Skip to content

Beta Testing Guide

Week 5 Day 4 - Phase 4

Date: October 24, 2025 Version: 20251024.14:00 Status: Ready for Beta Launch Target: 5-10 beta testers, 2-week testing period

Table of Contents

  1. Overview
  2. Pre-Launch Checklist
  3. Beta Tester Selection
  4. Onboarding Process
  5. Testing Scenarios
  6. Monitoring and Analytics
  7. Feedback Collection
  8. Issue Tracking
  9. Success Metrics
  10. Timeline
  11. Communication Templates
  12. Troubleshooting

Overview

Objectives

Primary Goals: 1. Validate production Stripe billing flow (checkout → subscription → webhook) 2. Test real payment processing (cards, SEPA, 3D Secure) 3. Identify usability issues in billing UI 4. Gather feedback on pricing (€99 TEAM, €299 ENTERPRISE) 5. Validate team collaboration features (invite, roles, settings, member limits) 6. Test quota enforcement under real usage (PR analyses + member limits) 7. Collect testimonials for marketing

Success Criteria: - ✅ 80%+ successful checkout completions - ✅ 100% webhook delivery rate - ✅ <5% payment failures (excluding user errors) - ✅ <3 critical bugs discovered - ✅ 4+ positive testimonials collected - ✅ Average satisfaction score ≥⅘

Beta Testing Scope

In Scope (must test): - ✅ User registration and team creation - ✅ FREE plan → TEAM plan upgrade (€99/month) - ✅ Stripe checkout flow - ✅ Webhook processing (subscription created, updated, deleted) - ✅ Customer Portal (update payment, view invoices, cancel) - ✅ Team member invitation with limit enforcement - ✅ Member limit enforcement (FREE: 1 user, TEAM: 5 users, ENTERPRISE: unlimited) - ✅ Usage quota enforcement (FREE: 20 PR analyses/month) - ✅ Grace period (3 days over quota) - ✅ Team settings (billing, members, danger zone) - ✅ Upgrade prompts when member limit reached - ✅ GitHub PR analysis (if repositories connected)

Out of Scope (not testing yet): - ❌ ENTERPRISE plan (€299/month) - manual sales only - ❌ Annual billing (monthly only for beta) - ❌ Custom security rules - ❌ SSO/SAML integration - ❌ API access

Pre-Launch Checklist

1. Production Environment Setup

Stripe Configuration (from PRODUCTION_STRIPE_SETUP_GUIDE.md):

  • Stripe Account:
  • Production account activated
  • Business verification completed (1-3 days)
  • Payout method configured (bank account)

  • Support email set: support@codeslick.dev

  • Products Created:

  • TEAM plan: €99/month (price_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)
  • ENTERPRISE plan: €299/month (price_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)
  • Product descriptions completed

  • Tax behavior: Exclusive

  • API Keys Configured: 

    # Vercel Environment Variables
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_live_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET=whsec_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
STRIPE_PRICE_ID_TEAM=price_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
STRIPE_PRICE_ID_ENTERPRISE=price_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
NEXT_PUBLIC_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=pk_live_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL=https://codeslick.dev

  • Webhooks Configured:

  • Endpoint: https://codeslick.dev/api/billing/webhook
  • Events subscribed (5 events):
    • checkout.session.completed
    • customer.subscription.updated
    • customer.subscription.deleted
    • invoice.paid
    • invoice.payment_failed

  • Webhook signing secret copied to env

  • Customer Portal Configured:

  • Features enabled: Update payment method, View invoices
  • Cancellation: Cancel at period end (recommended)

  • Cancellation survey: Enabled (collect reasons)

  • Payment Methods Enabled:

  • Credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex)
  • SEPA Direct Debit (EU)

  • 3D Secure (SCA compliance)

  • Tax Configuration:

  • Stripe Tax enabled (automatic EU VAT)
  • Tax ID collection enabled
  • Reverse charge configured (B2B EU)

2. Application Deployment

  • Production Deployment:
  • npm run build successful
  • Vercel production deployment complete
  • Environment variables set in Vercel
  • Database migrations applied (Neon Postgres)

  • SSL certificate valid (https://codeslick.dev)

  • Database Health:

  • Neon connection pooling active
  • Database backups configured (daily)
  • All tables created (users, teams, teamMembers, subscriptions, usageTracking, auditLogs)

  • Test query successful

  • Monitoring Setup:

  • PostHog analytics active (EU server)
  • Vercel Analytics enabled
  • Vercel KV (Redis) connected for metrics
  • Error logging configured (console → Vercel logs)

3. Security Validation

  • OWASP Top 10 Compliance: ✅ 100% (from SECURITY_AUDIT_REPORT.md)
  • Security Rating: ✅ A- (Excellent)
  • Webhook Signature Verification: ✅ Enabled
  • Rate Limiting: ✅ 10 req/min/IP
  • HTTPS Only: ✅ All URLs use https://
  • API Keys: ✅ Never committed to git, environment variables only

4. Performance Validation

  • Load Testing Results (from PHASE_4_WEEK_5_DAY_1_2_COMPLETE.md):
  • 100 concurrent users: p95 <2s ✅
  • Database queries: <100ms avg ✅
  • Quota enforcement: <200ms p95 ✅

  • Sustained load: <1% error rate ✅

  • Page Load Times:

  • Landing page: <2s LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
  • Dashboard: <3s TTI (Time to Interactive)
  • Checkout: <2s page load

Beta Tester Selection

Target Audience

Ideal Beta Testers: - Development teams (2-10 developers) - Active GitHub users with PRs - Security-conscious organizations (fintech, healthcare, SaaS) - European companies (test EU VAT calculation) - Mix of tech stacks (JavaScript, Python, Java)

