Waitlist dilemma
After months of development, our product is finally ready to launch. š
Weāve been building a waitlist, and next week, most of those subscribers will get access. But hereās where Iām stuck:
1ļøā£ Should we open the platform to the general public after that?
2ļøā£ Or should we keep access waitlist-only to maintain quality and collect better feedback?
On one hand, a waitlist keeps things exclusive, ensures early adopters feel valued, and allows us to refine the product with engaged users. On the other hand, opening it up could mean faster growth, more feedback, and quicker iteration.
Iād love to hear, what worked best for you?
Replies
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Usually, waitlist also offers not only trying the platform as first user, but also something on the top ā some reward, discount etc. (in case, you open the platform to the general public).
Or you can do it in two batches:
1. Launch it only for waitlist users
2. Collect feedback and improve
3. To do a public launch
To help you answer these questions, here are a few things to think about.
who is on your waitlist?
Some people sign up out of curiosity - product people, devs, competitors etc. Others b/c the tool seems to solve a problem they have but may well have found another solution while you were building your product (or moved on).
so not everyone on your waitlist will become your genuine user.
have you done any user testing so far?
if not, you may well want to get a small group of users to play with your product before your 'official' launch, to help catch any bugs and UX/UI issues. it's a rare thing, a launch that goes without any problems. the more you test pre-launch, the better.
what are your objectives at this stage?
to validate your solution? to generate as much noise as possible? something else? ideally, you want to fit this step - this launch - into the bigger plan you have for your biz. what role does this event play in the grand plans that you have for your product?
it's worth thinking of your product launch as a continuous activity rather than a one off event. this mindset will help you see this as a small (albeit an important) step on your journey. from this perspective, it doesn't really matter that much what option you go with, @michael_vavilov
Hey Michael!
First off, huge congratulations on reaching this big milestoneālaunch days are always a swirl of excitement and nerves. I remember when we first started discussing Nonilion and all the fine-tuning behind the scenes; itās incredible to see how far youāve come.
Regarding your dilemma:
Keeping it waitlist-only definitely has its advantages. Early adopters often provide high-quality feedback because theyāre deeply curious and invested. That kind of focused, smaller cohort can help maintain a polished community feel and ensure youāre honing in on the most critical improvements before scaling up.
Opening to the public brings in that exhilarating wave of momentum. Youāll get broader feedback quickly, which can accelerate iteration cycles. That said, it can also amplify any kinks or issues you havenāt caught yet. In my company we strive for this option. We believe what has to break should break, so it can be replaced with better.
We also work with a lot of interns from various countries, and interns usually dont stay more than few months. To keep the product journey same for everyone, I open the product to public once the Essentials are complete.
From my experienceāespecially while working on Nonilionāa phased release tends to strike the best balance. Once your initial waitlist users have had a few days or weeks to test, gather feedback, and confirm your core functionality is rock-solid, it can be worth incrementally expanding access. Youāll keep that sense of exclusivity and care, while still reaping the benefits of fresh users at a measured pace.
Ultimately, trust that you know your audience and your vision best. If you feel the product needs a bit more polishing, stay with the smaller group a little longer. If everything is stable and youāre eager for a bigger splash, open those doors further. Either way, youāve put in the hard work, now its time to show and let people experience.
Wishing you all the best with next weekās launchācanāt wait to see how everyone reacts! If you need any support (or just a listening ear) in these final days, you know where to find me.
Cheers and congrats again!
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