# My Potential Users are Just Busy… Or Are They? > Source: > Published: 2026-06-03 14:33:01+00:00 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.** 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: 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:** **What I Don’t Know:** 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**. 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. 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.