When I first told a friend about my AI garden visualization idea, she said
What a great idea! Sounds interesting!
So I asked her to send me her backyard photos for testing! Then a week went by, she didn't send any photo. I assume: "she’s a busy doctor. She works long shifts, late nights, and weekends."
But after reading The Mom Test, I’m starting to think there was a simpler explanation: The problem wasn’t painful enough.
"Can You Help"?
About a week later, she contacted me again. This time, she sent photos of her parents’ backyard.
Not just the photos - she explained the layout, described the constraints, and talked about wheelchair access for her elderly parents.
I then did a AI mockup for it. She reviewed it, thanked me and asked for more changes. And, she mentioned something I never asked about:
- A landscape designer had quoted approximately $3,600 just for the design work.
Actions vs. Words
One of the biggest lessons from The Mom Test is that people are poor predictors of their future behavior. What they do is always more informative than what they say.
Looking at my friend’s actions, the data points were clear:
What I Know:
- She has a real problem and is actively trying to solve it.
- She is willing to spend money to solve it but $3,600 is too much.
- She wanted to see what AI could do without the designer.
- She is interested enough to come back with more requests.
- The mockup made it clear for possible outcome, and provided ideas for additional improvements and other considerations.
What I Don’t Know:
- Whether people like her would pay for an AI visualization app. There is no validation from her actions.
A More Defensible Hypothesis
Based on the evidence, a more reasonable hypothesis might be:
Homeowners planning significant outdoor renovations want a low-cost way to visualize ideas before committing to expensive design and construction decisions.
That’s not necessarily:
People want an AI garden design app.
The first statement comes from observed behavior. The second statement is still an assumption.
The Art of Staying Detached
To actually see these insights, I'm realizing the most important thing is to approach these conversations as a blank slate.
I have to remain completely detached from the outcome.
Without that detached attitude, it is still incredibly easy to be biased and read into a situation something that isn't actually there. It requires a lot of practice and a constant shifting of perspective.
I am still learning. But with practice, I know I can get better at it over time.
My Biggest Takeaway
The most valuable thing I gained from this experience wasn’t validation for my product. It was learning to watch actions instead of listening only to words.
When someone says "Interesting idea," it tells me very little. But when someone spends money, sends photos, reviews mockups, and keeps coming back - that's evidence that the problem is serious enough to even began the conversations.
Because people don’t make time for what sounds interesting. They make time for what hurts.
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