I'm trying to figure out which types of people to outreach to for our beta launch. Which characteristic of an early adopter would you say it the most important? Some examples:
Based on people's jobs and positions, I feel we can narrow them down (by estimating who fits into which category).
Your exact target market, who are willing to pay, are the only type of people that you should focus on. Anything else is unnecessary distraction.
I agree with @Nick about your exact target audience.
And I think there is another dimension you need to add to it in the beginning. It's always better to have 100 people who love your product and become evangelists for it, instead of 1000 people who don't really care.
In the early days, targeting people who are more likely to evangelize your product as well will be far more beneficial to growth.