Thread: Your Kickstarter Experience

Hi Everyone,


I just learned of this website called Kickstarter... Trying to find anyone who had experiences with it, or are thinking about going that route.


Have you heard of Kickstarter?
If not, and need funding for your new project, head over to kickstarter.com right about now.


Here's an excerpt from their FAQ pages, about what they do:


Every project has a funding goal (a dollar amount) and a time limit (from 1 - 60 days) set by the project creator. When the deadline is reached, there are either of two results:


1. Funding Successful: If a project has met or surpassed its funding goal, all backers' credit cards are instantly charged and funds go directly to the project creator. Project creators are then responsible for completing the project and delivering rewards as promised.


2. Funding Unsuccessful: If a project has NOT met its funding goal, all pledges are canceled. That's it.


Have you ever raised money through kickstarter?


If yes, what were your experiences? How did it go?
If not, will you consider doing it?


What do you all generally think of this?


Cheers,


~ Liana

Hmm, interesting.

I read it in their FAQ that charity and other type of "projects" they specifically don't accept.
How long ago was it that you tried them?

Hey Guys!

We just launched ours...can´t give you an update yet, but I´ll provide a post mortem once we finish. Our first $350 was someone we did not know.

We´re only a few hours in and we´re 20% of the way there.

Custom Shirts and Suits by Mike Abadi — Kickstarter

Wish us luck!

I would love to know if anyone else has experience with this too. I was actually looking into it recently. I see some really ridiculous products getting an insane amount of funding.

I got turned down about a year ago... was looking for manufacturing funding. I believe you need a chic (read metro/gay/save the whales/urban/artsy/yuppie) gimmick. They don't seem to pick up on anything that might be a pure capitalist startup. Gordon Gekko need not apply.

Crimson... what's $4k going to do for you, a portion of which will go back to the donors in merchandise at cost of goods? I assume you are just hopeful of some visibility...?

Originally Posted by Vigilante

. was looking for manufacturing funding. I believe you need a chic (read metro/gay/save the whales/urban/artsy/yuppie) gimmick

I wonder if they would pick me up if I came up with a creative gimmicky video. My products a paint brush cover. So what if I made a comedic video about paint brush's around the world dying because their not protected. Kind of like a "save the whales" type video. Except it would be "Save the Paint Brush's".

I know I probably have no chance of getting picked up by doing something serious. I just thinking maybe I'll have a shot if I can make some yuppies laugh. Plus I might get a little exposure.

Likwid... no reason not to try it...

I got turned down a year ago, trying to fund foreign translations of health assessments (Hindi and Mandarin). Apparently trying to make third world countries healthier isn't a goal. The rejection letter was NOT a form letter and they seemed to be saying that what I was giving back to the funding people wasn't COOL enough.

Originally Posted by Vigilante

Crimson... what's $4k going to do for you, a portion of which will go back to the donors in merchandise at cost of goods? I assume you are just hopeful of some visibility...?

It´ll help, but the great thing is we´ll have a customer base to start testing with (not just F&F).

Originally Posted by Vigilante

I got turned down about a year ago... was looking for manufacturing funding. I believe you need a chic (read metro/gay/save the whales/urban/artsy/yuppie) gimmick. They don't seem to pick up on anything that might be a pure capitalist startup. Gordon Gekko need not apply.

They actually turned us down too. The thing is we kept following up until we satisfied all of their concerns.

Originally Posted by Vigilante

I got turned down about a year ago... was looking for manufacturing funding. I believe you need a chic (read metro/gay/save the whales/urban/artsy/yuppie) gimmick. They don't seem to pick up on anything that might be a pure capitalist startup. Gordon Gekko need not apply.

Yes, this is the sense I get about them as well, although I have not tried to use them.

I think the reason why is because most of the people who are doing the funding are not Venture Capitalist - they are just people with some extra cash that want to be able to say they invested in something and make themselves seem more interesting. So any project that gives them a fun discussion point (preferrably with a product to go along with it) is going to do better than a purely capitalistic play.

Originally Posted by Likwid24

I wonder if they would pick me up if I came up with a creative gimmicky video. My products a paint brush cover. So what if I made a comedic video about paint brush's around the world dying because their not protected. Kind of like a "save the whales" type video. Except it would be "Save the Paint Brush's".

I know I probably have no chance of getting picked up by doing something serious. I just thinking maybe I'll have a shot if I can make some yuppies laugh. Plus I might get a little exposure.

Likwid, you should TOTALLY do this. Have the video on Youtube, and the people that invest will be able to show it to their friends and you'll get some free PR.

Originally Posted by Cparsons

Likwid, you should TOTALLY do this. Have the video on Youtube, and the people that invest will be able to show it to their friends and you'll get some free PR.

It just came to me today. Special thanks to Vigilante. I've been looking at Kickstarter for the last month or so, trying to think of something creative that would make people want to fund my product. That just might do it plus get me some publicity.

I've also been thinking of a creative way to take care of my pledger's. Obviously I would have to give them free cover. But I think if I word it correctly, I can get more people involved. I was thinking up to a certain dollar amount, like say $10, I would offer them one over. But I would word it "Donate up to $10 and save 1 Brush", Showing a picture of a Sad, Damaged Brush. Maybe add something somewhere that says, "Brushes have feeling too".

The wheels are spinning right now!

Does anyone know of a way to create a cheap video that's of decent quality?

Originally Posted by Likwid24

Does anyone know of a way to create a cheap video that's of decent quality?

Hit up the local University/Community college and get their media department to help you put something together? Good experience for them and they have all the equipment (and a lot of times the know-how) to make a very good looking production.

35% funded after 2 days!

Likwid, I for one, would love to see a video like that! Great idea!

It seems to me that if you can make whatever you're trying to collect for "interesting" or put it in a format that "the masses" would like, then it will get accepted.

Curious.

check this one TikTok+LunaTik Multi-Touch Watch Kits by Scott Wilson + MINIMAL — Kickstarter

and try to convince me they don't accept project on a pure capitalist standpoint..

almost one million $ raised, they were asking for $15k and it was for a purely capitalist product ( a watch bracelet for iPod)

Originally Posted by BeachBoy

check this one TikTok+LunaTik Multi-Touch Watch Kits by Scott Wilson + MINIMAL — Kickstarter

and try to convince me they don't accept project on a pure capitalist standpoint..

almost one million $ raised, they were asking for $15k and it was for a purely capitalist product ( a watch bracelet for iPod)

This goes back to what I said, where people on Kickstarter want to invest in something that they can talk/brag about - and use the product to show off to their friends.

It isn't purely capitalistic. The investors want something besides (or in addition to) money in return - they want to be a part of something cool.