Many of you probably already heard about most popular and also controversial crowdfunding platform.
Kickstarter launched back in 2009 and was founded by Perry Chen, Yancey Strickler, and Charles Adler. Idea of this site was to help creative people gather funds from public so they can bring their projects to life. Projects introduced by them could be from different categories: art, movies, games, music, tv shows, food joints, technology etc.
It also introduced model of pledges, in which backer could pledge a certain amout of money that contains extra bonuses when actual product is finished.
Since 2009 kickstarter had many successful campaigns such as:
1.The Pebble - we already talked about smartwatches recently and pebble was one of them. It was first smartwach to ever reach public and untill this day remains best campaign.The Pebble raised $10,266,845 dollars from 68,929 backers on Kickstarter, and surpassed the funding goal by over 10,000%.
2.Double fine adventure raising money for new game - for thos who are not familiar with this studio, it was funded by one of the legends of video game industry. After long time of silence they wanted to make a return. And they made with bang, with goal set for $400,000, they made $3,336,371 from 87,142 backers in record 5 days.
3.Oculus Rift - this virtuality headset is my personal favorite, this is first successful virtuality made for games that actually does work properly. And just like the pebble, it is regulary updated. Unfortunately it is still in prototype stage and it has own niche. With goal of $250,00, people pledged over $2,000,000.
4.Ouya - a smallest home console that runs on own android system. Besides small size and slick design it also stand out as a developer kit, in contrast to other popular consoles. That means all games had to be free to play. Unfortunately ouya doesn’t get regular updates or didn’t find a success after kickstarter campaign. Goal of $950,000 was ended with over $8,000,000 pledged
But, like i mentioned before, kickstarter is also full of controversial projects.
More than that, there are many categories that are genuinely bad, such like:
1. Scams - yes, this place is easily targeted by scammers. Making believable campaigns, but after reaching their goals, disappear into thin air.
2. Bad projects that surprisingly getting funded - i'll leave this one with no comment.
3. Basically any project that has nothing to do with creating a product, but instead work as a way to get money (usually for silly things)
Kickstarter launched back in 2009 and was founded by Perry Chen, Yancey Strickler, and Charles Adler. Idea of this site was to help creative people gather funds from public so they can bring their projects to life. Projects introduced by them could be from different categories: art, movies, games, music, tv shows, food joints, technology etc.
It also introduced model of pledges, in which backer could pledge a certain amout of money that contains extra bonuses when actual product is finished.
Since 2009 kickstarter had many successful campaigns such as:
1.The Pebble - we already talked about smartwatches recently and pebble was one of them. It was first smartwach to ever reach public and untill this day remains best campaign.The Pebble raised $10,266,845 dollars from 68,929 backers on Kickstarter, and surpassed the funding goal by over 10,000%.
2.Double fine adventure raising money for new game - for thos who are not familiar with this studio, it was funded by one of the legends of video game industry. After long time of silence they wanted to make a return. And they made with bang, with goal set for $400,000, they made $3,336,371 from 87,142 backers in record 5 days.
3.Oculus Rift - this virtuality headset is my personal favorite, this is first successful virtuality made for games that actually does work properly. And just like the pebble, it is regulary updated. Unfortunately it is still in prototype stage and it has own niche. With goal of $250,00, people pledged over $2,000,000.
4.Ouya - a smallest home console that runs on own android system. Besides small size and slick design it also stand out as a developer kit, in contrast to other popular consoles. That means all games had to be free to play. Unfortunately ouya doesn’t get regular updates or didn’t find a success after kickstarter campaign. Goal of $950,000 was ended with over $8,000,000 pledged
But, like i mentioned before, kickstarter is also full of controversial projects.
More than that, there are many categories that are genuinely bad, such like:
1. Scams - yes, this place is easily targeted by scammers. Making believable campaigns, but after reaching their goals, disappear into thin air.