Selection Criteria: 1. Company Size: 5-50 employees (SMB target market) 2. Industry: SaaS, fintech, healthtech, e-commerce 3. Tech Stack: Uses JavaScript/TypeScript/Python/Java 4. GitHub Activity: Active repository (5+ PRs/month) 5. Location: 50% EU (test VAT), 50% non-EU 6. Commitment: Can dedicate 2-4 hours/week for 2 weeks

Recruitment Strategy

Channels: 1. Direct Outreach (highest quality): - Personal network (developers you know) - LinkedIn connections (send personalized invitations) - Email 10-15 target companies

  1. Developer Communities:
  2. Product Hunt (beta launch announcement)
  3. Indie Hackers (post in feedback section)
  4. Reddit r/SideProject (ask for beta testers)

  5. Hacker News Show HN (beta launch)

  6. GitHub:

  7. Reach out to repository owners with security issues
  8. Comment on relevant security discussions

Incentives: - 🎁 Free TEAM plan (€99 value) for 3 months after beta - 🎁 €20 credit for first subscription (Stripe coupon) - 🎁 Lifetime 20% discount if they provide testimonial - 🎁 Priority support during beta period - 🎁 Acknowledgment in launch announcement

Onboarding Process

Day 0: Pre-Onboarding (Before Beta Starts)

1. Send Invitation Email (see Communication Templates below) - Welcome message - What to expect - Timeline (2 weeks) - Incentives (€20 credit, 3 months free)

2. Create Stripe Coupon (€20 credit): 

# Stripe Dashboard → Coupons → Create
Name: BETA_TESTER_20EUR
Type: Amount off
Amount: €20.00
Duration: Once
Redemption: Limit to 10 (one per tester)

3. Prepare Support Channels: - Create dedicated Slack/Discord channel: #beta-testers - Set up email: dev@codeslick.dev (forwarded to your inbox) - Prepare FAQ document

Day 1: Onboarding Kickoff

Morning (9:00 AM): 1. Send Welcome & Kickoff Email (see templates) 2. Include: - Beta testing goals - How to get started (registration link) - Coupon code for €20 credit - Testing scenarios (checklist) - Support contacts (email, Slack)

Afternoon (2:00 PM): 1. Monitor registrations in PostHog 2. Check for any failed signups (errors in logs) 3. Send personal check-in to testers who registered

Days 2-14: Active Testing Period

Daily: - Morning: Review PostHog analytics (DAU, feature usage) - Afternoon: Check Stripe dashboard (subscriptions, webhooks) - Evening: Respond to feedback (email, Slack)

Weekly (every Friday): - Send Progress Update Email to all testers - Share: number of signups, issues fixed, upcoming features - Thank testers for participation

Day 15: Beta Wrap-Up

1. Send Final Survey (see Feedback Collection) 2. Collect Testimonials (ask top 3-5 active testers) 3. Offer Extended Free Period (3 months TEAM plan) 4. Schedule Follow-Up Calls (optional, with most engaged testers)

Testing Scenarios

Scenario 1: Registration → Free Plan → Explore

Objective: Test user registration and FREE plan onboarding

Steps: 1. Visit https://codeslick.dev 2. Click "Get Started" or "Sign Up" 3. Complete registration (email, password, team name) 4. Verify email (if email verification enabled) 5. Land on dashboard 6. Explore: - Run 1-2 PR analyses (if GitHub connected) - Check usage quota (20 remaining) - View team settings

Expected Results: - ✅ Registration completes in <2 minutes - ✅ User lands on dashboard (not errors) - ✅ Usage quota shows 20/20 remaining - ✅ No JavaScript errors in console

What to Look For: - Confusing UI (where users get stuck) - Missing onboarding guidance - Unclear value proposition

Scenario 2: FREE → TEAM Upgrade (Full Checkout Flow)

Objective: Test Stripe checkout, webhook processing, subscription activation

Steps: 1. Log in to dashboard 2. Navigate to Settings → Billing 3. Click Upgrade to TEAM (€99/month) 4. Redirected to Stripe Checkout 5. Enter payment details: - Card: 4242 4242 4242 4242 (test card for live mode) - Expiry: Any future date (12/26) - CVC: Any 3 digits (123) - Apply coupon: BETA_TESTER_20EUR (€20 off = €79 charged) 6. Complete checkout 7. Redirected back to dashboard 8. Verify subscription status changed to "TEAM" 9. Check email for receipt

Expected Results: - ✅ Checkout page loads in <2s - ✅ Coupon applied successfully (€79 charged instead of €99) - ✅ Payment succeeds (no errors) - ✅ Redirected back to dashboard within 5s - ✅ Subscription status updated to "TEAM" (check database) - ✅ Webhook delivered (check Stripe dashboard → Webhooks) - ✅ Email receipt sent (Stripe automatic email)

What to Look For: - Payment failures (3D Secure issues, bank declines) - Webhook failures (database not updated) - UI not updating (still shows FREE plan) - Coupon not applying

Troubleshooting: - If payment succeeds but UI shows FREE: Check webhook delivery in Stripe - If webhook failed: Check /api/billing/webhook logs in Vercel - If coupon doesn't work: Verify coupon code in Stripe dashboard

Scenario 3: Customer Portal (Update Payment, Cancel)

Objective: Test Stripe Customer Portal integration

Steps: 1. Log in to dashboard (with active TEAM subscription) 2. Navigate to Settings → Billing 3. Click Manage Subscription (opens Stripe Customer Portal) 4. Test 1: Update Payment Method: - Click "Update payment method" - Enter new card: 5555 5555 5555 4444 (Mastercard test) - Save changes - Verify new card saved 5. Test 2: View Invoices: - Click "Invoices" tab - Download latest invoice (PDF) - Verify invoice details (€99/month, VAT if EU) 6. Test 3: Cancel Subscription: - Click "Cancel subscription" - Select reason: "Too expensive" (survey) - Choose "Cancel at end of period" (don't cancel immediately) - Confirm cancellation - Verify subscription shows "Cancels on [date]"

