CRAFT™️ Pre-Beta: What Is The CRAFT Pre-Beta?
SPECIAL SERIES :: THE CRAFT™️ PRE-BETA :: POST 3
CRAFT is moving to a new home, Craftframework.ai . It is moving from a very successful Alpha phase to Pre-Beta Development Phase. What is Pre-Beta? Also, what is the Beta? Why did CRAFT move? Excellent Questions! Let’s explore the answers.
What Is The CRAFT Pre-Beta?
Transparency First: This post describes our current Pre-Beta development plan. Like all development work, timelines may shift, priorities may change based on what we learn, and unexpected challenges will arise. We're documenting this process publicly as a real-world demonstration of CRAFT methodology in action.
The CRAFT Beta launches in Q1 2026. But significant work needs to happen before we can open those doors to the community. That work is the CRAFT Pre-Beta.
The Pre-Beta phase isn't just about building features—it's about building the right infrastructure, making strategic decisions about technology, and creating the foundation for a sustainable, community-focused platform. And we're doing key parts of this publicly, using CRAFT itself to document the educational highlights of the process.
What "Pre-Beta" Actually Means
If you're not familiar with software development terminology, here's what these phases mean:
Pre-Beta is the foundation-building phase where core infrastructure gets established, essential features get implemented, and critical decisions get made about technology and architecture. This happens before inviting users to test.
Beta is when we invite real users to actively use the platform, provide feedback, help identify issues, and shape development priorities through actual usage. The CRAFT Beta will be free for all participants.
Version 1.0 represents the first production release with paid membership, scheduled for sometime in 2026 after the Beta phase completes.
The Pre-Beta phase for CRAFTFramework.ai will last a couple of months—exactly how long depends on the complexity we encounter and decisions we need to make along the way.
Why This Matters to You
Whether you're excited about joining the Beta or just interested in how platforms get built, the Pre-Beta phase affects you in several ways:
You'll see CRAFT in action. Key aspects of the Pre-Beta development process will be documented using CRAFT methodology itself. Important decisions, significant workflows, and valuable lessons—all structured using the same framework you'll use when you join. This is CRAFT proving itself through real-world application.
You'll learn from the process. Through the Pre-Beta Dev Blog (published on both Ketelsen.ai and CRAFTFramework.ai), you'll see how CRAFT handles complex, multi-faceted projects. The focus will be on educational highlights—the decisions that matter, the challenges worth sharing, the insights that transfer to your own work. Not every minor detail, but the meaningful moments that demonstrate CRAFT's value.
You'll understand the foundation. When you join the Beta, you'll know exactly how CRAFTFramework.ai was built, what technologies power it, and why specific choices were made. This transparency helps you understand the platform's capabilities and limitations.
You'll see honest development. Software development isn't smooth. There are false starts, unexpected challenges, and course corrections. We're documenting the meaningful moments—the messy reality that teaches something valuable, not just the polished outcomes. This authenticity matters when you're deciding whether to invest time in learning and using CRAFT.
"The Pre-Beta is CRAFT teaching by example—using itself to build itself."
The Six Pre-Beta Projects
The Pre-Beta work is organized into six distinct CRAFT Projects, each addressing a critical aspect of building CRAFTFramework.ai. Here's what each project accomplishes and why it matters for the Beta:
CFT-PROJ-CP-044: Plugin Research and Optimization
What it does: Research and optimize the use of all platform plugins to achieve a successful CRAFT Beta website.
Why it matters: CRAFTFramework.ai is built on a carefully chosen technology stack. Each plugin serves specific purposes, but they need to work together seamlessly. This project ensures we understand each tool's capabilities, identify potential conflicts, and optimize their integration before users arrive.
