PLAY THE BOOK

The Mom Test: How to Talk to Customers and Learn if Your Business is a Good Idea When Everyone is Lying to You

by Rob Fitzpatrick

A practical guide to running customer conversations that surface truth instead of polite lies, so you can validate a business idea before building the wrong thing. In this world you practice spotting empty compliments, anchoring vague claims into specifics, finding the right people to talk to, and steering conversations toward real commitments.

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30 maps · 146 characters · 498 questions · free to try, no account needed · book links are affiliate links

Two ways to play the same book. Climb the platformer and answer to refuel.

Loading the demo…

← → to move, Space to jump, ↓ + Space to drop through. Use the on-screen controls to run and jump. Orbs ask a question; a correct answer refuels the climb.

What's inside

30 maps, 146 characters and 498 questions, all generated from the book.

MAP 01

Forest of First Principles

Introduction to why customer conversations mislead founders.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 02

The Mom Test Citadel

Core principle: ask questions even your mom couldn't lie about.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 03

Caverns of Bad Data

Learn what false signals look like in conversations.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 04

Ruins of Empty Compliments

Recognize compliments as worthless fool's gold.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 05

Desert of Deflection

Techniques to redirect compliments toward useful data.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 06

Fluff Anchor Isles

Anchor generic and hypothetical fluff into real specifics.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 07

Glacier of Generic Claims

Spot 'I always' and 'I never' type false generalities.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 08

Volcano of Future Promises

Beware fiery but empty future-tense commitments.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 09

Cave of Hypothetical Maybes

Understand why 'might' and 'could' reveal little.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 10

Facts and Commitments Fortress

Distinguish opinions from facts and real commitments.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 11

Forest of Important Questions

Learn to ask questions that truly matter.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 12

Lukewarm Springs

Read lukewarm reactions as valuable warning signals.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 13

Premature Zoom Ruins

Avoid diving into details before grasping the big picture.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 14

The Elephant's Desert

Don't ignore big risks hiding behind small questions.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 15

Casual Conversation Caves

Keep talks relaxed to reduce bias in answers.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 16

Icy Peaks of Objectivity

Maintain neutrality while gathering customer insight.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 17

Volcano of Commitment

Push conversations toward real commitment and advancement.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 18

Advancement Ruins

Understand advancement as proof of genuine interest.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 19

Forest of Finding Conversations

Discover where to find candidates for customer talks.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 20

Cold Call Wastes

Navigate the harsh terrain of cold outreach.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 21

Serendipity Shores

Seize lucky opportunities for organic conversations.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 22

Castle of Choosing Customers

Learn how to select the right people to interview.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 23

Segment Specificity Caverns

Narrow down customer segments for focused learning.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 24

Advisor Ridge

Leverage advisors and mentors for introductions.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 25

Investor Volcano

Use investor networks to access target customers.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 26

Professor's Ruins

Tap academic contacts for customer connections.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 27

Bottleneck Fortress

Avoid learning bottlenecks within founding teams.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 28

Prepwork Forest

Prepare thoroughly before customer meetings.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 29

Notetaking Caves

Review and record insights from every conversation.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 30

Cheatsheet Summit

Consolidate all lessons into a practical framework.

1 characters · 5 questions

How the book becomes practice

Reading puts ideas in. Retrieval keeps them there. The game is the retrieval.

Walk the world of the book

30 maps, one per part of the book. Signs along the way hold its key ideas, so the walk itself is a refresher.

Battle the characters

146 characters, each a short quiz on one idea. Answer well and the map opens up; a boss guards the end of each one.

Missed ideas come back

Every question you get wrong is re-asked in rematches and boss fights until you get it right. That is the part that makes it stick.

Keep what you learn

Sign up for free and your demo progress, XP and best tower stage move to your account. Come back whenever a chapter starts to fade.

Questions

Is this the actual book?

No. This is a quiz game built from the ideas in "The Mom Test: How to Talk to Customers and Learn if Your Business is a Good Idea When Everyone is Lying to You": 498 multiple-choice questions with explanations, spread over 30 maps. It works best alongside the book, which is why the page links to where you can get it.

Is it free to play?

You can play the demo on this page without an account (5 battles in the RPG and 10 questions in the tower). Sign up for free to keep going; premium worlds come with a preview and Lifetime Pro unlocks everything.

Do I need to have read the book?

It works either way. If you have read it, the game is spaced repetition for what you learned. If you have not, every question comes with an explanation, so the game is a fast tour of the main ideas.

Does my demo progress carry over?

Yes. Sign up from the game and the characters you beat, your XP and your best tower stage move to your account.

Are the book links affiliate links?

Yes. If you buy the book through one of them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It helps keep the free worlds free.