First created · 0 backed

One thing I see all too often is people trying to run their own Kickstarter project without having backed someone else’s before.

Here’s why I think that’s a mistake.

First created · 0 backed

Firstly, if you want to have the best chance of crowdfunding success you need to understand crowdfunding.

That should seem like an obvious point, and before embarking on your own project you should be immersing yourself in the world you’re trying to break into. Would you try and start playing a new sport without looking up the rules or watching some YouTube videos about it?

I very often come across project pages that completely miss the mark. Maybe it’s something big like trying to launch a product totally unsuitable for Kickstarter. Or it could be a complete absence of imagery, or just badly formatted, typo-ridden content. To me, that shows a lack of awareness about what Kickstarter is and what could work on the platform.

Browsing and analysing past and present projects should be a big part of your process, but nothing will help you get it like backing a project for yourself. By doing that you see everything from a backer’s perspective. You’ll experience for yourself the practical things like how to select rewards, add-ons, and provide your shipping information. But you’ll also feel what it’s like to be part of a backer community - you’ll see the kind of communication and creator updates that work well and those that don’t.

There’s no need to spend hundreds of dollars on backing dozens of projects - just pick a handful you like and show your support. For some you could even pledge a few dollars without a reward. But you should at least back one fully so you don’t miss out on the end-to-end insights I mentioned above.

6 created · 39 backed

If a potential backer sees a campaign by someone who’s created and backed multiple projects they’ll likely be reassured that there’s at least a certain level of understanding and competence there.

As a first-time creator, sadly there's not much you can do about that first number, but as I’ve discussed, you can control that second one.

In fact, there could be something you can do about the first number, and that’s to start small and run a less ambitious project to begin your Kickstarter career.

But there’s nothing wrong with ambition, and plenty of first-timers do incredibly well.

…

Fundamentally, the job of a Kickstarter page is to sell people on the vision of what you intend to make, and then convince them that you can deliver it.

As a prospective backer when I see First created · 0 backed I’m more likely to wonder if the creator knows what they're doing.

What’s a roast?

This is a simple example, but it’s exactly the kind of feedback I’ll provide when I review, or roast, your Kickstarter project.

I’ll point out areas I think can be improved, and also highlight positive aspects too. If there are things I think potential backers might see as negative, it’s better to hear them from me than when your project is in front of the world to see.

Potential backers will likely make an initial judgement in seconds so you want their first impression of your project to be as good as possible.