Glossary
What are beta testers?
Beta testers are people who use a product before its full release to find bugs, test whether it solves their problem and give feedback. For startups, the best beta testers match the ideal customer profile, use the product for real work and talk to the team directly.
Recruiting the right ones
- Your waitlist, filtered to people who match your ideal customer profile.
- Communities where your audience gathers.
- Prelaunch directories such as BetaList.
- Personal outreach to people who've publicly described the problem.
Friends and family are kind but rarely representative.
What to ask
- What were you trying to do? Did it work?
- Where did you get stuck?
- What would you use instead if this didn't exist?
- Would you pay for it? How much?
- Can we quote you?
Watch behaviour too: who returns without reminders is a stronger signal than what people say.
Turning testers into launch support
Thank them publicly, give them early access to new features, and on launch day invite them to share honest feedback on the launch page. Their comments and reviews are credible social proof. See how to get beta testers.
Example
A founder recruits 40 beta testers from her waitlist, holds 15 calls and fixes the top five issues. On launch day, 22 of them comment with real use cases.
FAQ
How many beta testers do I need?
Enough to see patterns: often 20 to 100 for a SaaS.
Should beta testers pay?
Some startups charge a discounted price to test willingness to pay.
Should I pay beta testers?
Usually not; offer early access, discounts or credits instead.