Alpha Is The New Beta 3
So what’s with the title?
“Alpha is the new beta” was a phrase that came up in the conversation that sparked this blog. I don’t think I said it (I think it was Toby!), but it had a meaning for me.
I’m moving away from perfectionism, hopefully to a more productive flow-state of releasing ideas in draft form and gathering earlier feedback. This blog is a part that – in progress on lots of levels, from focus to design. Public rapid prototyping.
Speaking of which, I’m noticing a trend. Thomas Leonard was doing it. Flickr and Gmail did it. Even Adobe!
Its releasing a product for public, no-cost testing—sometimes even while you’re still defining major features. Even at the risk of competitors using it to leapfrog. Or the risk of commoditizing your concepts before they hit the market.
Maybe this is done because the feedback gathered and its clarifying properties add enough value to offset the risk.
That said, it’s a temporary title.