Kickstarter School

This week we were graciously invited the to first session of Kickstarter School, for SVA students interested in launching Kickstarter projects. The seminar offered insight into planning a project, structuring rewards, spreading the word, and much more. Since I’m considering ways to secure funding for the future production of my Thesis mobile app, I thought this would be a good way to learn about micropayment fundraising right from the source, the vibrant creators of Kickstarter.

The main thing emphasized by Kickstarter co-founder Yancey Strickler was the STORY. That rang a bell, it’s the same thing we go over in class every week with Paul Pangaro. That story—the succinct, evocative, clear pitch which explains the who, what, why & how, the “essence” of the project—is the most important keystone that must be built and refined during this process. We watched some creative examples of how previously funded projects on Kickstarter framed their stories for fundraising, but it was explained to us that it takes more than just a great idea to be successful on Kickstarter. It takes a strong social network for building relationships, and a willingness for your audience to share in the excitement of your ideas. Displaying your passion for your project comes through in the messaging, and in successful projects, it leads to the trust needed to solicit investments while you provide something great in exchange. In the coming weeks, I plan to revise my story, with words and images, and share my excitement for this topic. I believe I have the honest and open research falling into place, and will need to start becoming more vocal about what I’m doing in order to attract the interest that is already buzzing around in the healthy food circles. It’s time to be an active member instead of an admiring lurker!