Q: The purpose of closed alpha/beta testing
I often observe publications on Reddit or Twitter about the limited access to alpha/beta users of some applications. I found it is very common in the game industry. But some websites also don't give you direct access, they ask you to apply to get early access.
What can be the reason for that? Are there any benefits of closed alpha/beta testing over public access for early adopters?
In addition to what others have already said, it can give the users a feeling of exclusivity. It's especially important when it comes to early adopters because they will probably give you more honest feedback and will stick longer with you and your product.
A few benefits/reasons from my experience:
Could you explain what you mean by "Tighter feedback loop"?
Meaning I can address people's feedback quicker. Hopefully that makes more sense... :D
Makes complete sense to me. Thank you!
In our case:
Cloud costs
Also, the platform hasn't coded for the huge HTTP request as per se.
We prefer to start with handpicked users.
Thanks, good points. How do you look for "handpicked" users btw?