Expected Results: - ✅ Customer Portal loads in <2s - ✅ Payment method updates successfully - ✅ Invoice downloads correctly (PDF with correct amounts) - ✅ Cancellation scheduled for end of period - ✅ Database updated (subscription.status = "active", subscription.cancelAtPeriodEnd = true) - ✅ Webhook delivered: customer.subscription.updated

What to Look For: - Customer Portal not loading (missing stripeCustomerId in database) - Payment method update fails (Stripe API error) - Cancellation happens immediately (should be end of period) - Webhook not received (database not updated)

Scenario 4: Team Collaboration (Invite, Roles, Settings, Member Limits)

Objective: Test team member invitation, role-based access control, and member limit enforcement

Steps: 1. Team Owner (FREE plan - 1 member limit): - Navigate to Settings → Members - Click "Invite Member" - Observe: Yellow badge "Free Plan (Individual Use Only) - 1/1 members used" - Observe: Invite button is DISABLED - Observe: "Upgrade Plan" button shown - Click "Upgrade Plan" → redirected to /pricing

  1. Upgrade to TEAM Plan:
  2. Complete Stripe checkout (€99/month)
  3. Return to Settings → Members
  4. Observe: Blue badge "Team Plan - ⅕ members used"

  5. Observe: Invite button is now ENABLED

  6. Invite First Member:

  7. Click "Invite Member"
  8. Enter email: beta-member-1@example.com
  9. Select role: "Admin"

  10. Send invitation

  11. Team Member Joins (different browser/incognito):

  12. Check email for invitation link
  13. Click invitation link
  14. Complete registration (if new user)
  15. Accept invitation

  16. Land on team dashboard

  17. Test Admin Permissions:

  18. Admin navigates to Settings → Members
  19. Observe: Badge shows "Team Plan - ⅖ members used"
  20. Try to invite another member (should succeed)

  21. Try to delete team (should fail - Owner only)

  22. Test Member Limit Enforcement:

  23. Owner invites 3 more members (total 5/5 members)
  24. Try to invite 6th member
  25. Observe: Yellow badge "Team Plan - 5/5 members used"
  26. Observe: Invite button DISABLED

  27. Observe: "Upgrade to Enterprise plan (€299/month) for unlimited members"

  28. Test Member Permissions:

  29. Change admin → member role
  30. Try to invite member (should fail - Admin+ only)
  31. Try to view billing settings (should succeed - read-only)

Expected Results: - ✅ FREE plan enforces 1-member limit (invite disabled) - ✅ TEAM plan allows up to 5 members - ✅ Member count badge updates in real-time - ✅ Upgrade prompts shown when limit reached - ✅ Invitation email sent within 1 minute - ✅ Invitation link works (member can join) - ✅ Admin can invite members (within limit), cannot delete team - ✅ Member can view settings, cannot modify - ✅ RBAC enforced correctly (403 Forbidden for unauthorized actions) - ✅ API returns proper error when limit reached (with upgrade message)

What to Look For: - FREE users able to add members (critical bug!) - TEAM users able to add >5 members (critical bug!) - Member count not updating after invitation - Upgrade prompt not showing - Invitation email not sent (email service issue) - Invitation link broken (404 error) - RBAC not enforced (member can delete team - critical bug!) - UI shows actions that are not permitted (confusing UX)

Scenario 5: Usage Quota Enforcement (FREE Plan Limits)

Objective: Test quota enforcement and grace period

Steps: 1. Setup: Create new FREE plan account 2. Test 1: Normal Usage (Within Quota): - Run 10 PR analyses - Verify usage: 10/20 used - All analyses succeed 3. Test 2: Approaching Limit: - Run 10 more analyses (total 20/20) - Verify usage: 20/20 used - Warning banner shows: "Quota exceeded. Upgrade to continue." 4. Test 3: Over Quota (Grace Period): - Try to run 1 more analysis (21st) - Verify: Analysis succeeds (grace period active) - Grace period banner shows: "2 days remaining" 5. Test 4: Grace Period Expired: - Manually set grace period end date to yesterday (database) - Try to run analysis - Verify: Analysis blocked (403 Forbidden) - UI shows: "Quota exceeded. Please upgrade to TEAM."

Expected Results: - ✅ Quota tracked accurately (database usageTracking table) - ✅ Warning at 20/20 usage - ✅ Grace period activates automatically (3 days) - ✅ Analysis blocked after grace period expires - ✅ Upgrade prompt shown clearly

What to Look For: - Quota not tracked (always 0/20 or always allows) - Grace period not activating (analysis blocked immediately) - Grace period never expires (allows unlimited usage - critical!) - Race conditions (100 concurrent requests bypass quota)

Scenario 6: GitHub PR Analysis (If Integrated)

Objective: Test automated PR analysis and commenting

Steps: 1. Connect GitHub repository (Settings → Integrations) 2. Create test PR with security issues: 

// test.js - intentionally vulnerable code
const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.get('/user', (req, res) => {
  const userId = req.query.id;
  const query = `SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ${userId}`; // SQL injection
  db.query(query, (err, results) => {
    res.json(results);
  });
});
3. Open PR on GitHub 4. Wait 30-60 seconds for webhook processing 5. Check PR comments for CodeSlick analysis 6. Verify: - Comment posted by CodeSlick bot - SQL injection detected - Severity: HIGH or CRITICAL - Fix suggestion provided - OWASP mapping shown (A03:2021)

Expected Results: - ✅ Webhook received within 10s of PR creation - ✅ Analysis completes within 30-60s - ✅ Comment posted on PR (formatted markdown) - ✅ Vulnerabilities detected correctly (SQL injection) - ✅ No false positives (legitimate code not flagged)

What to Look For: - Webhook not received (GitHub app misconfigured) - Analysis times out (>60s - needs optimization) - Comment not posted (GitHub API permission issue) - False positives (clean code flagged as vulnerable) - False negatives (vulnerable code not detected)

Monitoring and Analytics

Daily Monitoring Checklist

Morning (9:00 AM): - [ ] Check PostHog Dashboard: - [ ] DAU (Daily Active Users): Goal ≥5 during beta - [ ] New signups: Track conversion rate (visit → signup) - [ ] Feature usage: Which features are used most? - [ ] Errors: Any JavaScript errors in browser console?

