Mom Test | The

Humans are terrible at predicting their own future behavior. Never ask, "Would you use this?" or "How much would you pay?" These are hypothetical questions that lead to "fluff".

"How often do you go to the gym?" (They will likely exaggerate). The Mom Test

As a founder, you are looking for "the truth, not a gold star". If a potential customer tells you they don't care about the problem you're solving, that is a . It saves you months of wasted effort. Look for "zombie leads"—people who give lukewarm compliments but never commit. How to Know If It’s Working: The Commitment Test Humans are terrible at predicting their own future behavior

Why Your Business Idea Might Fail (And How to Fix It with "The Mom Test") As a founder, you are looking for "the

The problem isn't that your idea is bad; it’s that you asked the wrong questions. You asked for opinions, and people—especially your mom—will lie to you to protect your feelings. What is The Mom Test?

The second you mention your idea, people start trying to be helpful by being nice. Instead of saying, "I'm building an app for X, what do you think?", try asking, "How do you currently handle X?". If they don't already have a solution—even a clunky one like a spreadsheet—they probably don't have a real problem. 2. Specifics Over Hypotheses

You feel invincible. You spend six months building, thousands on development, and then... Nobody buys it. LinkedIn reviewers highlight this as the classic "false positive" trap that Rob Fitzpatrick’s book, The Mom Test , aims to solve.