Are you an early adopter? I’m not talking about owning the first Macintosh computer or the debut version of the iPhone. While these technology early adopters have their place, I’m talking about those companies that help software providers develop new products. Often working in the background, early adopters have a vital role in helping new offerings come to market.

Back in the day

It is difficult to determine which was the first company to bring on early adopters while developing software. But the practice has likely been in use since the software industry began. Microsoft and Apple were among the pioneers to engage early adopters to test and provide feedback on their software. The concept gained significant traction with the rise of personal computing and the internet. This has led to the widespread use of beta testing programs and other early access initiatives. Today, it remains a cornerstone strategy for tech companies aiming to innovate and stay competitive.

Who are you?

Early adopters can be a mix of current customers and other parties, depending on the company’s approach and the nature of the software. Early adopters can include:

Current customers

• Loyal users: Companies invite their most loyal and engaged customers to participate as early adopters. These users are already familiar with the brand and can provide valuable feedback based on their long-term use.
• User communities: Companies also invite active members of user forums or online communities related to the product to be early adopters.

Other parties

• Industry experts: Companies sometimes invite professionals with expertise in the relevant field to provide insights from a specialist’s perspective.
• Influencers and bloggers: Individuals with a large following in the tech community can be early adopters to help spread the word and generate buzz about the new product.
• General public: Some companies open their early adopter programs to anyone interested, allowing a diverse range of users to test the product through public beta programs.

Why or why not?

Early adopters play a crucial role in refining software products. They provide real-world insights and identify potential issues that might not be apparent during internal testing. They do this, in part, because customers have shown a preference for tested and proven products. Most customers are wary of trying new, unfamiliar products. Early adopters take part in testing the product to help work out the bugs, giving other customers a sense of confidence in the new product.

Early adopters help with:

• Testing and feedback: Early adopters use the software in its pre-release or beta phase. They test its features and functionality in real-world scenarios and provide detailed feedback to the developers.
• Bug reporting: They identify and report any bugs, glitches, or issues they encounter. This helps developers fix problems before the software is released to a wider audience.
• Feature suggestions: Based on their experiences, early adopters often suggest improvements or new features that could enhance the software. Their insights are valuable because they come from actual user experiences.
• Usability assessment: They evaluate the user interface and overall user experience. This feedback can lead to changes that make the software more intuitive and user-friendly.
• Performance monitoring: Early adopters help monitor the software’s performance under different conditions and workloads, ensuring it is robust and efficient.
• Advocacy: Sometimes, early adopters become advocates for the software, sharing their positive experiences with others and helping to build buzz and anticipation for the official release.

The practice of using early adopters is practically standard operating procedure these days. However, some software companies choose not to use early adopters in their development process for a host of reasons, including:

• Resource constraints: Smaller companies or startups might not have the resources to manage an early adopter program.
• Nature of the software: For highly specialized or sensitive software, particularly in fields such as healthcare or defense, extensive internal testing may be prioritized over public beta testing to ensure confidentiality and security.
• Company philosophy: Some companies prefer to release fully polished products straight to the market, believing that it strengthens their brand reputation for reliability and quality.
• Legal and compliance issues: In some industries, there are strict regulations that require software to meet certain standards before it can be used, leaving little room for external testing by early adopters.
• Controlled environments: Some developers might feel that controlled environments, such as in-house testing, provide better and more predictable feedback than the diverse environments of early adopters.

In addition, some early adopters can be overly critical of the product under development. Or, some have also demanded the inclusion of features that are irrelevant, impractical, or too expensive.

How long?

The duration of the early adopter process can vary widely depending on the complexity of the software and the goals of the development team. Some projects can take as little as a few weeks. Yet, others can take several months. Some factors that influence the length of the process include:

• Software complexity: More complex software may require a longer testing period to identify and resolve issues.
• Feedback cycles: The time it takes to gather, analyze, and implement feedback from early adopters can extend the process.
• Number of releases: Some companies go through multiple beta versions, gradually refining the software with each iteration.
• Scope of testing: If the software has a wide range of features or is intended for different platforms, it might take longer to ensure everything works seamlessly.
• Market readiness: The development team might wait until they are confident the software meets a certain standard before moving on from the early adopter phase.

In general, an early adopter phase is carefully planned to balance thorough testing with timely release.

Early adopters typically begin helping during the beta testing phase of software development. This is usually after the internal testing phases and just before the product is ready for a wider public release. By engaging early adopters in the beta phase, companies can leverage valuable user insights to refine their product and ensure a smoother launch.

Real-world results

Developing new software is no easy feat. It is a highly involved process with numerous steps and milestones that need to be met before finally seeing its way into the market. And as the software market is highly competitive, it behooves developers to make its products as beneficial to customers as possible. So, bringing in actual users to help with the development and testing of the software is often a wise decision.

While it may seem like a long, involved process, the results are most often worthwhile. The result of this entire process is a product built with customers in mind, specifically designed to help partners and customers improve operations and see tangible results.

Seems worth all the effort!