  • Check Stripe Dashboard:
  • New subscriptions: How many TEAM plans purchased?
  • Payment failures: Any declined cards?
  • Webhook deliveries: 100% success rate?

  • Coupons redeemed: How many €20 credits used?

  • Check Vercel Logs:

  • Server errors (5xx responses): Should be 0
  • API errors (4xx responses): Check for patterns
  • Slow requests (>2s): Investigate performance issues

Afternoon (2:00 PM): - [ ] Review Support Channels: - [ ] Email: dev@codeslick.dev (respond within 2 hours) - [ ] Slack: #beta-testers (check for questions) - [ ] GitHub Issues: Check for bug reports

Evening (6:00 PM): - [ ] Update Beta Progress Tracker (spreadsheet): - Total signups: X/10 - Active users (DAU): Y - Subscriptions: Z TEAM plans - Bugs reported: Critical/High/Medium/Low - Testimonials collected: N

Key Metrics to Track

User Acquisition: - Total signups (goal: 10 beta testers) - Signup conversion rate (landing page visits → signups) - Source breakdown (direct, Product Hunt, LinkedIn, etc.)

Activation (did they complete onboarding?): - Registration completion rate (started → completed) - Time to first PR analysis - % who connect GitHub repository

Billing: - FREE → TEAM upgrade rate (goal: 30%+) - Checkout abandonment rate (started checkout → completed) - Average time to upgrade (days from signup) - Coupon redemption rate (% who use BETA_TESTER_20EUR)

Engagement: - DAU (Daily Active Users): Goal ≥5 - WAU (Weekly Active Users): Goal ≥8 - Avg PR analyses per user per week - Retention: % who return after 7 days

Quality: - Payment success rate (goal: 95%+) - Webhook delivery success rate (goal: 100%) - Critical bugs discovered (goal: <3) - Average satisfaction score (goal: ≥⅘)

Support: - Support tickets (email + Slack) - Average response time (goal: <2 hours) - % resolved within 24 hours (goal: 90%+)

Feedback Collection

In-App Feedback Widget

Implementation (optional, can use external tool): - Add feedback button to dashboard (bottom-right corner) - Use tool: Canny, UserVoice, or simple modal - Ask: "How can we improve CodeSlick?" - Collect: Feature requests, bugs, general feedback

Mid-Beta Survey (Day 7)

Send to all testers via email:

Subject: How's your CodeSlick beta experience? (2-minute survey)

Survey Questions (use Google Forms or Typeform):

  1. Overall Satisfaction (1-5 scale)
  2. How satisfied are you with CodeSlick so far?

  3. 5 = Very satisfied, 1 = Very unsatisfied

  4. Ease of Use (1-5 scale)

  5. How easy was it to get started with CodeSlick?

  6. 5 = Very easy, 1 = Very difficult

  7. Feature Usage (multiple choice)

  8. Which features have you used? (check all)

    • GitHub PR analysis
    • Manual code analysis
    • Team collaboration (invite members)
    • Billing/subscriptions
    • Other: ___

  9. Most Valuable Feature (open-ended)

  10. What feature provides the most value to you?

  11. Biggest Pain Point (open-ended)

  12. What's the most frustrating part of using CodeSlick?

  13. Missing Features (open-ended)

  14. What features are you missing? What would you add?

  15. Pricing Perception (multiple choice)

  16. How do you feel about the TEAM plan pricing (€99/month)?

    • Too expensive
    • Fair price
    • Great value
    • Would pay more

  17. Likelihood to Recommend (NPS - 0-10 scale)

  18. How likely are you to recommend CodeSlick to a colleague?

  19. 0 = Not at all likely, 10 = Extremely likely

  20. Any Other Feedback? (open-ended)

Final Survey (Day 15)

Same as Mid-Beta Survey, plus:

  1. Plan After Beta (multiple choice)

    • What will you do after the beta ends?
    • Subscribe to TEAM plan (€99/month)
    • Stay on FREE plan
    • Stop using CodeSlick
    • Need more time to decide

  2. Testimonial Request (open-ended, optional)

    • If you've had a positive experience, would you be willing to provide a testimonial? (We'll reach out separately)
    • Yes, I'd be happy to provide a testimonial
    • No, not interested

Testimonial Collection

Reach out to top 3-5 active testers:

Email Template: 

Subject: Quick favor - CodeSlick testimonial?

Hi [Name],

Thank you so much for being a beta tester for CodeSlick! Your feedback has been incredibly valuable.

I noticed you've been actively using CodeSlick [specific usage: e.g., "analyzed 15 PRs" or "upgraded to TEAM plan"]. I'd love to feature your experience in our launch announcement.

Would you be willing to provide a short testimonial (2-3 sentences) about your experience with CodeSlick?

Specifically:
- What problem does CodeSlick solve for you?
- What results have you seen? (e.g., "caught 3 security issues before production")
- Would you recommend it to other teams?

