Pre-Launch Private Beta Update

Originally shared by VideoToOrder.com

Pre-Launch Private Beta Update

An email we sent out to our private beta invitees this morning...

Unfortunately, it often happens in a startup working with newly created technologies, we suffered a few set backs this week.

As many of you know, we started letting sellers into the system on Monday, December 1, 2014. We only let in 15 users that day but, despite our best testing efforts, a super-user found a way to crash the system. 

And, quite frankly, we’re glad he did.

I’m already embarrassed enough having to write this email, but it would have been almost catastrophic had we encountered this total systemic collapse if it occurred several days or weeks into beta; we may not have recovered.

This week the development team and I looked at the circumstances and made the painful decision to step away from pioneering and find a better, time-tested solution to handle the core processes of how our website works, at least for now.

That means there will be an unavoidable delay of approximately 2 weeks - though we are trying to get back on track over the next few days. I think we might be able to resume roll-out in a week (keeping our fingers crossed), while we’re working out some of the non-critical functionality and design. After you’ve all had sufficient time to test the system and, most importantly, set up your shops, we'll do a “soft open” public beta before moving on to adding the features that will really set VideoToOrder.com apart from other marketplaces and freelance websites. We’ll have an official launch party some time in January 2015.

So, in short, thanks for your patience.

Know that we are working very hard right now to rebuild what has failed and offer a rock-solid "Jay proof” platform when we resume our pre-launch beta sometime next week.

Lastly, my unwavering commitment to you, our VTO users, starts and ends with transparency. Honesty is always the best policy and I though it was important that you understood our delay. I will be sending out updates to you as necessary.

#startup   #fml   #hiccups