2. Bad projects that surprisingly getting funded - i'll leave this one with no comment.
3. Basically any project that has nothing to do with creating a product, but instead work as a way to get money (usually for silly things)
http://www.buzzfeed.com/cconnelly/the-15-worst-kickstarter-projects-of-all-time-s3x
And before i end i would like to remember best campaign of all times by Zack Danger Brown, who wanted to make his first potato salad
So my question to you are:
Do you find crowdfunding a good idea?
Would you back any project or have you done it already?
What is yours favorite kickstarter?
Do you have any ideas for campaign yourself ?(one that is possible to realize)
And before i end i would like to remember best campaign of all times by Zack Danger Brown, who wanted to make his first potato salad
So my question to you are:
Do you find crowdfunding a good idea?
Would you back any project or have you done it already?
What is yours favorite kickstarter?
Do you have any ideas for campaign yourself ?(one that is possible to realize)
Potato salad - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/324283889/potato-salad
The Pebble - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-e-paper-watch-for-iphone-and-android
Worst kickstarters #2 - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1189988320/tentacle-bento-by-soda-pop-miniatures
and
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/arrowstorm/osombie-feature-film
Worst kickstarters list #3 - http://www.buzzfeed.com/cconnelly/the-15-worst-kickstarter-projects-of-all-time-s3x
Comments
However, my friends build 3D printers. When they started they asked for back up on the Polish crowdfunding platform. Their campaign was successful and they gained some sponsors. Right now, they still develop their company and they have more and more clients. You can check their website here: http://jelwek.pl/pl/
As for my ideas, I have a few of them for my own company and maybe I will use crowdfunding platform to make my dreams come true.
Yes I think its great idea. Many people have good ideas but they cant realize them
usually because insufficient fund. Moreover crowfunding system verify if idea is good or not.
Would you back any project or have you done it already?
Yes there is a guy who invented small light for cameras that gives you a lot of light.
1500 lumens would be great but Im not sure its true.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1193685734/lume-cube-flash-and-video-light-for-gopro-iphone-a?ref=nav_search
What is yours favorite kickstarter?
I can think of two projects. First is Robocop sculpture in Detroit.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/imaginationstation/detroit-needs-a-statue-of-robocop?ref=nav_search
And the second that is really impressing for me. Drone that follows his master recording everything.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sqdr/hexo-your-autonomous-aerial-camera?ref=discovery
Do you have any ideas for campaign yourself ?(one that is possible to realize)
Only thing I can think of for now is maybe a movie. I have seen some scripts that got pretty nice budget.
All you need to do is interest the backers.
Few words about those two campaigns that I mentioned. The first one seems really cool and it’s a Hoverboard (like from Back to the Future!). Some of the campaigns are obviously fake, but this one seems real and just if you know anything about science you know that it’s impossible for it to work efficiently:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/142464853/hendo-hoverboards-worlds-first-real-hoverboard?ref=nav_search
And now watch how it really looks :( :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMZ2cyNxPwg&list=UUmb8hO2ilV9vRa8cilis88A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEBPQO4Vz1I&list=UUmb8hO2ilV9vRa8cilis88A
The second one (I think I mentioned already in one of my posts) a youtuber Anita Sarkeesian gathered 150,000$ on kickstarter for her videos (instead of 6,000$ that she wanted) and she didn't really provide the content (or it will just take her few years to do so).
Anyway I think those are the exceptions. Oh and I recommend watching a South Park episode abut kickstarter – they made one this season.
My favourite kickstarter is a smartphone made of blocks, to stop the trend of buying and throwing out old stuff, but upgrading it. Very nice idea, and if I am not mistaken I have even seen some bigger company planning to do so :)
http://blogs.canoe.ca/canoetech/mobile-phones/phonebloks-wants-to-create-a-modular-smartphone-with-lego-like-blocks/
According to scams - isn't kickstarter care somehow to prevent their site from things like this? How technically can they do it?
Yeah, phone made of blocks made a huge deal on the internet. Personally, i don't think they will make something close to the original idea, but i still guess there will be customizable phone. Besides, last time i heard this idea was bought by giant company, can't remember which one.
