Beta Tester Target List - Research Strategy¶
Date: November 6, 2025 Goal: Identify 20 specific people to send personalized DMs Target: Get 10 beta testers from 20 messages (50% response rate)
Your 20-Person Target List (Fill This In)¶
Tier 1: People You Know (Highest Conversion - 60-80%)¶
Target: 5 people
| # | Name | Company | Role | LinkedIn URL | Why Them? | Template | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Template 1 | ||||||
| 2 | Template 2 | ||||||
| 3 | Template 1 | ||||||
| 4 | Template 3 | ||||||
| 5 | Template 2 |
How to find them: 1. Open LinkedIn → Connections → Filter by: - Current company (startups, tech companies) - Current role (DevOps, Tech Lead, CTO, Engineering Manager) 2. Look for people who: - Work at companies with 10-50 employees (startup size) - Have "GitHub" or "CI/CD" in their profile - You've worked with before or interacted with recently
Tier 2: Warm Connections (Medium Conversion - 30-50%)¶
Target: 8 people
| # | Name | Company | Role | LinkedIn URL | Connection | Template | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Mutual: [name] | Template 10 | |||||
| 7 | Engaged with posts | Template 3 | |||||
| 8 | Same community | Template 8 | |||||
| 9 | Mutual: [name] | Template 10 | |||||
| 10 | Commented on my post | Template 3 | |||||
| 11 | GitHub follower | Template 13 | |||||
| 12 | Same school/bootcamp | Template 7 | |||||
| 13 | Met at event | Template 2 |
How to find them: 1. Mutual connections: LinkedIn → Search "DevOps engineer" → Filter by "2nd connections" 2. Post engagement: Check who liked/commented on your recent LinkedIn posts 3. GitHub followers: Check your GitHub profile followers 4. Communities: Indie Hackers, Reddit r/devops members you've interacted with 5. Events: Anyone you met at tech meetups/conferences
Tier 3: Strategic Cold Outreach (Lower Conversion - 10-20%)¶
Target: 7 people
| # | Name | Company | Role | LinkedIn URL | Why Strategic? | Template | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | DevOps Lead | YC startup, raised Series A | Template 12 | ||||
| 15 | Tech Lead | Using GitHub, fintech | Template 13 | ||||
| 16 | CTO | Startup <2 years old | Template 6 | ||||
| 17 | Security Engineer | Posted about security | Template 4 | ||||
| 18 | Engineering Manager | Company has 10-30 devs | Template 5 | ||||
| 19 | DevOps Engineer | Recently changed jobs | Template 14 | ||||
| 20 | Tech Lead | Active on LinkedIn | Template 8 |
How to find them: 1. LinkedIn Search Strategy (see detailed instructions below) 2. YC Company Database: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies 3. GitHub Active Users: Search repos in your tech stack, find contributors 4. LinkedIn Posts: Search hashtag #DevSecOps, find people who post about security
LinkedIn Search Strategies (Step-by-Step)¶
Search 1: DevOps Engineers at Startups¶
1. LinkedIn → Search bar
2. Type: "DevOps Engineer"
3. Filters:
- People
- Connections: 2nd
- Current company: [Company size] 11-50 employees
- Location: [Your region/Europe/US]
4. Look for profiles mentioning: GitHub, CI/CD, AWS, Docker
5. Add 3-5 to your list
Search 2: Tech Leads at YC Companies¶
1. Go to: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies
2. Filter: Active companies, B2B, SaaS
3. Open 10 interesting companies
4. LinkedIn search: "[Company name] Tech Lead"
5. Check if they have GitHub in bio
6. Add 2-3 to your list
Search 3: CTOs at Seed-Stage Startups¶
1. LinkedIn → Search: "CTO"
2. Filters:
- Title: CTO, Co-Founder
- Company size: 1-10, 11-50 employees
- Industry: Computer Software, IT Services
3. Look for recent posts about security, code quality
4. Add 2-3 to your list
Search 4: People Who Engaged with Security Content¶
1. LinkedIn → Search: Posts with "#DevSecOps" or "#CyberSecurity"
2. Find popular posts (500+ likes)
3. Click "Reactions" → Filter for people with DevOps/Engineer titles
4. Check their profiles
5. Add 2-3 to your list
Search 5: GitHub Active Users¶
1. GitHub → Search: "language:javascript security"
2. Find active repositories with recent commits
3. Check contributors with 100+ contributions
4. Find their LinkedIn from GitHub profile
5. Add 2-3 to your list
Research Checklist (Before Messaging Anyone)¶
For each person, verify:
✅ Profile Qualifications¶
- Works at tech company (not agency/consultancy)
- Team size 2-50 people (not solo, not huge corp)
- Has technical role (DevOps, Tech Lead, CTO, Engineer)
- Active on LinkedIn (posted in last 30 days)
- Has GitHub mentioned or visible
✅ Personalization Research (30 seconds per person)¶
- Check recent posts (like/comment on 1-2 before messaging)
- Note something specific: recent job change, company milestone, post topic
- Check company: Raised funding? Hiring? Product launch?
