The Nonlinear Library LW - The Mom Test: Summary and Thoughts by Adam Zerner
Apr 18, 2024
15:19
Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: The Mom Test: Summary and Thoughts, published by Adam Zerner on April 18, 2024 on LessWrong.
I just finished reading The Mom Test for the second time. I took "raw" notes here. In this post I'll first write up a bullet-point summary and then ramble off some thoughts that I have.
Summary
Introduction:
Trying to learn from customer conversations is like trying to excavate a delicate archeological site. The truth is down there somewhere, but it's fragile. When you dig you get closer to the truth, but you also risk damaging or smashing it.
Bad customer conversations are worse than useless because they mislead you, convincing you that you're on the right path when instead you're on the wrong path.
People talk to customers all the time, but they still end up building the wrong things. How is this possible? Almost no one talks to customers correctly.
Why another book about this? Why this author?
Rob is a techie, not a sales guy. We need something targeted at techies.
To understand how to do something correctly, you have to understand how it can go wrong. Rob has lots of experience with things going wrong here.
It's practical, not theoretical.
Chapter 1 - The Mom Test:
Everyone knows that you shouldn't ask your mom whether your business idea is good. But the issue isn't who you're asking, it's how you're asking. Yes, your mom is more likely[1] than others to praise you and tell you that your idea is good. But if you ask "what do you think of my idea", almost anyone will feel too uncomfortable to be constructive and honest with you.
It's not other people's responsibility to tell you the truth. It's your responsibility to find it by asking good questions.
The Mom Test is a series of rules for crafting good questions that even your mom can't lie to you about.
Talk about their life instead of your idea.
Ask about specifics in the past instead of hypotheticals about the future.
Talk less and listen more.
You're not allowed to tell them what their problems are. They're not allowed to tell you what the solutions should look like. They own the problem, you own the solution.
Chapter 2 - Avoiding Bad Data:
Bad data is either a false negative (thinking you're dead when you're not) or, much more often, false positives (thinking you're good when you're not).
Three types: compliments, fluff and ideas.
When you get compliments, deflect them and pivot back to asking them specifics about their past. "When was the last time you had the problem? Talk me through how it went down."
If they start proposing ideas (features, solutions), dig into the underlying problem beneath their proposal. "Why do you recommend that? What problem would it solve for you? Tell me about a time when you had that problem."
Pathos problem: when you "expose your ego". Example: "Hey, I quit my job to pursue this and am really passionate about it. What do you think?" It's too awkward to be critical.
It can be tempting to slip into pitching them. They indicate that X isn't a big problem for them. You start explaining why X probably is a big problem, or why they should consider it a big problem. There is a time for pitching, but customer learning isn't that time.
Chapter 3 - Asking Important Questions:
Make sure that you seek out the world rocking, hugely important questions. Questions that could indicate that your business is doomed to fail. Most people shrink away from these.
Learn to love bad news. Failing fast is better than failing slow!
Thought experiments are helpful here.
Imagine your company failed. Why might this be?
Imagine your company succeeded. What had to be true to get you there?
What advice would you give someone else if they were in your shoes?
Decide ahead of time on the three most important things you're looking to learn.
Chapter 4 - Keeping It Casual:
Things just work better when you keep it casual.
Ask ...
I just finished reading The Mom Test for the second time. I took "raw" notes here. In this post I'll first write up a bullet-point summary and then ramble off some thoughts that I have.
Summary
Introduction:
Trying to learn from customer conversations is like trying to excavate a delicate archeological site. The truth is down there somewhere, but it's fragile. When you dig you get closer to the truth, but you also risk damaging or smashing it.
Bad customer conversations are worse than useless because they mislead you, convincing you that you're on the right path when instead you're on the wrong path.
People talk to customers all the time, but they still end up building the wrong things. How is this possible? Almost no one talks to customers correctly.
Why another book about this? Why this author?
Rob is a techie, not a sales guy. We need something targeted at techies.
To understand how to do something correctly, you have to understand how it can go wrong. Rob has lots of experience with things going wrong here.
It's practical, not theoretical.
Chapter 1 - The Mom Test:
Everyone knows that you shouldn't ask your mom whether your business idea is good. But the issue isn't who you're asking, it's how you're asking. Yes, your mom is more likely[1] than others to praise you and tell you that your idea is good. But if you ask "what do you think of my idea", almost anyone will feel too uncomfortable to be constructive and honest with you.
It's not other people's responsibility to tell you the truth. It's your responsibility to find it by asking good questions.
The Mom Test is a series of rules for crafting good questions that even your mom can't lie to you about.
Talk about their life instead of your idea.
Ask about specifics in the past instead of hypotheticals about the future.
Talk less and listen more.
You're not allowed to tell them what their problems are. They're not allowed to tell you what the solutions should look like. They own the problem, you own the solution.
Chapter 2 - Avoiding Bad Data:
Bad data is either a false negative (thinking you're dead when you're not) or, much more often, false positives (thinking you're good when you're not).
Three types: compliments, fluff and ideas.
When you get compliments, deflect them and pivot back to asking them specifics about their past. "When was the last time you had the problem? Talk me through how it went down."
If they start proposing ideas (features, solutions), dig into the underlying problem beneath their proposal. "Why do you recommend that? What problem would it solve for you? Tell me about a time when you had that problem."
Pathos problem: when you "expose your ego". Example: "Hey, I quit my job to pursue this and am really passionate about it. What do you think?" It's too awkward to be critical.
It can be tempting to slip into pitching them. They indicate that X isn't a big problem for them. You start explaining why X probably is a big problem, or why they should consider it a big problem. There is a time for pitching, but customer learning isn't that time.
Chapter 3 - Asking Important Questions:
Make sure that you seek out the world rocking, hugely important questions. Questions that could indicate that your business is doomed to fail. Most people shrink away from these.
Learn to love bad news. Failing fast is better than failing slow!
Thought experiments are helpful here.
Imagine your company failed. Why might this be?
Imagine your company succeeded. What had to be true to get you there?
What advice would you give someone else if they were in your shoes?
Decide ahead of time on the three most important things you're looking to learn.
Chapter 4 - Keeping It Casual:
Things just work better when you keep it casual.
Ask ...