How to you gate your beta rollouts?

Question

We've actively got our beta live in the world but am curious what ways you've found to be most effective for both use data collection (self reported or otherwise) and gating access?

Simona O'Neill · Accepted Answer

@matty_reed Well it wouldn't be such a significant number as of yet because we are still in beta. We're talking probably around 50 people who actively gave feedback.

Christian Ross · Answer

For our beta rollouts, we leverage referral programs to grow our tester base organically. By offering incentives like early access or exclusive features to existing users who refer new testers,

Matty Reed · Answer

@simona_o_neill3 roughly how many users were giving you good feedback in Discord?

I ask because we are currently finding the right balance between trusting our deep domain expertise and listening to user feedback when it's a significant number of users.

Gaspard Dupuich · Answer

We use a phased approach for beta rollouts, starting with internal testing among our team, followed by a closed beta with select customers who have signed up via an interest form. This controlled expansion helps us ensure stability and gather focused feedback.

Henry Sanchez · Answer

Our beta rollouts are gated through a lottery system for users who sign up for early access. We prioritize those who have been long-term customers or have provided valuable feedback in the past, ensuring a balanced mix of new and experienced users.

Answer

Gating beta rollouts can be effectively managed by using a combination of feature flags, user segmentation, and feedback loops. Start by identifying key user segments that will benefit most from the beta features. Use feature flags to control access and gradually roll out the beta to these segments. Collect feedback continuously and iterate on the features before a wider release.

Simona O'Neill · Answer

@dzaitzow Yes we certainly listen to what our users want the most and prioritise certain feature rollout.

Simona O'Neill · Answer

The most amount of user data and feedback we got was through our Discord channel and support chat. For non self reported data we use Mixpanel.

Jaxon Smith · Answer

Intrigued by their gating strategy - curious if they prioritize collecting user data (surveys) or controlled access (invites access) for their rollout.

Gurkaran Singh · Answer

Setting up a feedback form with a special section for unicorn sightings—oops, I mean beta user experiences—has worked wonders for us! Remember, gating access is key; it's like serving exclusive tech magic to the right wizards at Hogwarts! 🧙‍♂️✨

Answer

To gate our beta rollouts effectively, we use a phased approach. Initially, we invite a select group of users who match our target audience criteria based on demographics or behavior. This helps us gather focused feedback and refine our product before widening the release

Answer

We employ an email sign-up strategy to gate our beta rollouts. Interested users can sign up through a landing page or opt-in form on our website. This allows us to build a waiting list and control the number of users onboarded at each phase, ensuring a manageable testing environment

Ethan Young · Answer

We gate our beta rollouts by first inviting a small group of power users who are highly engaged with our product. Their feedback is invaluable for catching early bugs and gauging user experience before we expand the beta to a broader audience.

Daniel Zaitzow · Answer

@simona_o_neill3 very interesting - Do you use that data to determine what your roadmap looks like?

How to you gate your beta rollouts?

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