Template
Beta feedback session template
A conversation with a customer using something before it is finished: what they used it for, where they got stuck, what they would miss if it went away.
The agenda, with a time for each part
- How they have used it10 min
- Show me the last time you used it — what were you trying to do?
- Where they got stuck12 min
- Where did you hesitate or give up?
- What they would miss8 min
- If we took it away tomorrow, what would you miss?
- What is missing10 min
- What did you expect to find that was not there?
- Thanks and what happens next5 min
- Can we show you the next version in a few weeks?
How the notes read afterwards
A made-up example, so you can see the shape. In a real call each line carries the words that were said and who said them.
Used it for. Sending weekly timesheets to payroll for 14 staff.
Stuck. Could not find where to correct a wrong entry; emailed support instead.
Would miss. Not chasing managers for hours on Friday.
Missing. A way to add overtime rates.
Running it well
- Ask them to show you, not tell you. Watching someone use it for two minutes beats ten minutes of their opinions.
- Ask about the last real time they used it. “Would you use…?” invites polite guesses.
- Write down their words exactly. “I gave up on the export” is more useful later than “export: some issues”.
Ways to change it
When to skip it. If they have not used it yet. Help them start, and talk in a week.
Questions
What is a beta feedback session?
A short conversation with a customer testing an unfinished product, to learn how they use it, where they struggle and what is missing before wider release.
What questions should you ask beta testers?
Ask them to show the last time they used it, where they got stuck, what they would miss without it and what they expected to find.
How many beta users should you talk to?
Five to ten conversations usually reveal most of the major problems with a feature.
What happens in the room
Everybody joins from the link, with no account. The agenda sits beside the call and each item fills in with what was said about it, under the name of the person who said it.
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