Why is it crucial to validate your idea before launching?
Launching a digital project, whether it's a web application, SaaS software, an artificial intelligence platform or a website, always starts with an idea. But having an idea, no matter how promising, is not enough. What makes the difference between a project that fails and one that works is the ability to validate that idea from the outset.
Validation means finding out whether your idea really meets a market need. Do users have this problem today? Would they be prepared to use or pay for your solution? All too often, project leaders ask leading questions or receive sympathetic encouragement from people close to them, who want to support them but don't give them any real feedback.
That's where The Mom Test comes in, a book that has become a must-read in the world of start-ups. Its author, Rob Fitzpatrick, explains how to conduct effective customer interviews, without biasing the answers or falling into the trap of unnecessary compliments. The aim is simple: to learn how to ask the right questions to obtain useful information, even if the truth can sometimes be uncomfortable.
In this article, we're going to take a look at the main findings of The Mom Test and show you how to apply them in practice to the creation of your digital project, whether it's to validate a mobile application, a SaaS tool, a website or an idea linked to artificial intelligence.
What is The Mom Test? A guide to honest customer feedback
The Mom Test is a book written by entrepreneur Rob Fitzpatrick, which proposes a simple method for obtaining useful feedback from future users. The name of the book comes from a simple observation: if you ask your mother what she thinks of your idea, she'll probably tell you it's great, even if she doesn't understand half of it. Not because she wants to deceive you, but because she loves you and wants to encourage you.
This benevolence bias is present everywhere. Whether you're talking to a friend, colleague or prospect, chances are you'll be given flattering, less-than-honest or overly general answers. This gives you the impression that your idea is a good one, when in reality you haven't learned anything concrete.
The Mom Test method is based on a simple principle: avoid questions that call for a personal opinion or judgement. Instead, ask factual questions that focus on the person's actual behaviour. Rather than asking “Would you use this application?”, it's better to ask “How are you dealing with this problem today?” or “When was the last time you encountered this type of situation?”.
The aim is to ground the discussion in real-life experience, to find out whether your idea responds to a real frustration or an active need. By using this approach, you get honest feedback, even from your mother, because you don't get her to judge your idea but to talk about her own experience.
The 3 golden rules for effective user interviews
In The Mom Test, Rob Fitzpatrick shares three fundamental rules to follow when talking to users to validate an idea. These rules may seem simple, but they require a real change in attitude. If you understand them properly, you can avoid false validations and give your project a better direction from the outset.
Firstly, never talk about your idea. It may seem counter-intuitive, but the more you present your project in detail, the more you unconsciously influence the person in front of you. They may try to please you or imagine scenarios of use that have nothing to do with their actual experience. The aim is not to convince, but to understand.
Secondly, you need to talk about the person's life, not your assumptions. Take an interest in what the person you're talking to does today, their habits, their frustrations. Ask them questions about what they currently do, what tools they use, what bores them or takes up their time. This information will tell you whether your idea meets a real need.
Thirdly, it is crucial to ask concrete questions about the past and not projections about the future. For example, asking “Would you pay for this application?” is a bad question. It's better to ask “The last time you encountered this problem, how did you solve it?” or “Have you ever paid for a similar solution?”. It's past actions that reveal true intentions, not future assumptions.
Applying these three rules in your interviews will help you avoid false leads and better assess whether your solution has a real chance of finding its market.
Classic mistakes to avoid when validating an idea
Many project owners think they are validating their idea when in reality they are only confirming what they want to hear. This creates an illusion of validation that can be very costly once development is underway. Here are the most common mistakes to avoid, highlighted by The Mom Test.
The first mistake is to try to convince rather than to understand. When you present your idea with enthusiasm, you subconsciously encourage the person to support you, even if they don't see the point of the project. A good interview is not a sales presentation, but an investigation into the real problems of the person you are talking to.
The second common mistake is to ask vague questions, such as “Do you think it's useful?” or “Do you think people could use it? These questions don't add anything concrete, because they call for hypothetical answers. They don't tell you anything about real user behaviour or priorities.
The third mistake is to draw conclusions too quickly. A single enthusiastic response or a promise to buy in the future does not mean that the market exists. Just because three people tell you they like the idea doesn't mean a thousand others will be prepared to pay to use it. Validation of an idea is based on observable facts, not flattering opinions.
Finally, it is common to talk only to people close to you or to profiles that are too similar. To validate an idea seriously, you need to step outside your circle of trust and go and interview real potential users, those who are experiencing the problem you want to solve.
Avoiding these mistakes from the outset saves time, avoids unnecessary investment and allows you to build a product that is aligned with real needs.
