How can I know if my app is ready for beta release?

Question

I have created an Android app which I think works "good enough" but I have not a large amount of users and not done much user testing. I did the first alpha release last week. Everything works, can I promote the app to beta or production or is there a series of "must" that I should consider?

The app is supposed to do online classified ads against a google appengine back-end. It works to register a new user, login and get a jwt (JSON Web Token), stay logged in, view your profile page (not yet update it), place a new advertisement through the form and submit a picture file with it, and view and search classified ads. I have all this functionality working, so should I promote my app to beta release? Or should I wait until I get a thorough review?

The reason that I am eager is to get more users by promoting the app to beta and/or production so that I can follow my users and know what to improve in the app.

Answer 1

If it is stable, release it for beta testing

The only reason not to release it for beta testing is if it is not stable enough. Especially, if there is possibility for data loss. You run the risk of losing some users for good, if they get frustrated.

Otherwise, the earlier you release it for beta testing the better. Of course, be transparent with your users and share any known issues and missing features.

The Lean Startup methodology recommends sending a minimum viable product (MVP) to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort.

It is also important to provide proper tools for beta users to report bugs. Some recommendations for bug reporting tools are in this Quora link.