Design Partners Wanted

Help Us Build
The Future Of Skate Sharpening

We're looking for 3–5 shops to be design partners this season. Not testers. Co-creators.

SharpEdge The All-In-One Skate Sharpening App
Store view on iPad Store View (iPad)
Customer view on iPhone Customer View (iPhone)
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The Problem

Your Sharpening Service Is Invisible

Most customers can't find a sharpener near them, don't know if they're open, and have no way to book ahead. The service exists. The connection doesn't.

Awareness Problem

Nobody Knows You Still Offer It

Your service exists. Customers just can't find it. No platform puts you in front of someone who needs their skates sharpened before they drive past you without knowing.

Trust Problem

People Don't Trust Who They Don't Know

Word of mouth built your business. Today's customer checks before they show up. A visible presence with real reviews tells them you're the right call before they ever walk in the door.

Volume Problem

Tournament Weekends Are a Guessing Game

Tournament weekends bring a predictable rush. Customers show up hoping their skates get done in time, with no visibility into the wait and no way to book ahead. You're managing the line in your head.


Why This, Why Now

The One Service That Didn't Go Away

Retail died for a reason. Equipment makers keep multiplying stick lines, flexes, and blade patterns until no shop can stock them all, and volume never justified trying. Skates are heading the same direction with fit scans and custom builds. The need for sharpening has never gone anywhere. Which makes it the easiest thing you have to build a business around.

Every rink still needs the machine for its own rental fleet. It's the last real reason a customer walks up to your counter.

How It Works

Built to Solve Awareness,
Not Complexity.

No dashboards to learn, no hours to keep updating on a website nobody visits. SharpEdge exists to put your sharpening service in front of the people already at the rink.

01

Get On the Map

List your sharpening service, even without a storefront. You show up in search near every rink in the area, with no separate website or hours to maintain.

Shop App Local Search Zero Setup
02

Open a Live Queue

Set your hours and offered hollows; we estimate wait times automatically. Customers see real availability and book ahead or walk in.

Auto Wait Estimates Service Types Walk-In / Queue
03

Tournament Surge Mode

Push notifications before tournaments tell traveling customers exactly where they can get their skates sharpened before puck drop.

Advance Notice Rink Proximity Rush Ready
04

Skate Drop Box

For stores offering a drop box option, SharpEdge lets customers leave skates and track status right in the app, so you're not chained to the counter and they're not guessing when it's ready. Our design partners are shaping exactly how this works.

In Development Design Partners Shape This
05

The Partnership Model

This isn't a survey at the end of a beta. Here's how we actually work together:

Week 1Onboarding and setup. We come to you.
Weeks 2–10You use the app during real season. We iterate based on your feedback.
Weekly15-min check-ins if needed, or async feedback on your schedule.
End of SeasonYou've shaped a product that actually solves your problem.

Interactive Prototype

Try It Right Now

These are working prototypes of the actual app experience. Click around, no signup needed.

7:37
▴▴
Good evening,
Ice Palace Pro Shop
New Booking
Alex Miller · 5/8" · Tomorrow 9:30 AM
›
👆 tap to get started
5 Queue
12 Complete
$96 Sales
Wait List Show Completed ›
1
Mike Johnson
Reservation ·2:45 PM
5/8"
In Queue
Sharpening
Ready
Done
2
Emma Davis
Reservation ·3:15 PM
9/16"
In Queue
Sharpening
Ready
Done
3
Tyler Brown
Reservation ·4:00 PM
1/2"
In Queue
Sharpening
Ready
Done
⌂
Home
↗
Analytics
○
Profile

The Shop Dashboard

Shops get a clean iOS app to manage the queue, track revenue, and notify customers when skates are ready.

  • Live wait list with customer names, hollow specs, and appointment times
  • One tap to mark "Ready for Pickup" and the customer gets notified automatically
  • Weekly analytics with revenue tracking and full transaction history
  • Store profile, hours, and notification settings all in one place
During onboarding: we sit with each shop for the first weekend to make sure setup is smooth. You won't be figuring it out alone.
1:00
▴▴
X.
Good afternoon,
John Smith
Search for shops near you...
Ice Palace Pro Shop
0.8 mi · Bellevue
Pure Hockey
1.0 mi · Bellevue
⌂
Home
◎
Shops
○
Profile

The Customer View

Customers open the app and see nearby shops, live availability, and pricing, then book a sharpening in under a minute. Tap through the screens to see the full flow.

  • Personalized home feed with nearby shops and real-time availability
  • Choose your hollow, pick a time slot, and confirm, all in the app
  • Booking history and saved preferences make every return visit faster
  • Peace of mind that their skates will be sharpened before they hit the ice
Note: These are sample prototype screens showing where the app is headed. The backend isn't live yet. That's what building together is for.

Design Partner Details

What the Partnership Looks Like

We're not asking for a big commitment. We're asking for honest partnership. Here's exactly what building together looks like.

What You Get

  • ✓
    Free access throughout the season, no cost, no commitment after
  • ✓
    Direct influence over product decisions
  • ✓
    Your feedback shapes the roadmap
  • ✓
    Priority support when things break
  • ✓
    Founding partner benefits when we launch
  • ✓
    Co-creator credit, if you want it

What We're Looking For

  • →
    Actually use the app throughout the season
  • →
    Give honest feedback, even when it's harsh
  • →
    Willing to adapt processes with us
  • →
    Care about solving this problem, not just trying software
  • →
    Have 15 to 30 minutes a week for feedback conversations

Partner With Us

Let's Build This Together

If this sounds like a partnership worth your time, let's chat about what you need and what we're trying to build.

Selective Partnership

We're choosing 3–5 shops for the opening season. Not because we can't handle more, but because real partnership requires real attention. We want to be in your shop, understand your operation, and build something that actually fits.

We'll follow up within 48 hours, no pitch, no deck.
You can step away from the partnership at any time. You actually get to shape the direction of a product we know you'll love.

No spam, no sales call, no pitch deck. Just a conversation.

✓

Let's talk.

We'll reach out within 48 hours to schedule a conversation.
Thanks for wanting to build this with us.