As a thank you, I'd like to offer you a lifetime 20% discount (€79/month instead of €99).

Let me know if you're interested!

Best,
[Your Name]

What to Do with Testimonials: - Add to landing page (with permission) - Use in launch announcement (Product Hunt, Hacker News) - Create case studies (with detailed results)

Issue Tracking

Bug Reporting Process

1. Tester Reports Bug (via email or Slack): - What happened? (describe the issue) - What were you trying to do? (steps to reproduce) - What did you expect? (expected behavior) - Screenshots/error messages (if any)

2. You Triage the Bug: - Severity: - Critical: Payments fail, data loss, security vulnerability (fix within 4 hours) - High: Feature doesn't work, blocks usage (fix within 24 hours) - Medium: Annoying but has workaround (fix within 3 days) - Low: Minor UI issue, cosmetic (fix after beta)

3. Track in Spreadsheet or Tool:

ID Severity Issue Reported By Status Fixed Date
001 Critical Webhook not processing payments John Doe Fixed 2025-10-25
002 High Customer Portal link broken Jane Smith In Progress -
003 Medium Usage quota shows wrong number Bob Johnson Open -
004 Low Button color contrast too low Alice Brown Backlog -

4. Communicate Fix: - Send email to reporter: "Fixed! Please test again." - Post in Slack: "Bug #002 fixed - Customer Portal links now work."

Common Issues and Fixes

Issue 1: Payment succeeded, but UI still shows FREE plan

Cause: Webhook not processed Fix: Check Stripe dashboard → Webhooks → verify delivery Prevention: Add webhook retry logic (Stripe has built-in retries)

Issue 2: Customer Portal link returns 404

Cause: Missing stripeCustomerId in database Fix: Check database for user's stripeCustomerId, manually add if missing Prevention: Ensure webhook sets stripeCustomerId on checkout.session.completed

Issue 3: Quota not updating after PR analysis

Cause: usageTracking table not updating Fix: Check /api/analyze route - ensure it increments usage Prevention: Add integration test for quota increment

Issue 4: 3D Secure (SCA) payment fails

Cause: Bank requires additional authentication Fix: This is expected behavior (not a bug) Communication: Let tester know this is normal, try different card

Issue 5: Invitation email not received

Cause: Email service issue or spam filter Fix: Check Vercel logs for email send errors Workaround: Manually send invitation link via Slack/email

Success Metrics

Quantitative Metrics

User Acquisition (2-week period): - ✅ Target: 10 beta testers signup - ✅ Stretch: 15 signups

Activation: - ✅ Target: 80%+ complete registration (no abandoned signups) - ✅ Target: 50%+ connect GitHub repository

Billing: - ✅ Target: 3+ TEAM plan subscriptions (30% conversion) - ✅ Target: 95%+ payment success rate (no technical failures) - ✅ Target: 100% webhook delivery rate

Engagement: - ✅ Target: 5+ DAU (Daily Active Users) - ✅ Target: 60%+ 7-day retention (return after first week) - ✅ Target: 10+ avg PR analyses per active user

Quality: - ✅ Target: <3 critical bugs discovered - ✅ Target: <10 total bugs reported - ✅ Target: 90%+ support tickets resolved <24 hours

Satisfaction: - ✅ Target: 4.0+ average satisfaction score (1-5 scale) - ✅ Target: 40+ NPS (Net Promoter Score) - ✅ Target: 4+ testimonials collected

Qualitative Metrics

Positive Indicators: - Testers renew subscription after beta (continue paying) - Testers invite additional team members - Testers provide unsolicited positive feedback - Testers refer other companies - Testers willing to do case study interview

Negative Indicators (red flags): - Multiple testers cancel subscription immediately - Complaints about pricing (too expensive for value) - Bugs prevent core functionality (payments, PR analysis) - Testers don't return after initial signup - NPS <0 (more detractors than promoters)

Timeline

Week 1: Launch and Onboarding (Days 1-7)

Day 1 (Monday): 🚀 Beta Launch - 9:00 AM: Send invitation emails to 10-15 potential testers - 10:00 AM: Post beta launch on Product Hunt, Indie Hackers - 2:00 PM: Monitor first signups (goal: 3+ by end of day) - 6:00 PM: Send welcome email to all who signed up

Day 2 (Tuesday): Onboarding Support - 9:00 AM: Review analytics (how many signups? any errors?) - 10:00 AM: Send check-in email: "How's it going? Need help?" - All Day: Respond to support requests within 2 hours - 6:00 PM: Update beta tracker (signups, active users, bugs)

Day 3 (Wednesday): First Subscriptions - 9:00 AM: Check for first TEAM plan subscriptions (goal: 1+ by now) - 12:00 PM: Send targeted email to active FREE users: "Upgrade to TEAM with €20 credit" - All Day: Monitor Stripe webhooks (any failures?) - 6:00 PM: Celebrate first paying customer! (if any)

Day 4 (Thursday): Engagement Push - 9:00 AM: Check 7-day retention (are Day 1 signups still active?) - 10:00 AM: Send "Tips & Tricks" email to all testers - 2:00 PM: Post update in Slack: "What features are you using most?" - 6:00 PM: Review feedback (any patterns? common pain points?)

Day 5 (Friday): Week 1 Wrap-Up - 9:00 AM: Send Week 1 Progress Update email: - "10 testers joined!" - "3 teams upgraded to TEAM plan" - "5 bugs fixed this week" - "Thank you for your participation!" - 2:00 PM: Fix any critical bugs discovered this week - 6:00 PM: Plan next week based on feedback

Day 6-7 (Weekend): Light Monitoring - Check analytics once per day - Respond to critical support requests only - Give yourself a break!

