.

Commitment

They show they're serious by giving up something they value.

timereputationcash

Advancement

They move to the next step of your real-world funnel, closer to a sale.

It isn't a real lead until you've given them a concrete chance to reject you. If you don't know what happens next, the meeting was pointless.

Bad finishes

  • "That's so cool. I love it!"
  • "Looks great. Let me know when it launches."
  • "I would definitely buy that."

Good finishes

  • "What are the next steps?"
  • "When can we start the trial?"
  • "Can I buy the prototype?"
  • "When can you come back to talk to the rest of the team?"
After your next meeting

Were you just going through the motions?

Tick anything that was true.