- GitHub profile: What languages do they use?
✅ Why They'd Care¶
- Company likely needs security (fintech, healthtech, B2B SaaS)
- Team size suggests budget constraints (can't afford Snyk at $800/month)
- GitHub-based workflow (PRs, code reviews)
- Posted about security, code quality, or tools
Messaging Schedule¶
Day 1: Wednesday (Tier 1 - People You Know)¶
- Morning (9-11 AM): Send 5 messages (Templates 1-3)
- Expected response rate: 60-80% = 3-4 responses
- Follow up: Thursday morning if no response
Day 2: Thursday (Tier 2 - Warm Connections)¶
- Morning (9-11 AM): Send 8 messages (Templates 3, 7, 8, 10)
- Expected response rate: 30-50% = 2-4 responses
- Follow up: Saturday morning if no response
Day 3: Friday (Tier 3 - Cold Outreach)¶
- Morning (9-11 AM): Send 7 messages (Templates 4-6, 12-14)
- Expected response rate: 10-20% = 1-2 responses
- Follow up: Monday morning if no response
Day 4-5: Weekend (Follow-ups)¶
- Check responses
- Schedule demo calls
- Send follow-ups to non-responders
Response Tracking Template¶
Copy this into a spreadsheet (Google Sheets or Excel):
| Name | Company | Sent Date | Template | Opened? | Replied? | Response | Demo Scheduled? | Beta Signup? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Status Codes: - 🟢 Positive response (interested) - 🟡 Neutral response (asked questions) - 🔴 No response after 3 days - ✅ Beta signup confirmed - 📅 Demo call scheduled
Response Handling Scripts¶
If They Say "Yes, I'm Interested"¶
Awesome! Here's how to get started:
1. Install GitHub App: [link to CodeSlick GitHub App]
2. Connect your repo (takes 2 mins)
3. Open a PR - CodeSlick will comment with security findings
I'll send you a setup guide in the next message.
Also, would you have 15 mins this week for a quick onboarding call?
I want to make sure everything works smoothly + gather your feedback.
Here's my calendar: [Calendly link]
If They Ask "How Much Time?"¶
Fair question!
Initial setup: 5 minutes (install GitHub App)
First test: 10 minutes (create a PR, see results)
Feedback call: 15 minutes (optional but helpful)
Total: 30 minutes max.
If it saves you from one security issue, it's worth it 😊
Want to try it?
If They Ask "What's the Catch?"¶
No catch! Totally free for 3 months.
Here's what I need from you:
1. Try it on 2-3 PRs
2. Tell me what works / what doesn't
3. (Optional) Let me use your feedback as a testimonial
After 3 months, if you love it, you can stay on at 50% off (€49/month).
If you hate it, no hard feelings - just cancel.
Sound fair?
