Article · 15 min read

The Mom Test book report

Michael Lynch · mtlynch.io Free Beginner

A detailed, honest set of notes on The Mom Test from a founder's point of view, with the best example questions pulled out. A useful free reference to revisit the specific dos and don'ts right before a round of interviews. Reads fast and keeps the concrete bits.

  • Ask about the last time, not the general case.
  • Vague future promises are worthless.
  • Dig into what the problem already costs them.
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The question it answers

  1. How do I talk to customers without getting false positives?

Read with it

  1. The single best thing ever written on customer conversations. It teaches you to ask about the customer's life and past... momtestbook.com Book · ~130 pages The Mom Test Rob Fitzpatrick
  2. A YC partner turns 'talk to users' into a repeatable 5-question interview script you can use this afternoon. It's The Mom Test... YC Startup Library Video · ~25 min How to Talk to Users Eric Migicovsky (YC / founder of Pebble)
  3. The definitive essay on where good ideas come from: notice problems you personally have, don't force it. Use it as the lens for... paulgraham.com Essay · ~20 min read How to Get Startup Ideas Paul Graham
  4. 200+ candid conversations with Indian founders and investors on how they actually found their idea, spotted a trend, and... Apple Podcasts Podcast · podcast series (45-90 min episodes) The Neon Show (formerly 100x Entrepreneur) Siddhartha Ahluwalia
  5. Video · ~25 min How to Talk to Users Eric Migicovsky
  6. Video · ~20 min How to do customer interviews? | Rob Fitzpatrick, author of "The Mom Test" Rob Fitzpatrick
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