Our Story
Built by Touring Pros, for Touring Pros
RiderReady started on the road -- born from late-night load-outs, unreliable spec sheets, and the realization that the production industry deserved better tools.
Origin
The Origin Story
Every platform starts with a frustration. Ours started on a tour bus.
Long before touring, around the age of fifteen, I was already obsessed with production gear. I'd collect every spec sheet I could find at tradeshows, spend hours browsing manufacturer websites and marketplace listings -- just absorbing it all. I always wanted to compare everything in one place, but you could only see what a single marketplace carried or what a manufacturer chose to showcase. You couldn't stack a new fixture against its predecessor or pit it against another brand. The data was everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
In my church production days I did everything -- audio, video, lighting, graphic design, photography, stage design. When I left to do production full-time, I landed where my passion was: lighting. But I never forgot what it was like to need answers across every department.
The all-in-one database idea clicked on tour. I was down all my spare fixtures with no quick way to find who had stock along my route. A Dante card in Vegas by tomorrow for a fly date? Good luck. I kept hearing the same story from friends in audio, video, staging -- everyone scrambling through group chats and phone calls to source gear fast. We needed a single place that connected equipment to the companies and individuals who actually have it.
That's what RiderReady became. Not just a database, but a command center for the entire production industry -- built by the people who live it, for the people who live it.
The Problem
An Industry Running on Tribal Knowledge
The live production world generates billions in revenue, employs hundreds of thousands of professionals, and runs on word-of-mouth, scattered PDFs, and who-you-know networks. We set out to change that.
Before RiderReady
- xSpec sheets that don't match reality
- xReviews from people who've never toured
- xGear rentals through word-of-mouth only
- xStudio space hunting via Facebook groups
- xPaying for basic industry data
With RiderReady
- Community-verified specifications
- Reviews from verified touring pros
- SoftPatch peer-to-peer gear marketplace
- Studio and space network across cities
- Open access, free tier forever
Mission
Production intel, democratized.
We believe critical industry knowledge shouldn't be locked behind paywalls, scattered across forums, or hoarded by a few.
RiderReady exists to make professional-grade equipment data, honest peer reviews, and community resources freely accessible to every touring professional -- from the veteran LD running arena tours to the local tech doing their first festival.
The core database will always be free. Premium features exist to sustain the platform, not to gatekeep knowledge. If it helps you make a better gear decision, it should be accessible.
Vision
Where We're Going
RiderReady is in public beta, but the roadmap is clear. We're building the default command center for production professionals worldwide.
Global Equipment Database
Every piece of production equipment on the planet, indexed with real specs and community ratings. Searchable, comparable, and always up to date.
The SoftPatch Network, Everywhere
Peer-to-peer gear rentals, studio bookings, and professional services in every major market. Find what you need, wherever tour takes you.
The Default Tool for Production Planning
From advance work to load-in, RiderReady becomes the platform production managers and designers open first -- the way IMDb is to film or Discogs is to music.
Values
What We Stand For
Transparency
No hidden agendas. Open data. Honest reviews. What you see is what the community has verified.
Accessibility
Free tier forever. Core data isn't paywalled. Premium features sustain the platform, not gatekeep knowledge.
Community-Driven
Contributors earn XP. Editors curate quality. The platform evolves based on what touring pros actually need.
Road-Tested
Built by people who've loaded trucks at 4am. Every feature exists because someone on tour needed it.
Team
The People Behind the Platform
RiderReady is built by touring professionals who've lived the problems we're solving. Meet the team making it happen.
Explore
Learn More
Join the Community
Whether you're a touring LD, production manager, or weekend warrior -- if you care about production, there's a place for you here.