If They Ask Technical Questions¶
Great questions! Let me answer:
**What languages?** JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java
**What does it check?** 79+ security issues (SQL injection, XSS, command injection, hardcoded secrets, etc.)
**How fast?** 2-3 seconds per file
**Privacy?** We only read PRs you approve, nothing stored long-term
**GDPR compliant?** Yes
Want to see it in action? I can send a 2-min demo video.
If You're Struggling to Find 20 People¶
Alternative Sources:¶
1. Indie Hackers Directory - Go to: https://www.indiehackers.com/products - Filter: B2B SaaS tools - Check founders who might need security tools - LinkedIn search their names
2. Product Hunt Makers - Go to: https://www.producthunt.com/ - Find recently launched dev tools - Check "Makers" section - LinkedIn search their names
3. Twitter/X DevOps Community - Search: "DevOps" OR "Security Engineer" in bio - Look for people with 500-5,000 followers (engaged but reachable) - DM them on Twitter (less formal than LinkedIn)
4. Reddit Users - r/devops - Check active commenters - r/ExperiencedDevs - Look for people posting about their tech stack - r/startups - Find founders with technical backgrounds
5. GitHub Contributors - Find popular repos in your tech stack - Check top 10 contributors - LinkedIn search their GitHub username - Many devs use same name across platforms
Success Metrics¶
Week 1 Goals:¶
- 20 messages sent
- 8-12 responses received (40-60% response rate)
- 5-8 demo calls scheduled
- 3-5 beta signups confirmed
If Response Rate is Low (<30%):¶
- Review personalization: Are you copying templates verbatim?
- Check timing: Are you sending during work hours (9-11 AM)?
- Tier adjustment: Focus more on Tier 1 (people you know)
- Try different templates: Switch to Template 15 (free security audit)
If Response Rate is High (>60%):¶
- Scale up: Add 10 more cold outreach targets (Tier 3)
- Ask for referrals: "Who else should see this?"
- Convert to testimonials: Ask early users for quotes
Pro Tips¶
1. Timing Matters¶
- Best days: Tuesday-Thursday
- Best times: 9-11 AM (people check LinkedIn with morning coffee)
- Worst times: Friday afternoon, weekends, Monday morning
2. Personalization is Key¶
Don't send generic messages. Spend 2-3 minutes researching each person: - Recent post they made - Company news (funding, hiring, launch) - Mutual connections - Specific tech stack they use
3. Follow Up ONCE¶
If no response after 3 days, send ONE follow-up:
Hey [Name], following up on my message from Monday about CodeSlick beta testing.
No pressure if you're not interested - just wanted to make sure it didn't get buried.
Let me know!
- Vitor
If still no response, move on. Don't be spammy.
4. Engage Before Messaging¶
2-3 days before sending DM: - Like/comment on their recent post - This makes your name familiar when they see your DM
5. Response Speed Matters¶
- When someone replies "interested", respond within 1 hour
- Shows you're serious and attentive
- Higher conversion to actual beta signup
Next Steps (Right Now)¶
- Open LinkedIn → Spend 30 minutes filling in Tier 1 (5 people you know)
- Research personalization → Note something specific about each person
- Send first 5 messages → Use Templates 1-3
- Track responses → Copy template into Google Sheets
- Tomorrow: Repeat for Tier 2 (8 warm connections)
Questions to Ask Yourself¶
Before sending ANY message:
- ❓ Why would THIS SPECIFIC PERSON care about CodeSlick?
- ❓ What's the one thing from their profile I can mention to personalize?
- ❓ What's the clearest call-to-action? (Demo call? Try it? Send repo?)
- ❓ Did I make it easy for them to say yes? (Low time commitment, clear value)
Goal: By end of week, have 10 beta testers committed.
Reality check: You'll probably get: - 5 people from Tier 1 (people you know) - 3 people from Tier 2 (warm connections) - 2 people from cold outreach (Tier 3) OR communities (Reddit, Hacker News)
= 10 total beta testers ✅
Last Updated: November 6, 2025 Status: Ready to execute Next Action: Fill in Tier 1 (5 people) and send first batch of DMs