Introducing Starter Packs: skip the blank page
The hardest part of any new tool is the blank page. You sign up, you land on an empty screen, and you're supposed to just... know what to do. Create a table. Pick the right columns. Add some data. Build a chart. It's a lot of decisions before you've even started.
Starter Packs fix that. Pick a pack, and Shard sets up tables, fills them with realistic sample data, and builds a workspace with charts and summaries — all in a few seconds. You go from sign-up to a working database instantly.
What's in a Starter Pack?
Each pack is a complete, ready-to-use setup for a specific use case. It includes structured tables with sensible columns, sample rows so you can see how everything connects, and a canvas workspace with charts and summary cards already wired up.
We're launching with five packs:
Personal Finance. Track bank accounts, transactions, and monthly budgets. See spending breakdowns by category, monitor account balances, and get a clear picture of where your money goes — the kind of visibility that usually requires a dedicated budgeting app.
Fitness Tracker. Log workouts and exercises with sets, reps, and weights. See workout frequency by type, track your weekly volume, and keep a simple training log that doesn't require yet another subscription app.
Project Tracker. Manage projects, tasks, and milestones. Track status, priority, and assignees across multiple projects. See task breakdowns at a glance — a lightweight alternative to heavyweight project management tools.
Reading List. Keep a catalogue of books you've read, are reading, or want to read. Log reading sessions with notes. See your library by genre and track your progress over time.
Starter. A general-purpose starting point with a task table and notes table. Good for people who want structure but aren't sure what they'll track yet.
Use them as a starting point, not a template
Starter Packs aren't rigid templates. Once applied, the tables are yours. Rename columns, add new ones, delete the sample data and replace it with your own. Build more charts. Add more tables. The pack is just the spark — you take it wherever you want.
You can also apply multiple packs. Tracking both your finances and your fitness? Add both. Each pack creates its own workspace and tables, so they don't interfere with each other. And if you already have a table named the same thing, Shard handles the collision automatically.
Add packs anytime
Starter Packs aren't just for new accounts. You can add a pack to your existing database whenever you want. There's a Starter Packs button in the top bar of your workspace — click it, pick what you want, and the tables and workspace appear alongside everything you've already built.
This makes it easy to explore new use cases without disrupting your existing setup. Curious about tracking your reading habits? Add the Reading List pack and try it out. If it's not for you, just delete the tables.
Why this matters
The biggest barrier to using a database for personal or small business data isn't the technology. It's the setup. Figuring out what columns to use, how to structure relationships, what kind of charts make sense — that's the work that stops most people before they start.
Starter Packs remove that barrier entirely. They show you what Shard can do through a working example, not a tutorial. You learn by using, not by reading documentation. And because the sample data is realistic, you immediately see the value — charts that tell a story, summary cards that surface insights, tables that make sense together.
Whether you're a freelancer tracking invoices, someone trying to get a handle on personal finances, a developer organizing side projects, or just someone who wants a better system than scattered spreadsheets and notes apps — there's a pack that gets you started in seconds.
Starter Packs are available now. Get started and go from sign-up to a working database in under a minute.