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The Mom Test vs The Lean Startup: Which Should You Actually Read?
Both books live on the same shelf: Business & Startups. Both are free to read here, in full, right now. The Mom Test (2013, Rob Fitzpatrick) argues: Never ask if your idea is good - even your mom will lie. Ask about their life, their past, their pro… The Lean Startup (2011, Eric Ries) argues: A startup's only job is learning what customers actually want - faster than the money runs out.…
The Mom Test
Customer conversations are the cheapest startup insurance - and almost everyone does them wrong, collecting compliments ('sounds great, I'd buy it!') that evaporate at the checkout. Fitzpatrick's rules, named for the ultimate biased audience: talk about THEIR
READ THE MOM TEST FREE →
The Lean Startup
Most startups fail not from bad technology but from building something nobody wants - executing a flawless plan toward a destination that doesn't exist. Ries (via Toyota's lean manufacturing + Steve Blank's customer development) reframes the startup as a learn
READ THE LEAN STARTUP FREE →⚖ The Straight Answer
Read The Mom Test if you want how to talk to customers and learn if your business is a good idea whe
Read The Lean Startup if you want how today's entrepreneurs use continuous innovation - build, measure,
The honest order for most readers: start with The Mom Test for the base, then go deeper with the other. Both summaries are free, no paywall, in 26 languages.
Every summary is free: lessons, examples, action steps, audio in your language.