Kickstarter fan

I'm a huge Kickstarter fan boy. What is Kickstarter, you ask? It's a crowdfunding site where people can post their projects to be funded and it's up to us to decide whether what they're making is something worth funding. Projects put together their pitch, make a promotional video, and offer up the fruits of their project for a set funding amount. The prices they ask for are typically less than what the item is going to retail for once the project has been funded and is operating at a level that they can sell directly to retail. It's as if you were own of the dragons on Dragon's Den and got to choose whether you want a piece of the action. Although you don't get a share of the profits, you do get to help a project get the funding it needs and get an insider deal as a reward.

The idea is that if the project founders are looking for a set figure to kickstart their manufacturing (assuming they're making a thing), if enough people fund the project, you get charged for your pledge and the project goes ahead. If the project doesn't meet its funding goal, nothing happens and it's dead in the water.

What I like about Kickstarter is that people get to try their hand at making something unique, maybe something better than what else is out there, and the money goes to entrepreneurs who aren't in it to make investors a profit. It's about pride in an idea, in design and in bringing a project to fruition, with our help. Also, it's not just things that these entrepreneurs are trying to make. In some cases it's art, music, etc.

I have helped fund a few projects. The Pebble watch, which was the first wearable electronic ink watch ever made, long before Apple finally got their act together and made wearable tech.

 

I funded the DJIN wallet, a very small, very clever card wallet that I can wear in my front pocket for a change. No more curved credit cards! 

I funded Simon Stalenhag's "Tales from the Loop" alternate tech history art book (and other follow up books), which did so well, it went on to become a series on Amazon Prime. 

Also, another book "Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls", a bedtime storybook about the women who changed history (for my granddaughter). 

Recently, I funded a new kind of magnetic phone holder, the 2nd generation Ohsnap grip, which I'm hoping does a good job of replacing my bulky case. The grip is magnetic and the pull out part doubles as a multi angle stand.

Is it a risk? Always. There have been projects that have good intentions and even seem well planned and potentially well executed that fall flat and disappoint those who helped with their pledges. Case in point, I invested in a new kind of folding plastic multi-measuring spoon, but the folks running the project ran into a lot of quality and sourcing issues and to this day, I still haven't gotten mine, 3 years later. But, I'm only out USD$12, and supposedly shipping of product has finally started.

The point is, if you support entrepreneurship, you really should check Kickstarter out and help some projects get their first (or 2nd, or 3rd) success.