90: The Mom Test with Rob Fitzpatrick
Ben and Derrick welcome Rob Fitzpatrick, author of The Mom Test: How to talk to customers and learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you. It\u2019s not your typical non-fiction business book, but short and straight to the point. It should be a mandatory prerequisite for anyone embarking on the startup journey.
\n\nDerrick\u2019s Level Retrospective describes how Rob\u2019s book had a major impact on his most recent startup experience. People want to be supportive, so it\u2019s difficult to get unbiased feedback during customer validation. Derrick already knew this to be correct, but underestimated the degree to which everyone lies. So, he felt betrayed by early validation efforts proved to be radically different from reality.
\n\nToday\u2019s Topics Include:
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- Don\u2019t ask anyone if your business is a good idea because everyone is biased \n
- Burden of truth should be put on yourself, not your customers \n
- Entrepreneur\u2019s Superpower: Getting support before it\u2019s deserved because passion pollutes feedback \n
- Founder Fit: Does your business idea merge with your product and lifestyle goals? \n
- Founder Centric: Cashflow-positive education and training agency for startups \n
- Product-Market Fit: People share their problems via a proposed solution; when customers send feature requests, get to root of the problem \n
- Statistical significance of sample size is a trap; reach point of diminishing returns to move forward with product, and focus on number of/hours spent on conversations \n
- Entrepreneurs and customers think every problem matters, but they don\u2019t \n
- What to do next to pivot in the right direction and niche down
Links and resources:
\n\nThe Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick
\n\n\n\nThe Workshop Survival by Rob Fitzpatrick
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSuperhuman Product-Market Fit Survey
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDerrick Reimer Website
\n\nDerrick Reimer on Twitter
\n\nBen Orenstein Website
\n\nBen Orenstein on Twitter
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