No doubt, Kickstarter is an awesome tool that helps creative types remain independent and invent awesome products for friends and fans. From projects like the Ouya to Zach Braff’s “Wish I Was Here” campaign, the website has helped creators raise over $700 million. At the same time, we’ve all seen the headlines in the last few months “Kickstarter pulls plug on scam minutes before $120,000 heist” and “KickStarter Scammers Get Found Out, Runs For The Hills.”
More and more, crowdfunding backers are becoming wary about supporting new projects for fear of fraud or deception. How then can crowdfunding platforms maintain a quality community of creators and pledgers while weeding out the rats trying to take advantage of the system? A new company, VaporStarter, believes they have the answer.
I had the chance to sit down with J.A. Ames, the founder of the website, who is also running a Kickstarter campaign for dragon fantasy coins.
What made you decide to start VaporStarter and what is your vision for the service?
I really have to give credit to Odin’s Raven’s for providing the inspiration for VaporStarter. Odin’s is a game which was successfully funded in May and which I was a backer. The very last time that anyone heard from the creator was the day it was funded. He simply vanished. I was involved in tracking him down and trying to solve the mystery of his disappearance. I finally was able to locate his eBay account and we could all see that he was merrily spending backers money on high-end synthesizer equipment.
Through this process I really realized that crowdfunding needed a community willing to go beyond what Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and other funding sites could offer. Fraudulent campaigns hurt everyone, but in particular the legitimate smaller unknown creator. As the number of failed and fraudulent campaigns increase, the more people will be unwilling to back an unknown creator. That leaves celebrities and large companies getting the main backer dollars.
With VaporStarter my goal is to bring together a community aimed at a higher level of transparency and accountability for crowdfunding. Potential backers can get to know potential creators before they are faced with the deadline of a funding campaign. Research can be done, questions asked, and confidence increased. It’s a win-win for both backers and creators.
How did you become involved in crowdfunding? What led you to start your Kickstarter campaign?
I’ve been following Kickstarter and crowdfunding concepts for many years. As an entrepreneur I quickly saw the benefits this approach brings to those with a great idea, but little capital to execute on it. Creativity often comes from individuals and small companies. With Kickstarter I saw a mechanism that would enable projects to exist which would never have seen the light of day with old funding models. A truly groundbreaking shift in funding and possibilities.
My main profession is software development so I tried a couple campaigns for software games which didn’t workout. There is a quote by C.S. Lewis I’m fond of: “Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.” Every project I’ve been involved with has been a learning experience.
My latest (hopefully successful) learning experience is Dragon Fantasy Coins. My wife and I love to play boardgames. We also like coins and really wanted some cool coins to go along with our Talisman board game. After a failed search for coins that fit what we were after it was decided to give it a go as a Kickstarter project. We decided to invest enough of our own funds to design the coins, get the dies made, and an initial batch created.
It was important to us to show the actual coin rather than just drawings, mockups, or something similar. We had a lot of fun designing the coins and going through the entire process. Even if the project fails I can honestly say that I don’t regret a moment. It’s not just the fun in creating the coin, project, and video… but the entire process of reaching out to people, meeting new friends, and becoming involved… it has been very rewarding.
What are your thoughts on crowdfunding for software products (you mentioned this in your campaign that you tried your hand at this).
I think software is one of the more difficult types of projects to get funded. Most successful software projects have come to Kickstarter bringing their own extensive customer base. Currently I think people who enjoy funding projects on Kickstarter lean toward physical items or highly innovative ideas. And in general I think the value given to software, and particularity mobile applications, is pretty low given the vast quantity of free apps available.
What have you learned from running your Kickstarter campaign with regards to marketing and generating buzz that you didn’t know previously?
When I first walked into crowdfunding I think I suffered from a common misconception… that it was all about a nice video, compelling product, and well laid-out out campaign. And while those elements are important, they simply aren’t enough. There are a lot of new campaigns being added daily on Kickstarter… it’s simply too much for anyone, but the most dedicated, to keep up with. That’s why people rely on other people to find what’s interesting. It’s absolutely essential to connect with people outside of Kickstarter and bring them into the project. And once you’re campaign is going it’s critical to listen to your backers and communicate with them. It’s not a simple transaction… it an interactive community.
But I feel your community must start before you launch. Join forums, make contacts, talk to reviewers, and above all put your contacts above your campaign. Your campaign is a temporary event… the people you meet can be contacts for life. Be interested in people first and your sales second. Even if your campaign fails, make friends and stay in touch. Because people are really the most important thing… above success, sales, and money. If you can value your integrity, and the community you’re becoming a part of, I feel success will eventually follow.
How did you go about preparing the launch the campaign? What resources did you use to plan your marketing strategy?
For my Dragon Fantasy Coin project I spent many weeks preparing for its launch. Not just the project details but connecting with game players and talking about my project before it was launched. Twitter was also an important resource for me. For anything game related BoardGameGeek.com is an essential forum. It brings board game enthusiast, from around the globe, together and talking about their passion.
Facebook is considered an essential resource, however I decided not pursue Facebook. It’s a platform that I’ve been moving away from, as I disagree with the direction they have headed as a social platform. However for many it’s an indispensable platform to help get their message out.
Any last thoughts you’d like to share? Misconceptions about Kickstarter? Interesting aspects of the fundraising process?
I think we’re in the very early stages of crowdfunding. I can almost guarantee we’re going to be seeing changes in the near future aimed to help mitigate the potential downside that crowdfunding brings in its current form. However I’m not positive all the changes will actually help the independent creator’s ability to bring projects to market. And in any case the attention that crowdfunding has been getting is going to continue to bring more and more individuals seeking funds. This increases the difficulty in actually getting funded and really brings more and more importance to building your community, and credibility, prior to launching a campaign.