The core stack:
- WordPress.com Business – Provides the foundation: hosting, security, automatic updates, and enterprise-grade infrastructure without requiring server management
- WP Recipe Maker – Manages the recipe library with structured content, search capabilities, and user submissions (when enabled)
- MemberPress – Handles membership, access control, and subscription management for the paid version post-Beta
- Kadence Theme Pro & Blocks Pro – Provides design flexibility and custom layouts while maintaining performance and mobile responsiveness
- BetterDocs – Organizes comprehensive documentation with powerful search and categorization
- Fluent Support – Manages user support tickets and help requests efficiently
- Fluent CRM – Enables email communication, newsletters, and user engagement campaigns
- Fluent Community – Powers community features including discussions, user profiles, and social interaction
Each plugin was chosen for specific reasons: proven reliability, active development, compatibility with our architecture, and ability to scale as the community grows. This project ensures we're using them optimally.
CFT-PROJ-CP-045: Branding and Messaging
What it does: Create new recipes for the Branding and Identity Cookbook that establish consistent visual identity and messaging across all CRAFT touchpoints.
Why it matters: Professional branding isn't just about looking good—it's about creating trust, recognition, and consistent experience. Beta participants need to see a cohesive platform that feels intentional and reliable. This project creates reusable recipes that maintain brand consistency across website content, social media, documentation, and support materials.
CFT-PROJ-CP-046: AI Automation Integration
What it does: Build AI automation into the core of the CRAFT Framework and CRAFTFramework.ai operations.
Why it matters: CRAFT is about making AI collaboration efficient and structured. The platform itself should demonstrate these principles through automated workflows, intelligent content generation, and streamlined processes. This project explores how AI tools can enhance platform operations, content creation, and user support—showing CRAFT's principles in action behind the scenes.
CFT-PROJ-CP-047: File Management and Version Control
What it does: Establish best practices for using files with CRAFTFramework.ai and implementing Git version control for CRAFT files.
Why it matters: CRAFT files evolve over time. Projects grow. Recipes get refined. Beta users will need clear guidance on managing their CRAFT files, tracking changes, and collaborating with others. This project creates the workflows and documentation that make file management intuitive rather than overwhelming.
CFT-PROJ-CP-048: Beta Promotion Planning
What it does: Plan CRAFT Beta promotion across multiple social media platforms and channels.
Why it matters: A Beta needs participants. Building awareness requires strategic presence across platforms where potential users already spend time. This project develops the promotional strategy and content plans for these channels:
- YouTube: Video tutorials and demonstrations
- TikTok: Short-form technical content
- X/Twitter: Updates and community engagement
- LinkedIn: Professional networking and thought leadership
- Dev.to: Technical articles and development insights
- GitHub: Code examples and open-source contributions
- Bluesky & Mastodon: Decentralized social presence
- Hugging Face: AI/ML community engagement
CFT-PROJ-CP-049: Core Framework Enhancement
What it does: Build the actual CRAFT Beta website with revised CORE recipes, official CRAFT Team personas, enhanced cybersecurity, and comprehensive framework integration.
Why it matters: This is the capstone project that brings everything together. It involves rebuilding CRAFT with fundamental understanding and capability to use all framework components:
CRAFT Framework
├── CRAFT Projects
├── CRAFT Cookbooks (collections of recipes)
├── CRAFT Recipes (individual procedures)
├── CRAFT Multi-Recipe Workflows (sequenced recipes)
├── CRAFT Ingredients (reusable components)
│ ├── CRAFT Tools (N8N, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Zapier, etc.)
│ ├── CRAFT Brand Profile
│ ├── CRAFT User Profile
│ ├── CRAFT Personas
│ │ └── Official CRAFT Team Personas
│ ├── Popular Prompt Frameworks
│ └── CRAFT Prompt Library
├── Test Kitchen (experimental features)
└── CRAFT Agents (open-ended, feedback loops)
This enhanced structure represents CRAFT's evolution—incorporating lessons learned, community feedback, and deeper integration of all framework components. Cybersecurity gets special attention given the background in Fortune 100 security work and the commitment to protecting user information through architectural design rather than just policy statements.
The Pre-Beta Dev Blog: Learning in Public
The highlights of the Pre-Beta process will be documented in the Pre-Beta Dev Blog, published on both Ketelsen.ai and CRAFTFramework.ai. This isn't marketing content—it's actual development documentation showing how CRAFT handles real-world complexity.
