The spread of talent within the Customer Validation industry makes for brilliant conversations. These gatherings are rare, but each one offers incredible insights into both the state of Beta Testing and the professionals leading the charge. That’s in part why the Centercode User Group is one of our favorite events of the year. The attitudes and energy of the professionals we have the privilege to work with show how much passion there is for building better products.

That passion was on full display last week at Centercode HQ. User group attendees spent three days discussing Beta Testing in depth: their programs, processes, planning, and execution. They heard from the minds behind the robust validation efforts at Sonos, Charter Spectrum, Polycom, and other leading-edge companies. Over a dozen industry professionals proved their program management ability by taking the Customer Validation Certification.

In case you weren’t able to attend, here are the key highlights from the three-day industry event.

Attendees Show Off Industry’s Diversity

It was not only the array of talent but the diversity of experience that enriched the Centercode User Group. Attendees and presenters ran the spectrum of disciplines and industry verticals. In one presentation, Amy Dexter shared how her background in user research has shaped the architecture of the Sonos Beta Program.

Beta has the capacity to provide a rich understanding of user experiences, especially when it’s used in creative ways.

– Amy Dexter, Senior UX Research Lead of Beta at Sonos, Inc

A presentation by Sr. Project Manager Simeon Dwyer shared how he focused the efforts of the dogfooding program at Charter Spectrum around specific monetary goals. By bringing employee testers and frontline support into the platform, his team centralized their validation efforts and lowered support costs.

But presenters weren’t the only ones sharing best practices about their CV programs. Attendees had ample opportunity to trade ideas throughout the event. Their insights brought the fundamental elements of the Customer Validation Framework into a real-world context.

CV Certification Enhances Professional Skills

The Centercode User Group also invited attendees to prove their test management mettle by becoming certified Customer Validation Professionals. This course reinforced their knowledge with advanced processes and practical techniques for running effective Alpha, Beta, and Delta Tests.

The certified Customer Validation professionals convened again to further deepen their skills at a special Return on Investment (ROI) Master Class. Centercode Product Manager Chris Rader and Sr. Director of Customer Success Tony Fisher led the group through effective techniques for showcasing the value of your Beta Testing program to stakeholders and executives.

Centercode Shares What’s Coming Next

Closing out a day packed with educational sessions and networking was Centercode’s CEO Luke Freiler. He spoke in detail about Centercode C15’s integration capabilities and what’s on the immediate horizon for the platform’s development.

He also shared details about the Centercode Platform’s evolution, including feature support for Delta Testing. This will enhance test management professionals’ ability to refine key product features with continuous customer testing and real-world validation.

For all the learning, discourse, and exchange that happened over three days, the event still came and went too quickly. Our team is looking forward to the next time we’ll be able to meet up and share ideas with this lively group of industry professionals.

Missed the Centercode User Group?

The Customer Validation Conference is coming this summer! Sign up now and be the first to receive the latest updates, sessions, and speaker lineups for this virtual event in July 2019.

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