Why we built bookings for coaches
Adebola Ali · 2 min readScheduling was the last manual step in a lot of coaches’ workflow, sitting awkwardly between a client’s decision to book a call and the two of you actually agreeing on a time.
It never quite fit into the rest of the product, and it showed. Here is the thinking behind how bookings works in Backstage, and what we chose not to build.
The back-and-forth was the problem
Before bookings, setting up a call meant a coach and a client trading messages until a time worked, then that time living in a separate calendar app disconnected from everything else about the relationship. It was slow, and it was very easy to lose track of.
Availability, not a shared calendar
Rather than syncing an external calendar, you set the windows you are bookable in once, and a client picks an open slot from your public link. It is simpler to reason about, and it means your booking page always reflects hours you have actually chosen to work.
The email layer matters as much as the booking itself
A booking is only useful if both people remember it is happening. Confirmations, reminders, and cancellation emails are sent automatically, so a coach is not manually chasing no-shows or re-typing the same message every time a slot is booked.
What is next
Self-serve rescheduling for clients is the most requested addition, and it is next on our list. If there is something about bookings that would make your week easier, tell us about it.
Related posts
Ready to get started?
Marginal Improvements