Week 2: Iteration and Feedback (Days 8-14)

Day 8 (Monday): Mid-Beta Survey - 9:00 AM: Send Mid-Beta Survey (Day 7 survey above) - 10:00 AM: Review last week's data (what's working? what's not?) - 2:00 PM: Prioritize bug fixes based on survey feedback - 6:00 PM: Ship 2-3 high-impact bug fixes

Day 9 (Tuesday): Feature Iteration - 9:00 AM: Implement most-requested feature (if quick win) - 2:00 PM: Send update: "We listened! New feature: X" - 6:00 PM: Monitor for any new issues with new feature

Day 10 (Wednesday): Testimonial Collection - 9:00 AM: Identify top 5 active testers (most PRs analyzed, upgraded, engaged) - 10:00 AM: Send testimonial request email (see template above) - All Day: Follow up with interested testers - 6:00 PM: Draft case study with willing tester (optional)

Day 11 (Thursday): Conversion Push - 9:00 AM: Review FREE plan users (who hasn't upgraded?) - 10:00 AM: Send targeted email: "Last chance for €20 credit" (create urgency) - 2:00 PM: Offer 1:1 demo call to fence-sitters - 6:00 PM: Check for new subscriptions

Day 12 (Friday): Final Survey - 9:00 AM: Send Final Survey (Day 15 survey above) - 10:00 AM: Review all feedback collected (mid-beta + final) - 2:00 PM: Create prioritized roadmap for post-beta improvements - 6:00 PM: Send Week 2 Progress Update + Thank You email

Day 13-14 (Weekend): Analysis and Planning - Analyze all data (quantitative + qualitative) - Write beta testing summary report (see Day 4 COMPLETE doc template) - Plan post-beta actions: - Which bugs to fix before public launch? - Which features to build next? - Pricing changes needed? - Prepare for public launch (Product Hunt, Hacker News)

Communication Templates

1. Pre-Beta Invitation Email

Subject: Exclusive invite: Be a CodeSlick beta tester (€20 credit + 3 months free)

Hi [Name],

I'm [Your Name], founder of CodeSlick - an AI-powered code security platform that helps development teams catch vulnerabilities before they reach production.

I'm inviting a small group of 10 developers to beta test CodeSlick before our public launch. Given your experience with [their tech stack/industry], I think you'd be a perfect fit.

What's in it for you?
🎁 €20 credit (first month only €79 instead of €99)
🎁 3 months FREE after beta (€297 value)
🎁 Lifetime 20% discount if you provide a testimonial
🎁 Priority support (direct access to me)
🎁 Shape the product (your feedback will directly influence our roadmap)

What I'm asking:
⏱️ 2-4 hours over 2 weeks (flexible schedule)
📝 Test the billing flow (checkout, subscription, cancellation)
💬 Provide honest feedback (what works, what doesn't)
🐛 Report any bugs you find

Beta Timeline:
- Start: Monday, October 28, 2025
- End: Friday, November 8, 2025 (2 weeks)

Interested? Reply "YES" and I'll send you the kickoff details on Monday.

Questions? Just reply to this email.

Thanks for considering!

Best,
[Your Name]
Founder, CodeSlick
https://codeslick.dev

2. Welcome & Kickoff Email (Day 1)

Subject: 🚀 Welcome to CodeSlick Beta - Let's get started!

Hi [Name],

Welcome to the CodeSlick beta! Thank you for joining us.

Here's what to expect over the next 2 weeks:

📅 Timeline:
- Week 1 (Oct 28 - Nov 1): Onboarding + initial testing
- Week 2 (Nov 4 - Nov 8): Advanced features + feedback

🎯 Your Mission (if you choose to accept it):
1. Sign up and create a team: https://codeslick.dev/signup
2. Upgrade to TEAM plan (€99/month):
   - Use coupon code: BETA_TESTER_20EUR (€20 off)
   - You'll be charged €79 for the first month
3. Test these scenarios (see attached checklist):
   ✅ Run a PR analysis (if you have GitHub repos)
   ✅ Invite a team member
   ✅ Manage subscription in Customer Portal
   ✅ Test quota enforcement (FREE plan limit: 20/month)
4. Report any bugs or issues you find
5. Provide honest feedback (what you love, what frustrates you)

💰 Your Benefits:
- €20 credit applied automatically with coupon code
- After beta: 3 months FREE TEAM plan (€297 value)
- If you provide testimonial: Lifetime 20% discount (€79/month forever)

📞 Need Help?
- Email: beta@codeslick.dev (I'll respond within 2 hours)
- Slack: Join #beta-testers channel → [Slack invite link]

📋 Testing Checklist:
I've attached a detailed checklist of scenarios to test. Don't feel pressured to complete everything - test what's relevant to your workflow.

Let's build something great together!

Best,
[Your Name]

P.S. First bug reporter gets a special prize 😉

Attachment: Testing_Checklist.pdf (export scenarios from this guide)

3. Week 1 Progress Update (Day 5)

Subject: CodeSlick Beta - Week 1 Progress Update

Hi Beta Testers,

What a week! Here's what happened:

📊 Week 1 Stats:
- 10 amazing testers joined (that's you!)
- 3 teams upgraded to TEAM plan 🎉
- 45 PR analyses run
- 5 bugs discovered and fixed
- 1 feature request implemented (dark mode!)

🐛 Bugs Fixed This Week:
1. ✅ Customer Portal link not working (fixed Day 2)
2. ✅ Quota counter showing incorrect usage (fixed Day 3)
3. ✅ Webhook timeout on slow connections (fixed Day 4)
4. ✅ Mobile UI spacing issues (fixed Day 5)
5. ✅ Email invitation not sending (fixed Day 5)

💡 Feature Added:
- 🌙 Dark mode (requested by 3 testers - we listened!)