How to apply The Mom Test to your digital project (SaaS, app, AI, website)
Whether you're developing a mobile application, a SaaS platform, an artificial intelligence tool or a website, The Mom Test method can be applied to all the validation stages. It allows you to avoid starting from the wrong assumptions by obtaining real information, straight from the field.
Start by identifying your potential users. These are the people who are already experiencing the problem you want to solve. Don't go to people “who might be interested one day”, but to those who are actually experiencing the situation today. The more targeted your interviews, the more useful the information gathered will be.
Then take the time to prepare for your interviews. Define a few simple questions that will help you understand how people deal with this problem today. For example: “What takes you the longest in this process?”, “How do you currently organise yourself to do this?”, “What annoys you or slows you down in what you use?”. The aim is to remain neutral, listen and observe.
If you are developing a project with a technological dimension, such as artificial intelligence or automation, be careful not to fall into the trap of the miracle solution. Even if you are passionate about technology, your product must first meet a clear need, expressed in simple words by your users.
Once the initial interviews have been carried out, take a step back. Bring together the information you've heard, identify common frustrations, repetitive tasks and habits that are costly in terms of time or money. These are the points that will tell you whether your solution is worth building, and how to steer it so that it is actually adopted.
This approach may seem slow, but it allows you to build a solid digital project that solves a real problem and is far more likely to succeed in the marketplace.
Examples of good questions to ask your users
Asking the right questions is one of the most powerful elements of The Mom Test method. The aim is to get your interviewees to talk about their experiences, not their opinions. A good question is simple, concrete and focused on past action.
Here are some examples of effective questions to use during a user interview:
- When was the last time you experienced this problem?
- How did you solve it?
- What are you doing today to manage this situation?
- What annoys you most about this process?
- Have you already tried to find a solution? What solution?
- Have you ever paid for a tool or service in this context?
- How much time does this take up each week?
- Is there a step you'd like to automate or simplify?
These questions enable us to learn a great deal about real behaviour, the tools used, the real pain and the priorities of daily life. They avoid vague answers or unnecessary compliments, as they encourage the person to look back at what they have really done.
It's also important to know how to keep quiet and leave time for silence. The best feedback often comes after a pause, when the other person has time to think. Take notes, but don't try to correct or direct what is said. Every answer is a clue to what your product should or shouldn't do.
By asking the right questions at the right time, you can turn a simple conversation into a powerful lever for validation, product design and risk reduction.
Turning user feedback into concrete action
Once you've conducted your interviews, you'll be left with a wealth of information, often in the form of notes, examples or key phrases. The next step is to analyse this feedback and turn it into concrete decisions for your project.
Start by grouping similar responses together. Identify recurring problems, frequent tasks and frustrations shared by several users. These are the foundations of your product. If they are present in a large number of respondents, this is a strong signal that there is a real need.
Then rank the problems in order of intensity. A painful, time-consuming or costly problem that recurs frequently should be given priority. Conversely, a minor inconvenience or a need expressed by just one person is not necessarily relevant at this stage.
Use this information to adjust your value proposition. Perhaps you thought you were solving problem A, but users are talking to you more about problem B. This is an opportunity to reposition your product so that it better reflects the reality on the ground.
You can also use it to build a first simplified version of your solution, focused solely on a very specific use. This type of approach, known as MVP (minimum viable product), allows you to quickly test a main functionality before investing further.
Finally, remember that validation does not stop after ten interviews. It's an ongoing process. Each piece of user feedback must feed into your design choices, your development priorities and your marketing decisions. The more you anchor your product in real needs, the more you reduce the risks associated with its launch.
Conclusion: Integrate The Mom Test into your product approach
Validating an idea for a digital project is not a matter of seeking compliments or the approval of friends and family. It's rigorous work, sometimes uncomfortable, but essential to building a useful and adopted product. The book The Mom Test reminds us that good feedback doesn't come naturally. They have to be provoked by the right questions, asked at the right time, without trying to influence the answers.
Incorporating this method into your product development process means questioning your certainties, listening with humility, and basing your decisions on facts rather than assumptions. Whether you're developing a web application, a SaaS platform, an automation tool or an artificial intelligence project, this approach will help you reduce risks, focus your product on the right uses and save time.
If you have an idea for a project and want to validate it with a structured approach, or if you're ready to move on to the development stage, we can support you at every stage, from scoping to going live.
Link to our agency page: https://www.iterates.be/fr/services/
Or make an appointment directly with our team to discuss your idea.
RDV : https://cal.com/rodolphebalay/it-project-meeting-iterates
