It feels like everyone is going to Kickstarter for funding these days. These are the lessons one girl learned from the popular crowdfunding site. © Julie Coniglio

1. Crowdfunding with .
Created By Julie Coniglio
@awkward_hug
9/28/2011

2. +
noun /kikˈstärtər/ noun /ˈôkwərd həg/
1. An online threshold pledge system for funding 1. An uncomfortable embrace
creative projects.
2. A kick-ass game studio (Julie is the most female co-founder of AH)
2. A path to funding your creative project.
3. An pre-sale platform for your widget.
4. A soapbox for DIY creators and Indie artists.

3. In the summer of 2010, with no access to brands or
traditional funding, we went to Kickstarter to make a
whacky online sock puppet game.
Socks, Inc. was among the first game
projects to be funded on Kickstarter.

4. Since then, Kickstarter has become super popular
and is full of success stories.
Stats (as of 7/17/2011)
Launched Projects: 26,620
Successful Projects: 10,388
Unsuccessful Projects: 13,113
Live Projects: 3,119
Success Rate: 44%
Source: http://www.kickstarter.com/blog/10000-successful-projects

5. These are the things I’ve learned
from running the Socks, Inc.
campaign and watching
Kickstarter grow.
This is not a Kickstarter bible, it
simply illustrates my experience.

6. GET MONEY
You only have one Mom. Contributor
s to Socks, I
Who else will contribute? Our Gaming C
nc.
ommunity, Fri
Others ends, + Famil
y
• family, friends + co-workers
• your community / contacts
}
• Peeps who need or want the
product or service
‣ their communities
• Peeps who admire the project’s
goal / are aligned with its ideals

7. GET MONEY
It is all about community.
The best thing people can do for
your campaign, after contributing,
is evangelize.

8. GET MONEY
Have an outreach strategy.
}
Reach out both digitally
+ in the real-world
Find creative ways to
Be personal break through the
digital noise.
Making promotional swag
for you campaign

9. GET MONEY
Have an outreach strategy.
DIGITAL REAL-WORLD
• Blog outreach • Industry Meetups
Reach out both digitally
• Email campaign • Call publications
+ in the real-world • Social Media • Flyers + Post Cards
Be personal
Making promotional swag
for you campaign
Find communities of people
who share your interests.

10. GET MONEY
Have an outreach strategy.
Reach out both digitally
Tap your industry leaders
+ in the real-world
Be personal
Making promotional swag
for you campaign
We DMed thought leaders in overlapping
industries and personally asked them to
share our campaign.

11. GET MONEY
Have an outreach strategy.
Reach out both digitally
+ in the real-world
Create interesting artifacts that are unique to
your project... or make some post cards to leave
in public places.
Be personal
Consider making
promotional swag
Postcards and patches were mailed to people
who had played our previous games.

12. GIVE REWARDS
Design a reward system. Make sure each reward cost
less than 5% of the pledge, including delivery.

13. GIVE REWARDS
Design a reward system. Make sure each reward cost
less than 5% of the pledge, including delivery.
This reward cost 4.75% of the pledge to make.
Felt / Wood /Bird / Sock
Add the average packaging and delivery costs,
and the reward went slightly over the 5% rule. Googly Eyes /Hot Glue
}
Stuffing / Wire
TOTAL COSTS
$23.75

14. GIVE REWARDS
The sweet spot for your project is the
contribution level that earns the most money.
The Socks, Inc. Reward Strategy
(aka. the proverbial carrot dangle)
Decided Sweet Spot.
Awesomeness of Gift
Push to the
sweet spot.
Past the sweet spot, rewards
acknowledge the contributor’s
awesomeness in some way.
$5 $15 $25 $50 $100 $200 $500 $1,000

15. GIVE REWARDS
Be prepared for an
unexpected volume
of pledges.
Wilson may have expected to sell around 300
of his watches, but ended up with over 3,500
pre-orders. Good thing he is a seasoned and
serial entrepreneur with the tools to deliver.
The Sweet Spot for merchandise is effortlessly
the pledge level at which you can manufacture
and deliver the product to the contributor.

16. CAMPAIGN GOAL
You don’t get any money if your goal isn’t reached.
A great campaign can always go over.
Contact all the vendors and collaborators to get
estimates and quotes. Rack your brain for any
hidden costs that are not immediately obvious.
Base Cost
+ 5% for Rewards
+ 5% for Kickstarter
+ 5% for Amazon
= Campaign Goal

17. CAMPAIGN GOAL
Most successful Kickstarter campaigns ask for less
than $5G. Need more? Consider your options.
}
Ab’s thinkin’ cap
Be Bold
Think about your goal
Re-evaluate objectively, will it seem
reasonable to your audience?
Re-structure

18. CAMPAIGN GOAL
Most successful Kickstarter campaigns ask for less
than $5G. Need more? Consider your options.
Ask for it.
Be Bold As Kickstarter becomes more popular, campaigns are setting higher goals
and are getting the contributions. Your campaign is good enough,
smart enough, and doggone it, people like it.
Re-evaluate
Re-structure

19. CAMPAIGN GOAL
Most successful Kickstarter campaigns ask for less
than $5G. Need more? Consider your options.
Be Bold
Determine your MVP.
Re-evaluate Simplify your project down to the Minimum Viable Product. Eliminate all
of the fluff and dedicate your time and other people’s money to just the
juiciest bits.
Re-structure

20. CAMPAIGN GOAL
Most successful Kickstarter campaigns ask for less
than $5G. Need more? Consider your options.
Be Bold
Re-evaluate
Break it down.
Re-structure Re-structure your project into phases. If phase one is complete before even
going to Kickstarter, you can establish credibility. Run a small campaign for
the MVP, and, afterwards, a second campaign for the re-iterations.

21. SHOWTIME
If you can’t be bothered making a video, don’t
bother starting a campaign.
At the end of the day, people are giving you
money; you need to establish trust and
emotional connection.
Your video should...
• be honest, sincere, and charming
• get straight to the point
• establish your credibility
• be under 5 minutes

22. RESEARCH
Kickstart your pitch process with a healthy dose of preparation.
ul campaigns.
nalyses of successf
of tips and good a
rter blog, it is full
Read the Kicksta
who have done it
Ask for help! Contact people
Get your friends to
before and pick their brain.
and people may be
pitch in too. DIY is exciting
you think.
more excited to pitch in than
Learn from other people’s successes
and failures. Study the reward
design, outreach strategy, and the
video pitches of projects like yours.

23. BYE BYE
Ok peeps, go make something awesome!
Want to know more about Julie?
Check out awkwardhug.com and
follow her @awkward_hug.