📈 Most Used Features:
1. GitHub PR analysis (32 PRs analyzed)
2. Team collaboration (8 team members invited)
3. Billing management (3 subscriptions, 2 portal visits)

🙏 Thank You:
- @JohnDoe for reporting 3 critical bugs
- @JaneSmith for the detailed UX feedback
- @BobJohnson for being our first paying customer!

📅 Next Week:
- Monday: Mid-beta survey (2 minutes, I promise)
- Wednesday: Testimonial requests (optional)
- Friday: Final survey + wrap-up

Questions or feedback? Reply to this email or ping me on Slack.

Have a great weekend!

Best,
[Your Name]

4. Mid-Beta Survey Email (Day 8)

Subject: Quick survey: How's your CodeSlick experience? (2 minutes)

Hi [Name],

You're halfway through the CodeSlick beta - thank you for sticking with us!

I'd love to get your feedback so far. This 2-minute survey will help me understand what's working (and what's not).

👉 Take the survey: [Google Forms / Typeform link]

Your feedback will directly shape:
- Bug fix priorities
- Feature roadmap
- Pricing adjustments
- Product messaging

As a thank you, everyone who completes the survey gets entered to win a lifetime FREE TEAM plan (€1,188/year value).

Deadline: Wednesday, November 6 at 11:59 PM

Thanks!

Best,
[Your Name]

5. Testimonial Request Email (Day 10)

See "Testimonial Collection" section above for full template.

6. Final Survey Email (Day 12)

Subject: Last survey: Help shape CodeSlick's future (+ what's next)

Hi [Name],

The beta ends in 2 days - time flies! Thank you for being part of this journey.

I'd love your final thoughts on CodeSlick. This 3-minute survey will help me prepare for the public launch.

👉 Take the final survey: [Google Forms / Typeform link]

New questions in this survey:
- Will you continue using CodeSlick after beta?
- Would you recommend CodeSlick to your team/network?
- Any final feedback or suggestions?

🎁 What Happens After Beta (November 8):
1. **You keep full access** (no interruption)
2. **3 months FREE TEAM plan** activated automatically (if you upgraded during beta)
3. **Lifetime 20% discount** (if you provide testimonial - I'll reach out separately)
4. **Public launch** in mid-November (you'll get early access to new features)

📊 Beta Results (sneak peek):
- 10 awesome testers (you!)
- 5 teams on TEAM plan
- 78 PRs analyzed
- 12 bugs fixed
- 4.3/5 average satisfaction score (you're tough graders! 😅)

Thank you for your time, feedback, and patience. You've made CodeSlick significantly better.

Final survey deadline: Friday, November 8 at 11:59 PM

Best,
[Your Name]

P.S. I'll send a detailed summary of what we learned from this beta next week.

7. Beta Wrap-Up & Thank You (Day 15)

Subject: CodeSlick Beta Complete - Thank You + What's Next

Hi [Name],

The CodeSlick beta has officially ended - and what a success it was!

🎉 Final Results:
- 10 beta testers
- 5 TEAM plan subscriptions (50% conversion! 🔥)
- 95 PR analyses run
- 12 bugs discovered and fixed
- 4.3/5 average satisfaction score
- 8 testimonials collected
- 0 critical issues remaining

This wouldn't have been possible without you. Thank you.

🎁 Your Rewards (Activated Automatically):
1. ✅ **3 months FREE TEAM plan** (until February 8, 2026)
2. ✅ **Lifetime 20% discount** (€79/month instead of €99) [if you provided testimonial]
3. ✅ **Priority support** (continue emailing beta@codeslick.dev)
4. ✅ **Early access** to new features (you'll be the first to try them)

📈 What's Next for CodeSlick:
Based on your feedback, here's what we're building next:

**November** (Weeks 3-4):
- VS Code extension (requested by 7 testers)
- Custom security rules (ENTERPRISE feature)
- Slack/Discord integration (PR analysis notifications)

**December** (Month 2):
- API access for CI/CD pipelines
- Historical trend analysis (track security improvements over time)
- SARIF export (for GitHub Advanced Security)

**January 2026** (Month 3):
- Public launch on Product Hunt + Hacker News
- Annual billing option (save 20%)
- Referral program (earn credits)

📊 What We Learned:
I'll send a detailed beta summary report next week with:
- All quantitative data (usage, conversion, engagement)
- Key feedback themes (what you loved, what frustrated you)
- Roadmap adjustments based on your input

📞 Stay in Touch:
- Email: support@codeslick.dev (I'll still respond personally)
- Slack: #beta-alumni channel (staying open for you)
- LinkedIn: Connect with me → [Your LinkedIn URL]

One Final Favor:
If you found value in CodeSlick, I'd appreciate:
1. **Referral**: Share with a colleague who needs security analysis
2. **Review**: Leave a review on our landing page → [link]
3. **Case Study**: 30-minute call to discuss your results (optional)

Thank you again for believing in CodeSlick from day one.

You're not just beta testers - you're founding users. I won't forget that.

Best,
[Your Name]
Founder, CodeSlick

P.S. Your feedback directly influenced 8 major product decisions. You've shaped CodeSlick's future. Thank you.

Troubleshooting

Common Beta Testing Issues

Issue 1: Low Signup Rate (<5 testers in Week 1)

Diagnosis: - Not enough people invited (need 15-20 invites for 10 signups) - Invitation email not compelling (no clear value prop) - Barriers to entry too high (complex registration)

Solutions: 1. Send more invitations (expand to 20-30 potential testers) 2. Improve email copy (emphasize €20 credit + 3 months free) 3. Simplify registration (Google OAuth, reduce form fields) 4. Post on more channels (Reddit, Indie Hackers, Hacker News)

Issue 2: High Signup, Low Activation (<50% connect GitHub)

Diagnosis: - Onboarding not clear (users don't know what to do next) - Value not immediately obvious (why should I connect GitHub?) - GitHub connection too complex (OAuth flow broken)

Solutions: 1. Add onboarding checklist in dashboard: "3 steps to get started" 2. Show value upfront: "Analyze your first PR in 2 minutes" 3. Test GitHub OAuth flow (check for errors in logs) 4. Send follow-up email Day 2: "Need help getting started?"

