At the heart of Kickstarter and the crowdfunding movement, several startups stand as a testament to the success of all. Companies like Oculus Rift, Pebble, Pono Music…the golden boys of crowdfunded commerce are leading a revolution of crowdfunded, crowd inspired startups making serious waves in the world of technology.
While these success stories, as inspiring as they may be, seem to embody the entirety of the maker movement, they are anything but. These startups which catapulted crowdfunding into the limelight have a deep, dark secret that crowdfunders everywhere fail to acknowledge.
Crowdfunders vs Gamechangers
As an inventor, if you were wholly inspired by the juggernauts of Kickstarter and Indiegogo and tried to replicate their success, you would fail.
Through no fault of your own, you are not good enough. That’s the brutal but critically important truth. Next generation tech products practically sell themselves.
Sure some marketing and PR push the numbers even higher but believe me, if I built a Back-To-The-Future Mobile that actually worked, I’d be a billionaire. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
And most creators fall into the traditional role of innovator. They create something, solve problem, produce a product…
…that’s how entrepreneurship and invention work.
But to succeed at crowdfunding it takes more than just an idea. It takes an incredible idea or a solid idea with serious marketing, branding and strategy to boot
Better Business Rolemodels
It’s infinitely more effective for Kickstarters to learn from similarly sexy products. Startups at your level of awesome offer a much greater insight into what your campaign needs to succeed.
Rather than modeling a Most Funded campaign strategy, find an above average success story. You’ll find dozens of dynamic startups all across the site. My personal favorite, the HEXO+ drone, is a perfect example. I’ve broken down the entire $1.3 million autonomous aerial drone campaign and unveil exactly what made these innovators successful.
The same can be done with any other success story.
Plus not only do more attainable crowdfunding successes provide better, more actionable frameworks for inventors…they’re actually more accessible as inventors.
Try getting setting a time to chat with Ryan Grepper. Our Coolest creator is up to his eyeballs in press, publicity and manufacturing madness…he can’t take time to help you.
Buti f there is a particularly relevant campaign that crushed it out of the park, they’re often willing to help a fellow founder out. Reach out, uncover exactly why they were successful and emulate your new ally.
The Personality Paradox
The biggest difference you may ask between EPIC inventions and just plain cool products when it comes to success?
It’s undoubtedly the importance of startup storytelling.
The bigger and more successful a company gets, the less personable, approachable and friendly it feels. Companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Google…the giants of industry are inhuman, inhumane, incredibly powerful corporations. There is no individual connection, no relationship.
Contrast this with startups on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. These hustling, heartfelt entrepreneurs often put it all on the line for their dreams. They share their stories, struggles and journey creating the crowdfunded product you see today.
This little guy love is what creates community on Kickstarter. Everyone from backers to the biggest ballers of the platform feel closer and more connected than any corporation could ever hope to emulate.
BUT…
…the bigger and more magnificent the startup, the less important this personal passion seems to play. The crowdfunding champions of the past: Pebble, Oculus…etc, they lacked story, emotion..anything remotely resembling personality, yet they funded to the max.
The Moral of the Story?
Campaigners unfair advantage comes from their startup status. When product creators try to be something they’re not, ie big business, everything goes south.
Instead it’s been my experience that Kickstarter backers reward honesty, integrity and openness. By being yourself and showcasing your startup in all its glory, misery and reality you’ll build a better, more genuine bond with backers and create something corporations can’t replicate.
So stop looking at highlight reels and instead learn from overachievers…they are better examples to follow anyways.
