A beta launch puts a near-finished product in front of external users who expect rough edges, in exchange for feedback. Run well, it converts goodwill into the bug reports and usage data a team can't generate internally.
The choice is between depth and volume of signal.
Betas fail as feedback theater: feedback collected, never weaponized. Decide upfront which decisions the beta must inform — onboarding flow, pricing sensitivity, feature priority — and instrument for them.
Practical answers
Enough to see patterns in the behavior you care about — often 10–50 engaged users. Engagement matters far more than headcount.
If pricing is one of your open questions, yes for at least a subset — discounted is fine. Free users validate interest; paying users validate the business.
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