Issue 3: No One Upgrades (<2 TEAM subscriptions by Day 7)

Diagnosis: - Price too high (€99/month perceived as expensive) - Value not demonstrated (FREE plan already does everything they need) - Coupon code not working (€20 credit not applying) - Checkout flow broken (payment failures)

Solutions: 1. Survey non-upgraders: "What's preventing you from upgrading?" 2. Increase coupon value (€40 off instead of €20 = €59 first month) 3. Add urgency: "Beta pricing ends in 3 days" 4. Test checkout flow yourself (complete a test purchase) 5. Offer payment plan: "€49/month for 2 months, then €99/month"

Issue 4: Payment Failures (>10% of checkout attempts fail)

Diagnosis: - 3D Secure (SCA) issues (bank requires additional authentication) - Card declined (insufficient funds, fraud detection) - Stripe configuration error (webhook secret wrong)

Solutions: 1. Check Stripe dashboard → Payments → Failed payments (see decline reasons) 2. Test with multiple card types (Visa, Mastercard, SEPA) 3. Verify webhook secret in environment variables (STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET) 4. Enable more payment methods (SEPA, iDEAL as alternatives to cards) 5. Communicate to testers: "Some banks require 3D Secure - try another card"

Issue 5: Webhook Delivery Failures (database not updating after payment)

Diagnosis: - Webhook endpoint not reachable (Vercel deployment issue) - Webhook signature verification failing (wrong secret) - Database connection timeout (Neon Postgres issue) - Code error in webhook handler (/api/billing/webhook)

Solutions: 1. Check Stripe dashboard → Webhooks → See delivery attempts 2. Click failed webhook → View response (see error message) 3. Verify webhook URL: https://codeslick.dev/api/billing/webhook (must be HTTPS) 4. Verify webhook secret matches environment variable 5. Check Vercel logs → Functions → /api/billing/webhook (see runtime errors) 6. Test locally: Use Stripe CLI to forward webhooks → stripe listen --forward-to localhost:3000/api/billing/webhook 7. Add retry logic (Stripe retries automatically, but add manual retry button in dashboard)

Issue 6: Testers Report Bugs, But Can't Reproduce

Diagnosis: - Not enough information (no steps to reproduce) - Environment-specific (works in Chrome, fails in Safari) - Intermittent issue (race condition, timing-dependent)

Solutions: 1. Ask for more details: - Browser + version - Operating system - Screenshots or screen recording - Console errors (F12 → Console) - Steps to reproduce 2. Test in multiple browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) 3. Test on multiple devices (desktop, mobile, tablet) 4. Add error tracking tool (Sentry) to capture client-side errors automatically

Next Steps After Beta

Immediate Actions (Day 16-17)

  1. Analyze All Data:
  2. Export PostHog analytics (DAU, WAU, feature usage)
  3. Export Stripe data (subscriptions, revenue, churn)
  4. Compile survey responses (quantitative + qualitative)

  5. Review all bug reports and feedback

  6. Write Beta Summary Report:

  7. Create PHASE_4_WEEK_5_DAY_4_COMPLETE.md
  8. Include: metrics, key learnings, testimonials, roadmap changes

  9. Share with stakeholders (if any)

  10. Prioritize Fixes:

  11. Critical bugs → fix within 24 hours
  12. High-priority bugs → fix within 1 week

  13. Medium/low → add to backlog

  14. Activate Benefits for Testers:

  15. Apply 3 months free TEAM plan (extend subscription end date)
  16. Apply 20% lifetime discount (create Stripe coupon, apply to customers)
  17. Send confirmation email

Short-Term Actions (Week 6)

  1. Fix Critical Bugs (based on beta feedback)
  2. Implement Top Feature Request (if quick win)
  3. Prepare for Public Launch:
  4. Update landing page (add testimonials)
  5. Create Product Hunt listing
  6. Write Hacker News Show HN post
  7. Prepare launch announcement email
  8. Document Learnings (update CLAUDE.md, add to CHANGELOG.md)

Long-Term Actions (Months 2-3)

  1. Product Improvements (based on beta roadmap):
  2. VS Code extension
  3. Custom security rules
  4. API access

  5. Slack/Discord integration

  6. Marketing & Growth:

  7. Public launch (Product Hunt, Hacker News)
  8. Content marketing (blog posts, case studies)
  9. SEO optimization

  10. Paid ads (if revenue justifies)

  11. Scale Operations:

  12. Hire support person (if >50 customers)
  13. Automate onboarding (email sequences)
  14. Improve documentation (help center, video tutorials)

Conclusion

This beta testing guide provides a comprehensive framework for successfully testing CodeSlick's production billing and team collaboration features with real users.

Key Success Factors: 1. Clear objectives: Know what you're testing (billing flow, not product-market fit) 2. Right testers: Target SMB dev teams, not individual developers 3. Strong incentives: €20 credit + 3 months free = compelling offer 4. Proactive support: Respond within 2 hours, fix critical bugs same-day 5. Continuous feedback: Mid-beta + final surveys + Slack conversations 6. Data-driven: Track metrics daily, adjust strategy based on results

Remember: Beta is not about perfection - it's about learning fast and iterating.

Good luck with your beta launch! 🚀

Last Updated: October 24, 2025 Next Review: After beta completion (November 9, 2025) Owner: CodeSlick Team