Professional Beta
The C3 Pioneer Program
I wrote the CAD program Hughes Aircraft used for satellite microwave design in the
1980s. I've spent the past year rebuilding it natively for Apple Silicon — and it's
now in professional beta. I'm looking for a small number of working drafters,
engineers, and designers to test it on real work.
Free full access during the beta. A direct line to the developer. And a free or
half-price perpetual license for testers who earn their keep.
15 seats. Every application is read and answered personally.
Applications beyond the cap join the waitlist in order received.
What you get
- The full application, every feature, free during the beta — a named 90-day license, renewed free for as long as you're actively testing
- The developer answers your email — bugs are typically fixed in days, and feature requests from Pioneers are heard first. This is how the program already works: one tester reported a PCB workflow need and the feature shipped the same day
- A locked-in reward for real testing — see the ladder below: 50% off the $1,995 perpetual license, or the license free outright for top contributors, plus your name in the credits
- Influence — a 15-person beta means your workflow actually shapes the product
What we ask — the Pioneer ladder
Reviewed every 90 days when your license renews. Quality beats quantity: one
reproducible bug report with steps and a sample file outweighs ten one-liners.
| Level | The bar (per 90 days) | The reward |
|---|
| Active |
Use C3 on real work; send at least 3 substantive reports — a bug with repro steps, a workflow friction write-up, or a feature evaluation |
License renewed free, every 90 days |
| Contributor |
Sustained Active participation, or one deep structured assignment (e.g. produce and document a complete fabrication drawing in your discipline) |
50% off at launch — $997 perpetual |
| Pioneer |
Sustained contribution plus one of: a featured gallery drawing, a written testimonial or case study, or a genuinely program-shaping idea |
Free perpetual license + your name in the About-box credits |
| Inactive |
No reports, no use |
License simply lapses at expiry — no hard feelings |
Who qualifies
Working professionals who would use C3 in their trade during the beta: drafters,
mechanical / electrical / civil engineers, PCB designers, architects, cabinet and
furniture makers, sign makers, scientists producing figures and schematics. You need a
Mac (Apple Silicon preferred; recent Intel works) and real 2D work to do on it.
How to apply
Five minutes: answer the six questions below by email. Every application gets a
personal reply within a few days.
Apply by Email →
The button opens a pre-filled application in your mail program.
No mail app configured? Just email
john@tetra720.com with the subject
“C3 Pioneer Program Application” answering:
- Name, profession, company/practice, location
- What do you draft, and for whom? (portfolio link or sample welcome)
- What CAD tools do you use today, and what do they cost you per year?
- Your Mac (model, chip, macOS version)
- Which areas of C3 would you exercise hardest? (PCB, dimensioning, symbol libraries, plotting, tracing, …)
- One sentence: why do you want in?
The fine print (all of it)
- Beta licenses are personal and named — your name appears in your copy's About window. Please don't share builds or license files; sharing screenshots, drawings, and opinions publicly is allowed and encouraged.
- Beta builds retire 120 days after release (like TestFlight betas) so the program always runs on current software. Active testers always have a current build — they ship roughly monthly.
- Beta software is provided as-is for evaluation. It's the same build the developer uses daily, backed by an automated test suite, but it's still a beta — keep backups of important work (C3's files are readable JSON, and the format is stable).
- A short beta agreement (one page, plain English) appears right in C3 when you install your license — read it, click Accept, done. No NDA on your opinions.
- Ladder placement is reviewed at each renewal; the developer's judgment is the final rubric, applied generously.
Questions before applying? Just ask —
you'll get the developer, not a ticket system. Curious what C3 is?
The main site and Why C3 tell the story.