Why asking customers if they like your idea fails

Alex Tutor

I hear CatChow is launching a food subscription, a monthly delivery a bit cheaper than the shop, and you're checking whether people want it. What's the plan?

You

Simple! I'll call twenty of our customers, describe the subscription and ask if they like it. If most say yes, we build it.

Alex Tutor

And what do you expect to hear?

You

Yes, obviously. Marta already asked people at the pet expo last weekend. Look what she sent to the whole team:

Marta

Great news from the expo! 38 of the 40 people at our booth said they'd subscribe. The idea is validated. Let's aim for a March launch!

Alex Tutor

Picture the booth: free samples in hand, a smiling rep asking if they'd like her new thing. What did it cost them to say yes?

You

Um… nothing?

Alex Tutor

Nothing at all. Hold that thought. First, let's see how you'd read Marta's numbers.

Alex Tutor

Question 1

Marta reports: “38 of the 40 people at our booth said they'd subscribe.” What does this result tell the team most reliably?

Choose one answerAbout 95% of customers will subscribe, so demand is provenVery little: saying yes at a friendly booth cost nothing, so it doesn't show demandThe price is right, since nobody complainedThe sample is too small; asking 400 people the same question would fix it

You

But why would people lie? Take Oksana: she's been buying from us for two years. She has no reason to mislead me.

Alex Tutor

She has a very good reason: she likes you. You arrive excited about your idea, and saying “meh” feels rude. So she gives you the pleasant answer instead of the true one.

It isn't malicious; usually she doesn't even notice. You're asking her to predict her behaviour in a future that doesn't exist yet, and people guess generously when someone nice is listening.

You

So I should ask strangers instead, people who don't care about my feelings?

Alex Tutor

Strangers are polite too: remember the expo. The problem isn't who you ask, it's what you ask. Nobody can honestly answer “Is my idea good?” Only the market can, when people pay.

That's the idea behind the Mom Test: a few rules for asking questions so well that even your mum couldn't mislead you with her answer. We'll go through the rules in the next lesson.

Alex Tutor

Question 2

The main fix for polite, misleading answers is to interview strangers instead of friends, family and loyal customers.

TrueFalse

You

Fine, the answers are a bit inflated. But surely some data is better than no data?

Alex Tutor

That's the trap. When you know nothing, you stay careful: small tests, small bets. When you have 38 enthusiastic yeses, you feel certain. You order packaging, book a courier contract and plan the March launch.

That's a false positive: evidence that says “go” when the real answer is “no”. It's worse than ignorance, because it raises your confidence without raising your chances.

And you'd only find out at launch, when hardly anyone subscribes and three months of work are gone. A badly asked question is worse than no question at all.

Let's trace how a nice chat turns into an expensive mistake.

Alex Tutor

Question 3

Put the steps in order: how one polite answer grows into a failed launch.

Tap an item, then tap where it should go. You can also drag or use the arrows.

You

OK, but how do I tell a useful answer from a polite one while I'm still on the call?

Alex Tutor

Sort every answer into two piles. Opinions: what someone thinks, likes or says they would do. Facts: what actually happened. What they did, bought, paid, forgot, complained about.

“I love the idea” is an opinion. “I'd order every month” is a guess about the future: same pile. “Last month we ran out on a Sunday and I drove to a 24-hour pet shop” is a fact.

You

The last one doesn't even mention our subscription.

Alex Tutor

That's why you can trust it. She can't flatter an idea she hasn't heard. And look how much it tells you: the problem is real, it happened recently, and she already spends time and fuel solving it.

Let's practise the sorting.

Alex Tutor

Question 4

Six things cat owners told Sofia. Which are facts you can use as evidence? Select all that apply.

Choose all that apply“I love the idea, it's so convenient!”“Last month I forgot to reorder, so my cat ate our tuna for two days.”“I'd definitely subscribe if it's cheaper.”“On Saturday I bought two 2 kg bags at the shop by my office.”“I usually plan my pet shopping very carefully.”“In March I paid 90 UAH for express delivery because we'd run out.”

