# The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick

10 Hacker News commenters recommended The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 9 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a short, practical guide to asking customers questions that avoid polite lies; one critic called it more entertaining than useful.

## Why people recommend it

- Teaches customer interview questions (3 comments): "it helped me spot some unhelpful questions even outside startups" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46393946)) "The Mom Test book is an excellent interview guide for this stage" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48908977)) "Check out the mom test for asking questions about ideas." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45791485))
- Changes how you think about sales (2 comments): "my sales strategy changed to incorporate the lies that a business would tell you to avoid hurting your feelings" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47776624)) "Reading The Mom Test changed my perspective on things. I cannot recommend that book enough." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47805353))
- Short, valuable, good starting point (2 comments): "This is such a short and valuable read, that I recommend it to everyone I meet who is trying to do sales." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47490217)) "Recommend the Mom Test as good place to start on how you can make sales before having a product" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49675450))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Gervais Principle by Venkatesh Rao](https://hackerapproved.com/p/gervais-principle.md): 32 recommend
- [The Lean Startup by Eric Ries](https://hackerapproved.com/p/lean-startup.md): 32 recommend
- [Incorruptible by Eric Ries](https://hackerapproved.com/p/incorruptible.md): 23 recommend
- [The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt](https://hackerapproved.com/p/goal.md): 21 recommend
- [Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss](https://hackerapproved.com/p/never-split-the-difference.md): 13 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=9798893312560&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9798893312560) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick", https://hackerapproved.com/p/mom-test/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).