Rather than documenting every small detail (which would be overwhelming and not particularly useful), the focus will be on educational content: the decisions that teach something valuable, the challenges that others might face, the insights that transfer beyond this specific project.
What you'll find in the Dev Blog:
Real decision-making processes. Why was a particular plugin chosen? What alternatives were considered? What trade-offs were evaluated? You'll see the reasoning behind choices, not just the final decisions.
Actual CRAFT files in use. Recipe structures, project files, workflow documentation—the same files being used for development will be shared (where appropriate) so you can see CRAFT methodology applied to complex projects.
Problems and solutions. Development hits obstacles. Plugins conflict. Requirements change. Initial approaches don't work. The Dev Blog documents these challenges and how CRAFT's structured approach helps navigate them.
Lessons learned. What worked well? What would be done differently? What insights emerged during development? These reflections help you avoid similar pitfalls in your own CRAFT projects.
The Dev Blog serves as curated learning resource, not comprehensive development logs. The goal is teaching through example—showing you the moments that matter and the lessons that apply to your own work with CRAFT.
"The best way to prove CRAFT works is to use it publicly for something difficult and document everything honestly."
What This Means for Beta Participants
When the CRAFT Beta launches in Q1 2026, you'll be joining a platform that's been thoughtfully built with clear documentation of every decision. You'll have:
Comprehensive documentation. Not just "how to use" instructions, but understanding of why things work the way they do.
Proven workflows. The recipes and processes used to build the platform become templates you can adapt for your own projects.
Transparent foundation. You'll know exactly what powers CRAFTFramework.ai, what its capabilities are, and what limitations exist.
Real-world validation. CRAFT will have demonstrated its value through the Pre-Beta work itself—not through theoretical claims, but through documented results.
Timeline and Expectations
The Pre-Beta phase will last a couple of months leading up to the Q1 2026 Beta launch. That timeline is our current target, but it may adjust based on:
- Technical complexity discovered during implementation
- Plugin integration challenges that require additional work
- Quality standards requiring more refinement before Beta readiness
- Strategic decisions to add or modify planned features
We're committed to launching a Beta worth participating in, even if that means adjusting timelines. The Dev Blog will keep you informed of progress and any timeline changes as they occur.
Stay Connected During Pre-Beta
Follow the Pre-Beta Dev Blog:
- Ketelsen.ai (primary blog platform)
- CRAFTFramework.ai (mirrored content)
Connect on social media for updates:
- YouTube: @CRAFTFramework
- TikTok: @craftframework
- X/Twitter: @KetelsenCRAFT
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/richketelsen
- Dev.to: dev.to/craftframework
- GitHub: github.com/CRAFTFramework
- Bluesky: @craft-framework.bsky.social
- Mastodon: @CRAFTFramework@mastodon.social
- Hugging Face: huggingface.co/CRAFTFramework
Watch the Pre-Beta unfold. Learn from the process. Prepare to join the Beta when it launches in Q1 2026.
Building in Public, Together
The Pre-Beta phase represents more than just development work. It's a demonstration of CRAFT's core principles: structure enables efficiency, documentation preserves knowledge, transparency builds trust, and community participation shapes outcomes.
By documenting the educational highlights of this process publicly through the Dev Blog, we're creating a resource that serves multiple purposes: proving CRAFT's methodology through real application, teaching by example rather than theory, building community awareness before the Beta launch, and establishing transparency as a core value.
The six Pre-Beta projects tackle everything needed for a successful Beta: optimized technology integration, consistent branding, AI automation, effective file management, strategic promotion, and comprehensive framework enhancement. Each project demonstrates CRAFT in action while building the foundation Beta participants will use.
Development won't be perfect. Challenges will arise. Plans will adjust. But the commitment remains constant: building a platform that genuinely serves users, using methodology that demonstrably works, with transparency that earns trust rather than demands it. And sharing the meaningful lessons along the way.
The Pre-Beta starts now. The Dev Blog begins documenting the highlights. The path to Beta launch in Q1 2026 unfolds publicly. You're invited to watch, learn, and prepare to join when the doors open.
Welcome to the CRAFT Pre-Beta.