Phone made of blocks is being created by Google in the Project Ara (http://www.projectara.com/) and they already presented working prototype. Another phone - Ubuntu Edge - is example of unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign.
I backed several things on Kickstarter and received all of them.
Now I'm waiting for new gadget: MONO (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/709997023/mono-the-future-of-diy-devices)
I've backed a project though I can't say i have any favorite. And surely I have lots of great ideas in mind, though can't talk about 'em out loud now, can I? ^^
I haven't done any project, I am a little bit afraid, after some last known issues with finalizing startup.
In my opinion Pebble was great kickstarter project, but oculus Rift was much more innovative, and this is my favorite.
Of course I have but I can't say :D
people with no money, but with great ideas. However, I think croudfunding sites still needs more control from some kind of "authorities". There are many scams, and even if campaign creator is thinking seriously about creating his idea, the finished product not always meets expectations of doners.
I have donated my money to one project - some really great advertised vfx tutorials. Hovewer, after campaing ended, we (contributors) get only half of the
promised materials. Campaign creator doesn't respond to any e-mails regarding
delivery of the unfinished projects, and there is not really any way we can get
back our money. After that experience, I think I will never take part in any
other croudfunding campaign again.
[NSFW] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPXOvNKdvUw
I have included my favourite, which is potato salad. It just mocks many silly campaigns that doesn't actually need any money and can be done without asking for cash. However, it doesn't always has to be crazy amount of money. Sometimes people need like only thousand or even less.
And also when aritsts finish their projects it's not always what they were introducing first. Double Fine had to make one game, instead they made 2 games ( one was released, second part is coming).
I don't think it's like stock market, at least as i understand its definition. Normally to back some project, there has to be a product in some stage so it can be shown. For example, i donated to 2 projects: Movie and point and click game.
Both has demos and trailers, only thing they needed money for is for things that they cannot make by themselves - music, some 3d effects.
I think platform close to stock marketing is http://www.patreon.com/ , people donate artists they know from youtube or other medias so they can still produce high quality content.
Oh, nice. Pebble is great smartwatch. I hesitated on backing it first and then i saw it on allegro just month after kickstarter end.
And there is times when investors interfere while kickstarter is still going on. So many people that have backed anything can be left with end product not same that they payed for or in worst case scenario, can be left with nothing. (I think there was only one time where company did not return any money)
Recently i backed up a point and click game by Jacub Janerka, Paradigm.
Besides talking personally to that guy, he put it clear that he did all the game by himself but he doesn't have any musical talent. So all money goes for music ( and maybe other important things).
Personally i wouldn't back up any tutorials, i find it silly. I prefer to pay full price. (or pay like on gumroad, minimum price with addition of paying more)
It does hard to find any looking legit kickstarters now. So many "personal" projects that envolves nothing but making money:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPXOvNKdvUw
I think it's a great idea. There is a lot of good ideas out there, but not everyone has the funds or is able to secure them. Also this is a good way to check if someone will buy your product.
Would you back any project or have you done it already?
I already did, it was called 7 days to die :D There are already bunch of projects I would back, but it's hard to choose from all of them.
What is yours favorite kickstarter?
Up to some time ago it was "The stomping land", but right now I like the one that isn't actually supported by kickstarter, it's called "Oort online".
Do you have any ideas for campaign yourself ?(one that is possible to realize)
Not really, there have been a bunch of game ideas that me and my friend had, but every single one of them died in planning phase.
Obviously, without correct tool to verify the usefulness or chances of success in early stage of funds collecting process the probability of scams and worthless project is naturally higher.
Personally, I have not backed any project in any crowdfunding service yet. However, I find the "Pebble" as very successful and interesting project.
I've backed a project some time ago - a game called Star Citizen (I'm a fan of space sim type games and I'm really looking forward to playing SC). So far the game is still in development, but backers can try the initial version out already. Tha game gathered over 2 million dollars only on Kickstarter, but you can still pledge money and, interestingly, people still do this (by buying assets that will be available to them in the game later). So far it gathered a crazy amount of 64,000,000 $. You can check Star Citizen's site.
