We decided to get the funding through Kickstarter, because, as I mentioned above, I wanted to see if this was something that really was as amazing as we’d believed instead of something built up by those around us, who were amazing support throughout the entire project and even to this day. My friend Nathan & I had an idea to create a set of cards that could be used as a tool / game in order to create positive conversations & get people to open up - you can find it here () - shameless plug of Kickstarter Link. We are going to make this one personal, because it’s the only way I know how to tell the Kickstarter experience, so let's start from there. If the brand or messaging or marketing are done well enough, it’ll sell itself even if the product is mediocre (I’m looking at you Grey Goose & Patron.) If the product is amazing, people are going to see it and love it, therefore they will back it and share it - even if the rest is a bit messy. Kickstarter projects are going to VALIDATE not only your product, but your brand, your messaging, your marketing - etc. So, why did we go with this option of funding? (besides the being broke & not having millionaire, venture capitalist friends or family)Įasy answer… Kickstarter would validate my idea for a product. It quickly gained my attention, because it was a creative way to share your project with others, get them excited, and most importantly, get the funding you need to complete the damn thing.įast forward 5 years and I’d be doing the same thing for my passion project, but it wasn’t a film - it was a set of positive oriented conversation cards.

Kids grabbing camera gear, getting shots, and sitting in front of a green screen to do some silly add in’s and voice overs was quite regular during my time there.

I had heard of Kickstarter many years ago - like most people - due to viral campaigns that got a ton of publicity, but even more recently, I had actually seen them being produced by fellow students, due to studying Film & Media Studies at University of California, Santa Barbara. That’s when crowdfunding came into my life & changed the game for my business. Maybe you also don’t come from money, or know anyone that’s going to hand you $100,000 just because they like you and think the idea has potential. So, you have an idea for an invention or product and you want to bring it to life, but, you’re broke? I wanted to write a little bit about my experience raising money on Kickstarter, what we did right, what we did wrong, and some tips I have for others looking to get started. If we could have done it all over again, I’d hope to raise three times that, but at the same time, we hit our goal - and that’s what matters.

Running success story