Hello everyone, I’m Adrian, the Chief Operating Officer at Root. The team and I are excited to launch our new dev blog series. We created this series to provide insights and transparency as we build Root. The support and enthusiasm we’ve received have been incredible, and we are thrilled to begin sharing our progress with you.

Today, I’ll be talking about the launch of our closed beta. Looking ahead, you can expect blogs focused on new features, Root’s developer program, user feedback and improvements, Root events, and more. We welcome you to leave comments and questions and we’ll do our best to answer them.

Introduction

I spend a lot of time thinking about what makes a platform work for communities. I’ve seen new platforms launch fast, chase features, and overlook fundamentals like reliability, ease of use, and community control.  

That is why we’re launching Root with a closed beta: so, we can focus on getting it right, involve early users to help shape the platform, and show what’s possible through apps and our developer program.

Why a Closed Beta?‍

We're starting with a closed beta to ensure we get it right: to deliver reliability, an interface that makes sense, and an experience you trust and want to come back to.

By working with a small group, we’ll gather focused feedback, rapidly fix issues, and make feature improvements before opening the doors. We want your input.

‍Our Developer Program

Root isn’t just our platform, it’s also yours. We're launching Root Lab Alpha, an exclusive developer program for anyone interested in building the very first apps on our platform.

Developers will get to work closely with the Root team to define their vision and create apps and bots that run entirely within Root. They will use standard web technologies like TypeScript and React, along with our Root SDK, to build apps that integrate deeply within Root communities. They’ll also be able to create full graphical interfaces, interact with channels, and leverage community roles and permissions directly within their apps.

We’ll share more details soon... but I can tell you a handful of developers have already started to build apps and are excited to make an impact within their communities.

Root Apps

The first wave of Root apps, built by the Root team, will be available to use in communities very soon and we’re really excited to show what we’ve built. We’re both looking forward to users experiencing apps and showing developers what can be done with the Root tools.  

The Roadmap

We'll share more specific timing soon, but here's a rough look at the plan:

• Closed Beta (Invite-only, live now):
  A small group of early adopters will explore the platform, try its unique features, and share feedback that shapes the early roadmap.

• First Apps Launch (During the beta period):
  Our first Root-built apps will be available to add to communities for closed beta users.

• Public Beta Launch (Unrestricted access):
  Once we’ve ensured Root runs smoothly, we will open the doors to everyone and continue to build features and enable developers.

We’ve talked to many of you, we’ve heard where you have challenges on other platforms, and we’ve seen the excitement for apps on Root. We can’t wait for you to try it. And if you’re joining us for the closed beta, thank you. And for those waiting for the full launch, it will be worth the wait!

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Adrian Stevens
COO, Root

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