What does it take to run a Kickstarter project?

Product designer, engineer, filmmaker, photographer, copywriter, graphic designer, accountant, buyer, salesperson, marketing guru.

Kickstarter is essentially a case study in running a business.

The scale may vary, but you still have to consider all the things you would when running any product business. The variables are the same whether you’re selling small volumes at a craft market, or you're Apple.

At a high level this includes marketing, advertising, product development, manufacturing, customer service, and plenty more. Depending on what type of Kickstarter project you're running, you may also have to consider accountancy, tax, intellectual property, and other administrative matters.

All the skills

It can be daunting once you start thinking of all the different things required to run a successful Kickstarter campaign.

For smaller projects you might just be able to do everything yourself, but that's unlikely, and you shouldn't worry if you can't.

Ideally, you'd have at least some of the necessary capabilities yourself. Having a diverse range of skills can certainly help you get going, and it can keep costs down, but you should expect to draft in help when required.

Being a jack of all trades is great when running a Kickstarter project, but you need to know when to bring in a master.

At the other end of the spectrum, you may have very few of the practical skills required, and play the part of a visionary project manager. That will of course increase your costs, but it’s a perfectly valid way of getting things done.

Real-life project planning

This week I’ve been working with a client through my crowdfunding advisory consultancy.

We’ve been going through all the things that need to be done and looking at which parts I could help with.

I think it’s interesting to see some real-life tasks that need to be considered when starting a Kickstarter project. In this particular case the product is a deck of printed cards, but most of this list can be applied to any type of product.

Kickstarter to-do list

It’s no coincidence that the pre-Kickstarter section is the long one there. Day one of the Kickstarter campaign is definitely not when the work starts. If you haven’t put in the work before launch then you’re likely heading for a fall.

There’s a lot to think about, but if you break it down into manageable chunks, it’s all very achievable.

You don’t have to be all of product designer, engineer, filmmaker, photographer, copywriter, graphic designer, accountant, buyer, salesperson and marketing guru. But you have to be aware of what needs to be done, and to know when to ask for help if necessary.