The Six Dimensions of Sledge: A Smarter Way to Find Experiences
🧭 The Search Problem
We've all been there:
• You want to learn something new, but don't know where to start
• You're looking to socialize, but formal classes feel too rigid
• You need skill development, but casual meetups lack structure
The problem isn't finding activities — it's finding the right kind of activity for your specific goals and mindset.
That's why we've built the SLEDGE Dimensions framework into our platform.
🎯 Not All Experiences Are Created Equal
Here's something we learned early: even when people want to do the same activity, their intentions can be completely different.
Take yoga, for example:
• One person wants structured instruction to improve flexibility
• Another wants a peaceful community to decompress with
• Someone else wants to build connections with like-minded people
Same activity. Totally different experiences.
That's why we don't just categorize by what you're doing — we help you find experiences based on why you're doing it.
📚 The SLEDGE Framework
Every experience on Sledge falls into one of six dimensions that spell out our name:
🏃♂️ S - Sports
All athletic and competitive physical activities focused on competition, athletic skill development, and team coordination.
Perfect when you want: Fitness training, competitive sports, physical mastery, athletic achievement
🎨 L - Learning
Informal skill-building and hobby development for personal skill acquisition, hobby exploration, and creative expression.
Perfect when you want: Creative skills, artistic pursuits, hands-on learning, personal enrichment
🎓 E - Education
Formal courses, academic subjects, and certifications focused on structured learning, academic achievement, and professional qualifications.
Perfect when you want: Academic knowledge, test preparation, certifications, formal learning
💼 D - Development
Personal and social development through interaction and shared progress. These experiences center around group interaction, mutual self-improvement, and real-world collaboration through shared activities and constructive dialogue.
Perfect when you want: Social bonding, networking events, game nights, creative collaboration, group activities, parties and social gatherings
🌱 G - Growth
Personal wellness and mental health focused on emotional well-being, self-improvement, and spiritual development. These experiences emphasize individual healing, mindfulness, and holistic wellness.
Perfect when you want: Personal healing, mindfulness, mental clarity, emotional balance, wellness coaching, therapy and support
🤝 E - Empowerment
Community service and social impact focused on community service, social change, and collective action. If the gathering's primary aim is empowerment, advocacy, or community service, choose Empowerment.
Perfect when you want: Making a difference, building communities, empowering others, activism, volunteering, social justice
⚡ How It All Comes Together: Categories, Activities, and Formats
Here's how the SLEDGE system actually works in practice:
📊 The Three-Level Structure
1. Categories: Six main areas of human experience (Sports, Learning, Education, Development, Growth, Empowerment)
2. Activities: Specific things you can do within each category (Soccer in Sports, Guitar in Learning, Mathematics in Education, etc.)
3. Formats: How these activities are practiced (Training, Workshop, Competition, Casual Meetup, Private Coaching, etc.)
🎯 Sessions vs. Gatherings: Two Types of Listings
When you combine a category, activity, and format, it becomes either a Session (structured, goal-oriented) or a Gathering (social, community-focused).
Sessions are structured and goal-oriented experiences focused on skill improvement, learning, or achievement. They typically emerge from combinations involving formats like Training, Workshop, Private Coaching, or Competition.
Gatherings are social and community-focused experiences designed for connection, networking, and shared enjoyment. They typically emerge from combinations involving formats like Casual Meetup, Social Dinner, Networking Event, or Festival.
Examples:
• Session: Sports + Soccer + Training = Structured soccer training session
• Gathering: Development + Networking + Social Dinner = Professional networking dinner
• Session: Learning + Guitar + Private Coaching = One-on-one guitar lesson
• Gathering: Growth + Meditation + Casual Meetup = Community meditation circle
🔍 Smart Filtering That Actually Works
This framework powers intelligent filtering throughout Sledge with multiple levels of precision:
• Category Level: Filter by SLEDGE categories (Sports, Learning, Education, Development, Growth, Empowerment)
• Purpose Level (Type): Filter by Sessions vs Gatherings
• Activity Level: Filter by specific activities within categories
• Format Level: Filter by specific formats (workshops, competitions, meetups, etc.)
• Context Level: Filter by time, location, equipment, skill level
No more scrolling through hundreds of irrelevant options. The progressive refinement system helps you drill down from general to specific until you find exactly what matches your current goals and mindset.
🎪 Real-World Examples
Here's how this plays out in practice:
Looking for Cooking Experiences?
• Learning Session: Knife skills workshop with technique practice
• Learning Gathering: Wine pairing dinner with fellow food lovers
• Development Gathering: Social cooking night with group bonding and shared meal
Want to Try Photography?
• Learning Session: Technical camera settings workshop
• Learning Gathering: Photo walk through the city with a group
• Development Gathering: Creative photography meetup with peer feedback and social bonding
Interested in Community Impact?
• Empowerment Session: Public speaking workshop for activism
• Empowerment Gathering: Community cleanup and networking event
• Growth Gathering: Mindfulness session for social workers
🚀 Finding Your Match
The beauty of this system is that it adapts to your current mindset and goals through intuitive navigation:
• Athletes: Select Sports for training and competitions
• Creatives: Select Learning for skill-building activities
• Students: Select Education for academic support
• Professionals: Select Development for networking and social collaboration
• Wellness seekers: Select Growth for mental and physical health
• Community builders: Select Empowerment for social impact
Then the combination of your chosen category, activity, and format will naturally create either a Session (goal-oriented) or Gathering (socially-focused) listing type.
It's not just about finding something to do — it's about finding something that matches your intention.
🌍 Making Discovery Effortless
With SLEDGE Dimensions, discovery becomes intuitive and efficient:
• Intuitive Navigation: SLEDGE acronym makes categories memorable
• Balanced Coverage: Equal representation across life domains
• Clear Expectations: Session/Gathering distinction sets proper expectations
• Smart Defaults: System suggests relevant filters based on user behavior
• Progressive Refinement: Drill down from Category → Purpose → Activity → Format
No more guessing. No more disappointment. Just experiences that align with what you're actually seeking.
✨ What's Next
We're constantly refining this system based on how people actually use it:
• Smarter recommendations based on your activity history
• Hybrid experiences that blur category lines
• Adaptive filtering that learns your preferences
• Community insights on experience quality
Because the best discovery system is one that gets better at understanding you over time.
Stop settling for random activities.
Find experiences that match your goals.
Sledge it — it's legit.