The Mom Test: Talk about their life instead of your idea Ask about specifics in the past instead of generics or opinions about the future Talk less and listen more
This book is a direct and easy-to-read guide on how to properly conduct customer discovery conversations. I really liked this part: People rarely lie about the past, but they will fib about the future. This is why you can’t ask someone, “would you buy X if it did Y?” It’s too easy for them to say, “Sure!”
Spend your time asking about what *actually* happened in the past, where there is less chance for the customer to fib. Learn what they did, not what they “might” want.
“For many years, I have been a vocal critic of religion, and I won’t ride the same hobbyhorse here. I hope that I have been sufficiently energetic on this front that even my most skeptical readers will trust that my bullshit detector remains well calibrated as we advance over this new terrain.”
― Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion
― Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion
“Our struggle to navigate the space of possible pains and pleasures produces most of human culture.”
― Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion
― Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion
Brian’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Brian’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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