Here is one of my favourite projects (on Indiegogo, not Kickstarter) - Solar Roadways. I like the idea by itself, though I'm aware it'll probably be hard to introduce. And I absolutely love their promotional video.
2. Would you back any project or have you done it already?
3. What is yours favorite kickstarter?
4. Do you have any ideas for campaign yourself ?(one that is possible to realize)
1. This is a good solution for startups and projects that need people's attention and backup.
2. I didn't back any project nor I am not looking into creating my own. Maybe one day...
3. Probably the most interesting idea I've come across was the new smartphone, fully build from independent, different blocks that each gives unique usability to the device. For example people interested in having long lasting batteries would use bigger/more blocks having the capacity to store power. Others, who would like to have better cameras would install a block with possibly better features. I believe this can be the future of the phone production industry, soon.
4. If I had any idea then I would already start the campaign. Maybe one day...
Dominika I will definately check out the website;)
Some time ago, I read that even Marina Abramovic herself uses this way to collect money for her upcomming project...
I know that now most small developers instead of making project with their own strenght go for kickstarter. Which is ofcourse bad idea, because they can fail and fail all people that payed money leaving to disastrous legal circumstances.
I claim that there is a lot of smart and great projects at kickstarter. I don’t have favorite one. The best projects are helpful and in some way broaden our horizons. To simplify they make life easier.
It would be funny if someone started a campaign on IdnieGoGo to make Kickstarter support Poland.
Yes. I think it's one of the good things about the internet - that people can use it to organize support for ideas that other people find interesting.
Would you back any project or have you done it already?
Never done it, but Im sure I would, if I would find project I would consider interesting enough.
What is yours favorite kickstarter?
It's not a kickstarter, but a bit similar idea - polish site "wolne lektury" which gather funds for releasing free ebook editions of classic books.
Do you have any ideas for campaign yourself ?(one that is possible to realize)
Not yet :)
I haven't back any project yet, I always find an interesting project too late and the minimum amount is too high.
I don't have any favourite kickstarter. As I remember 3D printer, Pebble and module phone caught my eye.
I am thinking about starting a project, but now its only on the stage of development.
I have no any favourite kickstarter.
I’ve never done something on kickstarter. I also think that’s great, so maybe at one time I will try in the future.
I’ve never been up to date, so it’s difficult show you, what is the best. I have heard about polish group- NeuroOn. They created mask that lets people control their dreams- Polyphasic sleep. I think that is very good idea. I’m not sure, if i is it possible, but still it’s great idea.
I think that every social portal is good idea for publish my own work and of course whole internet. Internet has got great power :P
I have backed up a project that went viral some time ago, it was a pillow that you would put over your head to sleep comfortably in any given situation. It looked good on a demo and it is made with care and using high quality materials, but everyone who puts it on looks so embarassing that we (my family and I) do not use it as we're supposed to. However it is SO comfortable that we use it as a regular pillow when we travel, we fight for it all the time.
I had the idea to have people buy me a photo camera so I could take better photos:D But I thought this through and decided that I wouldn't feel good with myself if some strangers payed for my needs, mostly because it wouldn't affect them in any way.
I like the ideas of raising money for charity or individual problems. Recently I donated some money for someone's brain surgery and some time ago - for animal shelter. It makes me feel good even if I get nothing from it.
The potato salad crowdfunding made me angry (after it had made me laugh), because that's a lot of money and it could be spent in a million better ways.
I haven't backed and project yet. I've heard about outstanding idea of people who built a small house in the Himalayas. By backing up this project you could spend some time there on your holidays. If I had known about that, I would have pledged some money for that.
"full time" products.
I was expecting them to do so but they could return all money to the backers. Then again, people who donated knew that was a joke and yet they still did it so any activity like that is nice.