How to Run a Beta Program with a Public Board
Beta programs succeed when testers feel heard and see their feedback acted on. A public Linear board gives your beta testers a structured channel for reports, visibility into fixes, and confidence that their effort matters.
Why Beta Programs Need a Public Board
Without a central place for feedback, beta testers report issues through email, DMs, and Slack. Reports get lost, duplicates pile up, and testers don't know if their bug was already found. A public board fixes all of this:
- One place for all reports — Testers submit bugs and suggestions on the board
- Duplicates are visible — Testers see existing reports before submitting new ones
- Status is transparent — Testers know when their report is acknowledged, in progress, or fixed
- Voting highlights critical issues — The most-reported bugs surface automatically
Setting Up a Beta Board
Create a dedicated Linear project for your beta and connect it to a public board:
- Create a "Beta" project in Linear with states like Reported, Confirmed, Fixing, Fixed
- Connect a public board filtered to this project
- Enable submissions so testers can report directly
- Enable voting so testers can confirm each other's reports
- Turn on email notifications so testers get updates when issues are fixed
Brand the board with a "Beta" label so testers know it's a dedicated space.
Managing Beta Feedback
Respond to submissions quickly — especially in the first week. Early responsiveness sets the tone. Testers who see fast acknowledgment submit more and better reports.
Use Linear's workflow to triage:
- Confirm valid bugs and move them to "Fixing"
- Reply to unclear reports asking for reproduction steps
- Mark duplicates and point testers to the original issue
From Beta to Launch
When the beta ends, your public board becomes your production feedback channel. The infrastructure is already in place. Testers who participated during beta become your most engaged early users because they've seen their input shape the product.