Coaching Platform for the Next Generation of Pros
Masterclass for Esports
Where Champions Teach Champions
eStarz (now Framerate) wanted to become the leading esports coaching platform—where aspiring pros learn from world champions. We built the product strategy, UX, design, and engineering that brought together legendary coaches like HearthStone world champion Pavel with thousands of eager learners.
The creator dashboard gives coaches real-time visibility into their audience and revenue. Visual analytics show viewer engagement patterns, course completion rates, and subscriber growth. Revenue tracking displays real-time earnings and payout schedules.
Coaching Platform for the Next Generation of Pros
From challenge to transformation
The Approach
We worked directly with pro teams and players to understand what motivates both coaches and learners. We discovered pro players enjoy watching other pros teach—so we made that a perk for content creators. The platform features video courses, live AMA sessions, and visual analytics dashboards for coaches. Built on React, Node.js, and GraphQL with auto-scalable AWS infrastructure and Stripe payments.
The Challenge
More people watch gaming content than HBO, Netflix, ESPN, and Hulu combined. But there was no premium platform for aspiring pros to learn from the best. eStarz needed to attract top coaching talent (pro players with massive followings), create an engaging learning experience, and build a sustainable business model with advertising partnerships.
Designed with Pro Players, for Aspiring Pros
eStarz (now Framerate) set out to create the Masterclass for esports—a premium platform where aspiring pros could learn directly from world champions. Not YouTube tutorials. Not Twitch streams. Structured courses from the best players in the world. SpiceFactory joined as the product and engineering partner, helping define the platform strategy, design the user experience, and build the technology that would bring pro coaches and eager learners together.
Pro players enjoy watching other pros teach. We made that a perk—and it became our secret weapon for recruiting world-class coaches.
— Marco, CEO of Framerate
Two-Sided Marketplace That Scales
The creator dashboard gives coaches real-time visibility into their audience and revenue. Visual analytics show viewer engagement patterns, course completion rates, and subscriber growth. Revenue tracking displays real-time earnings and payout schedules.
Marketplace Impact
A two-sided marketplace connecting world-champion coaches with aspiring pros.
For Learners
- Learn From Champions — Structured courses from HearthStone World Champion Pavel and Top 10 pros
- Progress Tracking — See what you've completed and what's next in your learning journey
- Live AMA Sessions — Interactive Q&A with the coaches who built their careers at the top
- Cross-Game Discovery — Find coaches across multiple game titles and genres
For Creator Revenue
- Sustainable Monetization — Subscription model with advertising partnerships from gaming brands
- Creator Perk — Coaches get free access to all other coaches' content, driving participation
- Stripe Integration — Seamless subscription management and creator payouts
- Scalable Infrastructure — AWS auto-scaling handles traffic spikes when pros promote courses
For Platform Growth
- Analytics Dashboard — Visual insights into viewer engagement, retention, and revenue
- Content Management — Upload, organize, and publish structured video courses
- Audience Building — Platform helps coaches grow their teaching brand beyond streaming
- Community Features — Tools to foster interaction between learners and build retention
The Framerate Platform
- Coaching Platform — Full-featured learning platform with video courses and live AMA sessions
- Creator Dashboard — Analytics, revenue tracking, and content management for coaches
- Video Streaming — Adaptive bitrate delivery for any connection with course organization
- Payment System — Stripe-powered subscriptions with creator payouts and subscription management
- Community Features — Learner profiles, progress tracking, and cross-game discovery
- AWS Infrastructure — Auto-scalable architecture for viral traffic spikes
- Auth & Identity — Auth0 integration with social login for frictionless onboarding
Where Champions Teach
eStarz launched with world-champion coaches including HearthStone World Champion Pavel and Top 10 pro players across multiple game titles. The platform attracted both coaches and learners from day one. Advertising partnerships with gaming brands created sustainable revenue. This is what happens when a startup combines deep research with pro player communities, the right content model, and a product studio that builds platforms people love.
What if your platform connected world-class talent with eager learners?
We build premium marketplace platforms that match experts with audiences — complete with content delivery, creator tools, and revenue systems that scale.
