I've been Googling for articles that talk about rolling out with a beta phase and I haven't found many. What apps should you release with a beta phase first, or should you release all apps with one? In what cases would you not want to have a beta phase? Doesn't a beta phase hurt the chances of an app going viral?
I thought these questions would be perfect for the HN community.
Happy holidays!
A 'beta' label is not going to stop or cause your app to go viral. If your app does take off but crashes and is full of bugs, 'beta' is not going to stop negative reviews.
If you are concerned about bugs or need more testing, try out Fiverr or any of the mobile testing startups.
But like you mentioned, it also might be a good chance for promotion ... if you want to promote an unfinished product ... depends on the basic "revolutionary" idea you are trying to spread.
Which makes me want to ask: does a beta phase mean it's only open for use to those who've requested and have been given access? Or can you have an app in the beta phase and also have it open for everyone to use?