Beta 1: That’s a wrap!

Our first round of Wilbert testing is complete — and seeing something we’ve spent so long building finally being used by real people has been a pretty big moment for us. 

Beta 1 was about getting Wilbert out of our hands and into other people's. 

Until now, we've spent months designing, building, testing, changing things, changing them back again (😂), and generally looking at Wilbert through the eyes of the two people creating it. 

Beta 1 gave us something much more valuable: fresh eyes. 

For the first time, people who hadn't been involved in building Wilbert were able to get in there and actually use it. 

Our testers explored the app, added their own information and told us what worked, what could be clearer and what would make Wilbert easier to use. 

And we're really pleased to say that no bugs were identified during Beta 1. 

That doesn't mean we're sitting back thinking job done — far from it. We've had some really useful feedback, ideas and suggestions, and there's plenty for us to work through before the next stage. 

A check behind the scenes too 

While our Beta 1 testers have been putting Wilbert through his paces from a user point of view, we're also having the technical side independently reviewed. 

The team at DabApps are reviewing Wilbert's code and security, giving us another set of experienced eyes on what's happening behind the scenes. 

Their initial review has been encouraging, with Wilbert described as looking like “a really strong start”. 

Their engineering team is now taking a more detailed look and we'll receive their fuller feedback once that review is complete. 

For us, it's another important part of this stage of building Wilbert — making sure we're not only listening to the people using the app, but getting experienced technical input into how it's being built too. 

What happens next? 

We're now going through everything we've learned and continuing to build and refine Wilbert ahead of Beta 2 in November. 

This time, we'll be bringing in a larger group of testers, which will give us another opportunity to see how Wilbert works for different households, different ages and different ways of managing life admin. 

Because one of the things that matters most to us is that Wilbert feels simple and useful in real life — not just to the two women who built it! 

Want to be part of Beta 2? 

We're now looking for people to help us put Wilbert through his paces during Beta 2. 

You don't need to be brilliant with technology. In fact, we're particularly interested in people with different levels of confidence with apps and technology, because Wilbert needs to be straightforward for ordinary people to use. 

What we do ask is that you're able to commit some time over the two-week testing period. 

Setting up your account and getting information into Wilbert is quick. The bit that may take a little more time is getting yourself organised first — finding your own policies, contracts and household information so that you have real information to add across the different categories. 

You don't need to do it all at once. Over the two weeks, we'd like you to work your way through the different areas of Wilbert, add your own information and use the app as it's intended to be used. 

We'll then ask for your honest feedback about your experience — what's easy, what isn't clear and anything you think could be better. 

So we're looking for people who are happy to give Wilbert a little time and a proper try, rather than simply having a quick look around. 

In return, you'll be helping us shape Wilbert before we launch — and you might end the two weeks with your own household life admin looking a little more organised too! 💚 

We're also planning a special launch benefit for our Beta testers as a thank you for giving us your time and helping shape Wilbert at this early stage. We're still working through exactly what that will look like, so we'll share more details nearer the time. 

If you'd like to be considered for Beta 2, head to our Contact/Join Beta 2 page and let us know. 

And finally, a huge thank you to our Beta 1 testers. 💚 

You've been the first people outside our little Wilbert bubble to properly get your hands on what we've been building. 

After all the months of talking about Wilbert, designing it, building it and wondering what other people would make of it, that's a milestone we'll remember. 

Next stop: Beta 2.