Have you ever felt that the feedback you receive from customers and partners is positive, but it never crystallizes into results?
As a founder, it's incredibly frustrating to receive positive feedback and encouragement everywhere but not see it translate into tangible results like increased sales or partnerships. "Likes are not sales."
Many founders, including myself, often encounter the problem that the feedback they receive from customers, prospects, partners, colleagues, and advisors is not always useful. This is because we often ask the wrong questions, resulting in well-intentioned but unusable answers. It's as if we're unconsciously soliciting compliments instead of constructive criticism. Realize that this is very natural and dates back to our evolution. Someone who is likeable survives better in a small group/community than the person who asks difficult questions. The latter risked being expelled or put on the stake in the past. Fortunately, times have changed, now we must learn to change.
This is where Rob Fitzpatrick's "The Mom Test" plays an important role. This compact 100-page book is worth its weight in gold. It makes you aware of your questioning and helps you ask better, more targeted questions. Perhaps not always the type of questions you would intuitively ask because you want to be likeable, but that doesn't help you move forward. Does that mean you're suddenly going to become an unpleasant conversationalist? Certainly not, you really need to learn to ask the questions differently. This pivot does not mean you will have a less pleasant conversation. Also read A template for structured customer surveys to see an elaborated example.
I still refer back to the book regularly, not to read it all over again, but to consult the cheatsheet at the back to refresh my memory when I'm at risk of falling back into my old habits.
"The Mom Test" offers an essential toolkit for questioning for any founder seeking honest and constructive feedback. By asking the right questions, we can free ourselves from the trap of misleading compliments and obtain real insights that can help move our company forward.
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