You

Confession: I called Oksana this morning, before we talked. Here's exactly what I said: “We're launching a subscription: food delivered every month, 10% cheaper. Do you like the idea?”

Oksana

Oh, that sounds lovely! Murchyk would be thrilled. I'd definitely sign up. Will there be treats in the box too?

You

I wrote down “strong yes, wants treats”. Please tell me that's useful.

Alex Tutor

Let's count the facts. “Sounds lovely” is a compliment. “Murchyk would be thrilled” is a guess on the cat's behalf. “I'd definitely sign up” is a future promise. And the treats?

You

A feature idea?

Alex Tutor

A feature request, and mostly her being a good conversation partner. Zero facts, three kinds of noise. We'll handle each in module 2; for now, just learn to spot them.

Alex Tutor

Question 5

Match each line from Sofia's calls to what it really is.

Tap an answer, then tap the row it belongs to. You can also drag.

“Sounds lovely!”
“I'd definitely sign up.”
“Will there be treats in the box too?”
“Two weeks ago we ran out on a Sunday night and I drove across town.”

Answers left to place

You

So what should I have asked her?

Alex Tutor

Something about her life, not our idea: “When did you last buy food for Murchyk? How did that go?” There's no polite lie for that. Either there was a hassle or there wasn't.

You

And if there was no hassle at all?

Alex Tutor

Then you've learned in five minutes what a launch would teach you in five months: maybe food runs just aren't a problem for her. That's not a failed call. That's a saved budget.

Try it yourself: take the question you were planning to ask and turn it into one about her past.

Alex Tutor

Question 6Short answer · AI-checked task

Sofia's planned question is: “Would you use a subscription that delivers cat food to your door every month?” Rewrite it as one or two questions about the customer's real past behaviour that don't mention the subscription.

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You

Marta's going to be upset. She's already told the CEO the idea is validated.

Alex Tutor

Then help her rather than prove her wrong. She's right that people were friendly. She's wrong about what friendliness proves. Keep it short and don't lecture.

You

Something like “it's not you, it's the question”?

Alex Tutor

Good start. Anyone would collect 38 yeses with that question. Now write the actual message, and suggest what to do next.

Alex Tutor

Question 7Short answer · AI-checked task

Write a short, friendly message (2–4 sentences) to Marta explaining why “38 of 40 said they'd subscribe” doesn't validate the subscription, and what the team should do instead.

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Marta

Fair enough, I got carried away. But then how do we know anything? Do we cancel March?

Alex Tutor

We don't cancel, we check properly. Sofia, you made three more calls this week. What's in your notes?

You

Mostly “loves it”, I'm afraid. Although one man complained a lot about delivery.

Alex Tutor

Complaints about real events are gold. Read the notes as if a stranger wrote them.

Alex Tutor

Question 8Case · AI-checked task

Analyse Sofia's notes and write what the team actually knows so far.

Sofia opened each call by describing the subscription and asking what people thought. Her notes:

Iryna: “Brilliant idea, I'd sign up right away. My cats deserve the best.”
Andrii: “Sounds useful. I usually buy food in bulk anyway, but I'd probably try it.”
Bohdan: “My pet shop closed in January. Since then I've ordered online three times; twice it took five days, so I bought pricey supermarket food in between. Would your delivery be faster?”

In the team chat, Sofia writes: “3 out of 3 positive, validation looks good!”

Write a short analysis (150–300 words): what is evidence and what isn't, what the team can and can't conclude, and what Sofia should ask next.

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You

So the problem was never Oksana or the expo visitors. It was me asking them to judge my idea.

Alex Tutor

Exactly. People are kind, and the future is easy to promise. Ask about their real life and there's nothing left to be polite about.

Alex Tutor

Next time: the three rules of the Mom Test, and how to follow them on a real call.

Alex Tutor

That’s the lesson. You answered every task — nicely done.

Next lesson: The three rules of the Mom Test