
What We Learned Raising $1.5M on Kickstarter in 2017 - tdrnd
https://www.shopmoment.com/momentist/the-complete-guide-to-succeeding-on-kickstarter-in-2017-everything-we-learned-in-raising-1-5m
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johnwheeler
I would gauge success on Kickstarter not by raising money but delivering
product to the people who trusted you.

~~~
erickhill
Typically, if you're patient, you can get the same product 1-2 years later for
(sometimes) fractions of the KS price(s). Granted, you might miss out on some
add-on swag, but the core product remains the same.

I find KS to be more about what kind of potential collector's item might one
get by investing in an idea - at least in the things I'm interested in. For
some, the collector's item (e.g. a custom art print that comes with a game) is
worth the expense. For many others, patience is key. So many times successful
products that make it to the marketplace are sold after the fact for very
reasonable prices.

KS is brilliant at playing at our emotions and opening our wallets. I've gone
down this path a few times with retro games.

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xGrill
I used to be an avid supporter of kickstarter in 2013-14, however, I've
experienced too many products which over promise and under deliver.

Now, I would rather pay the 10% more for a product after reviews come out than
be an early adopter because in the long run it saves me money from buying bad
quality products.

I think a lot of people are starting to realize this, and kickstarter itself
is losing credibility.

~~~
noonespecial
>Now, I would rather pay the 10% more for a product after reviews come out
than be an early adopter...

I think maybe this misses the point of kickstarter a bit. Its not really a
place to "buy products". Its a place to fund a wild dream and see what
happens. When I back a project, the product is secondary. I like to watch the
process. Its _entertainment_. Hint: You'll get lots more backers like me if
you seem extremely transparent and post project updates often. If I want
products, its Amazon.com. I'm here for the journey. Some projects are
triumphs, some tragedies. Don't hide it if it turns out the latter. I paid to
ride along, even if its a tear-jerker.

~~~
epmaybe
Yeah, you may get more specifically looking for the journey or process, but
you lose the other 90% of funders, as they soon realize that few kickstarters
actually pan out.

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pjc50
I've learned that graphs with unlabelled vertical axes tell the reader less
than nothing.

~~~
boxcardavin
It tells you a lot about what the person who made the graph thinks about their
audience's sophistication.

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mrfusion
Off shoot topic but does anyone know if there are any tips or best practices
for a socially awkward dude to make a kick starter?

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pavlov
Make a good prototype, be honest about what it does, be realistic (= slightly
pessimistic) about what you can do with the money you're trying to raise.

I don't think social skills matter as much as those.

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mrfusion
Don't you have to be exciting and likeable in the video?

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SomeStupidPoint
Nah, just pay some cute girls to be that while you narrate.

Ed:

I may have phrased it snarkishly, but that's honest advice -- if you're not
good on camera, find a film student to help direct brief bits you're in (so
you perform better, are framed well, etc) and get other students to do most of
the on camera work.

There's a reason most marketing materials use professional actors, and if your
strength isn't presentation, you should too. There are lots of students
looking for portfolio work (at very reasonable prices).

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DamonHD
Very good! Will be re-reading periodically to work out how best we should
manage a campaign if we wake up our draft one!

