> Isn't the modern approach to that problem simply limiting new features to a subset of users then analyzing the result and deciding whether or not to release i

> Isn't the modern approach to that problem simply limiting new features to a subset of users then analyzing the result and deciding whether or not to release it to the full user base? For most companies it is. But sites like reddit get people to do it for free. Basic A/B testing takes a not insignificant amount of resources, usually consisting of at least a marketing/analytics person, a developer, a designer, qa resources and a project manager.