Founders' Reading Club: Session 3
Book 3: The Mom Test - Rob Fitzpatrick
The hardest part of building a business isn't execution. It's getting honest feedback from humans. Most founders ask questions the way politicians run campaigns — already knowing the answer they want to hear. "You'd pay for this, right?" No wonder everyone says yes. The Mom Test teaches you what actually matters: the difference between what people say they'll do and what they actually do. It's the single most dangerous blind spot in the room.
This book exists for one reason: to show you how to have customer conversations that don't lie to you. Not case studies about customer discovery. Not frameworks. The actual techniques that separate founders who know their customers from founders who are confident they do — right before they run out of money.
Where to get the book:
Available on Amazon (paperback, hardcover, Kindle) — https://a.co/07dgUVA7
Start reading it for free — https://a.co/07dgUVA7
Check your public library through Libby/OverDrive if you prefer
Around 250 pages — doable in a week if you make it a priority
What to expect:
A focused, founder-only discussion — not a book report, we go straight to application
No pitches, no demos, no membership upsells
Limited to 10 founders, kept intentionally small so everyone can actually talk
One book a month, one virtual session a month going forward
General guidelines:
Read the book before the session — this isn't a space to "catch up live"
Come with one real customer conversation from your business where you realized someone was telling you what you wanted to hear instead of the truth — or where you wish you'd asked better questions
Camera on, genuinely present — this works because people show up for real
Confidentiality — what's shared by other founders in the room stays in the room
This is a space for founders specifically; investors, vendors, and service providers aren't the fit here
Before the session: Read the book. Bring a real conversation. Show up ready to talk, not perform. Looking forward to seeing all of you.
Mark your calendar: September 28th, 7:00 AM PDT