mom-test

What the source does

• FilesystemNone observedNo reads or writes in the source
• NetworkNone observedNo outbound calls in the source
• ShellNone observedNo commands run in the source
• DependenciesPinnedNothing floats
• SecretsNone foundNo keys in source

Five audit layers

Gates applied: no behavioural pass.

Audit 0.4.1 · source sha 5015fcf4cde3 · 28 Oct 2026Report an issue or request a re-scan

• Publishergetagentseal GitHub organizationOwner of the repository this skill is read from
• Source foldergetagentseal/founder-playbook/skills/mom-testThe exact folder we audited
• LicenceMITAs the repository states it
• Commit pinned for this verdict5015fcf4cde3A new audit runs when the source changes
• Repository statusNot archivedLast push 21 days ago
• Sandboxed runNot runSkills are read, not executed; layer L4 is skipped

Its description: Validates business ideas through customer conversations using Rob Fitzpatrick's Mom Test framework. Use when planning user interviews, getting product feedback, validating ideas, designing discovery questions, or…

---
name: mom-test
description: Validates business ideas through customer conversations using Rob Fitzpatrick's Mom Test framework. Use when planning user interviews, getting product feedback, validating ideas, designing discovery questions, or extracting honest signal from biased customer responses. Covers good vs bad questions, deflecting compliments, anchoring fluff, pressing for commitment, and customer slicing.
---

> **Note:** This skill is independent analysis and commentary, not a reproduction of the original text. It synthesizes the book's core ideas with modern startup practice, surfaces where frameworks are outdated or incomplete, and integrates perspectives from adjacent disciplines. For the full argument and context, read the original book.


# The Mom Test

> "How to talk to customers and learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you" - Rob Fitzpatrick

## The 3 Core Rules

1. **Talk about their life, not your idea**
2. **Ask about specifics in the past, not generics or opinions about the future**
3. **Talk less, listen more**

## Decision Tree

```
Need customer feedback?
├─ Pre-product, no idea what to build → Mom Test (this skill)
├─ Have validated market, packaging product → 100m-offers
├─ Have offer, need traffic → 100m-leads
└─ Selling enterprise → spin-selling
```

```
In a customer conversation?
├─ They're complimenting you → DEFLECT to current behavior
├─ They're speaking in generics ("usually", "always") → ANCHOR to last specific instance
├─ They're requesting features → DIG to underlying motivation
└─ They're committing nothing → PRESS for time/reputation/money
```

## Bad Questions (Never Ask)

| Question | Why It Fails |
|----------|--------------|
| "Do you think it's a good idea?" | Only the market can tell. Opinions are worthless. |
| "Would you buy a product which did X?" | Everyone says yes. Hypotheticals are lies. |
| "How much would you pay for X?" | Numbers feel rigorous but are still lies. |
| "Do you ever..." / "Would you ever..." | Invites fluff and future-tense promises. |

## Good Questions (Use These)

| Question | What It Reveals |
|----------|-----------------|
| "Why do you bother?" | Real motivation behind perceived problem |
| "What are the implications?" | Must-solve vs nice-to-have |
| "Talk me through the last time that happened." | Concrete past behavior |
| "What else have you tried?" | Whether they care enough to search |
| "How are you dealing with it now?" | Current solution + price anchor |
| "Where does the money come from?" | Budget and purchasing process |
| "Who else should I talk to?" | Tests if they care enough to make intros |
| "Is there anything else I should have asked?" | Catches missed points |

## Three Types of Bad Data + Responses

| Bad Data | Example | Response |
|----------|---------|----------|
| **Compliments** | "That's really cool, I love it." | "Thanks - but how are you dealing with this stuff at the moment?" |
| **Fluff** | "I usually..." / "I would definitely buy that." | "When's the last time that happened? Walk me through it." |
| **Ideas/Features** | "Can you add X feature?" | "Why do you want that? What would it let you do? How are you coping without it?" |

## Commitment Currencies

Real interest = giving up something valuable. Compliments cost nothing.

| Currency | Examples |
|----------|----------|
| **Time** | Clear next meeting, using trial for real, sitting down for feedback |
| **Reputation** | Intro to peers, intro to boss, public testimonial |
| **Money** | Letter of intent, pre-order, deposit |

### Good Meeting Endings
- "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?"

### Polite Rejections (Bad Endings)
- "That's so cool, I love it!"
- "Let me know when it launches."
- "I would definitely buy that."

## Critical Principle

**They own the problem. You own the solution.**

You aren't allowed to tell them what their problem is. They aren't allowed to tell you what to build.

## The Filter Test

If they haven't even Googled for a solution, they don't actually care enough to pay for yours.

## Customer Slicing

### Signs Your Segment Is Too Broad
- 10+ conversations, results all over the map
- Everything "sort of works" but nothing breaks through
- Cannot prove yourself right or wrong
- Every feature is someone's favorite
- Massive price variance ($10 vs $10,000)

### The Slicing Process
1. Within this group, who would want it MOST?
2. Why do they want it? What's their specific problem?
3. What are they already doing to solve it?
4. Where can we find them?

**Good segment test:** A segment is useful only if you know WHERE to find them.

## Conversation Length Guide

| Duration | Goal |
|----------|------|
| 5 min | Does problem exist? Is it important? |
| 10-15 min | Workflow details, what they've tried |
| 1+ hour | Industry deep-dives with experts |

## Keep It Casual

- Strip the formality - reduce "meeting" to "chat"
- Pop your most important question immediately
- Goal: they don't even realize they've "had a meeting"
- 5-10 minute casual conversations yield as much as formal meetings

## Process Checklist

### Before
- [ ] Choose focused, findable segment
- [ ] Decide 3 big learning goals with team
- [ ] Decide ideal next steps and commitments
- [ ] Do basic desk research first

### During
- [ ] Frame the conversation
- [ ] Keep it casual
- [ ] Ask questions that pass The Mom Test
- [ ] Deflect compliments, anchor fluff, dig beneath signals
- [ ] Take good notes
- [ ] Press for commitment and next steps

### After
- [ ] Review notes and key quotes with team
- [ ] Update beliefs and plans
- [ ] Decide next 3 big questions

## Signs You're Doing It Wrong

- You're talking more than they are
- They're complimenting you or your idea
- You don't have notes
- You got an unexpected answer and didn't change anything
- You weren't scared of any question you asked
- You don't know 

Excerpt, first 6,000 characters of SKILL.md, verbatim from the audited commit. It is text from someone else’s repository, quoted so you can judge it before your agent reads it.

git clone https://github.com/getagentseal/founder-playbook
git -C founder-playbook checkout 5015fcf4cde3

Works in

1. 2026-10-28
   ✓SAFE B 89 / 100

   first audit · source 5015fcf4cde3

Questions about mom-test

• github.com/getagentseal/founder-playbook/tree/main/skills/mom-te — the audited source at commit 5015fcf4cde3 and every finding aboveObserved · 28 Oct 2026

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