Soft openings aren't just for restaurants – REWORK

This week, the team shares a behind-the-scenes look at how they bring in outside beta testers before a product launch. Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share how they invite early users into the mix, what they’re looking for, and how it all shapes the final version. It’s a rare peek into the “guests are coming over” phase of building Fizzy.

*Key Takeaways*

00:00 – Episode highlights
00:37 – Inside Fizzy’s early access phase
03:11 – Selecting beta testers
03:54 – Treating early access as a real-world dry run
08:14 – Cutting the to-do list down to what truly matters
11:11 – Why early access is different from beta testing

*Links and Resources*

Record or upload a video question for Jason and David — https://www.37signals.com/podcastquestion

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Books by 37signals – https://37signals.com/books

30-day free trial of HEY – https://www.hey.com/

Once. com – https://once.com/

Campfire – https://once.com/campfire

HEY – https://www.hey.com/

The REWORK podcast – https://37signals.com/podcast/

Get some REWORK podcast merch – https://37signals.com/podcast/shop

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Rework is a production of 37signals. You can find show notes and transcripts on our website https://www.37signals.com/

Leave us a video question at www.37signals.com/podcastquestion or send an email to rework@37signals.com, and we might answer it on a future episode.