Build Your Beta Crew

Most “open betas” die in silence.

Founders post in five communities, get three polite signups, and never hear back. Then they assume no one cares. But the truth is simpler — you broadcast, not connect.

A good beta group isn’t something you attract. It’s something you build, one conversation at a time. Forget shotgun posts in Reddit or Discord. Go where your users already vent. Search “hate + [your problem]” on Twitter, “struggle with [your problem]” on IndieHackers, or “is there a tool for…” on Reddit. You’ll find your testers hiding in plain sight.

When you reach out, don’t pitch.
Say something like:
“Hey, I built something that might fix that pain you mentioned. Want to try it early? I’ll personally onboard you and would love your feedback.”
That one DM gets you a user who cares ten times more than a thousand cold signups.

Feedback isn’t found in crowds. It’s earned through trust.

Rep

Find 3 people today who’ve publicly complained about the exact problem your product solves.

• Use Twitter search ("hate my invoicing tool") or Reddit (site:reddit.com "struggle with scheduling").
• Reply or DM with a short, human invite: “Built a fix for this—want to try it early?”
• Offer to onboard them live or hop on a 10-min call.