Art of the Kickstart: Recent Episodes
Roy Morejon
The Art of the Kickstart podcast is an interview-based show focused on helping entrepreneurs crowdfund their businesses by learning from successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo creators.
Welcome to another engaging edition of Art of the Kickstart. In this empowering episode, we'll be speaking with Ali Roberts, determined founder of Becket London. Ali will share the origin story behind her multipurpose gym-to-work bag that conveniently transitions with your lifestyle. We'll hear how Ali channeled her own frustrations into a creative solution packed with compartments, antimicrobial protection, and sustainability.Ali will also unpack key lessons from her entrepreneurial journey so far. Learn how she overcame hurdles through grit and resilience while highlighting the importance of building a skilled team versus going solo. Additionally, Ali will explain why she chose crowdfunding to launch Becket London and her biggest challenges throughout that process.By the end, you'll grasp exactly why Ali calls her continuous entrepreneurial education the most rewarding part so far. Tune in now to soak up this founder’s hard-won wisdom as we dive into the highs and lows behind the Becket London brand story. Ali’s candid reflections will galvanize you to keep chasing your startup dreams despite all obstacles.
Welcome to another episode of Art of the Kickstart. On this edition, we are delighted to introduce our remarkable guest, Greg Rollett, the Director of Growth at Grommet. Greg is the driving force behind the transformative journey of Grommet's product discovery platform, and on this episode we'll be dive into his insights. Today, we'll explore the dynamic world of product discovery and how Greg and Grommet are revolutionizing it. We'll uncover the exciting developments, challenges, and opportunities in the realm of product discovery. Listen to Greg's compelling journey, his vision for the future of product discovery, and what keeps him passionately committed to this innovative endeavor. So, stick around as we unravel the story of Greg and Grommet's quest to redefine the landscape of product discovery!
Welcome to another exciting episode of Art of the Kickstart. On this episode, we are thrilled to be joined by an incredible guest, Jen Sugermeyer, the founder of ATA Cosmetics and the mastermind behind the revolutionary Jade Applicator, which is making its debut today, folks. On today's episode, we'll be delving into some exciting aspects of the Jade Applicator. We’ll learn about the benefits of the Jade Applicator and who would benefit from the incredible tool. Listen to Jen’s story and what truly excites Jen about seeing her vision come to life. So, stay tuned as we uncover the inspiring story behind ATA Cosmetics and the innovative Jade Applicator.
Welcome to another episode of Art of the Kickstart, where we explore the world of entrepreneurship and innovation. On this episode we are joined with two exceptional guests. First, we have Melissa Davis, the ingenious mind behind SitBax, a revolutionary bleacher seat with a successful Kickstarter campaign raising over $80,000. Melissa, a dedicated mom, shares her inspiring journey from idea to crowdfunding success. Our second guest is Forde Aley, an expert in product development and sourcing, who has worked with major retailers on a diverse range of products. Join us as we dive into the dynamic world of startups, from concept to execution, and be inspired by these remarkable entrepreneurs.
In this podcast episode of "Art of the Kickstart," the CEO and co-founder of Silent, Aaron Zar, discussed the journey of establishing Silent Pocket, a company specializing in privacy and security products. Aaron explained that the company's roots go back to his father's invention of a Faraday sleeve, initially called the Suit Pocket, in the late 1990s as a way to address privacy and security concerns with advancing mobile technology. Over the years, Aaron and his father overcame challenges, including their diverse backgrounds and a lack of cut and sew expertise, to create products that empower individuals to protect their digital lives and maintain privacy in an increasingly vulnerable and data-driven world. They discussed the importance of privacy and security in today's digital age and the need for individuals to take control of their own digital protection.
In this episode we engage in a fascinating conversation with Alessandro Grampa, the co-founder and head of business development at Hexagro. Hexagro, an innovative company based in Milan, is dedicated to revolutionizing the world of vertical farming and sustainable food production. Grampa delves into the backstory of Hexagro, sharing how their journey started and their mission to make healthy, sustainable food accessible to all. He discusses their latest product, Clovy, a smart IoT vertical garden, and how it represents the culmination of their extensive experience. Grampa shares valuable insights about entrepreneurship, resiliency, and the role of purpose in business success. The conversation touches on how Hexagro is combining hardware and software to educate and empower individuals, from novices to gardening enthusiasts, to grow their own fresh produce. The podcast highlights Hexagro's Kickstarter campaign for Clovy, inviting listeners to be part of a movement to transform food production and access.
In this engaging episode of "Art of the Kickstart," we have the pleasure of hosting Cristiano Magnoni, the visionary founder of Crimagno and the creative force behind the revolutionary KOBI shoe, recently unveiled on Kickstarter. Cristiano's enduring love for footwear has guided his remarkable journey, spanning from early design endeavors in middle school to a career in industrial design and architecture. Remarkably, this journey came full circle, leading him back to his initial passion: shoes. However, KOBI isn't merely a fashion statement; it's an eco-conscious marvel, featuring uppers crafted from food chain waste, natural rubber soles, and biodegradable insoles. The shoe prioritizes comfort, rooted in comprehensive orthopedic research, while its gender-neutral design offers a touch of personalization through a variety of color options. Join us for an inspiring discussion with Cristiano Magnoni as we explore the harmonious intersection of passion, innovation, and sustainability within the world of footwear.
Welcome to another exciting episode of Art of the Kickstart? Today, we are delighted to introduce our guest, Laura Beauparlant, a true branding visionary. Laura is not only the founder of Lab Creative but also the author of the acclaimed book "Brand Chemistry." She is the creative force behind Brand Camp and has earned recognition as an award-winning international speaker. In this episode, we'll delve into the captivating world of branding and its vital role in selling or exiting your business. Laura will enlighten us on the significance of personal branding for founders and why it's an essential aspect of entrepreneurship. We'll also explore the art of building a powerful brand through the magic of storytelling. So, grab your metaphorical seatbelt, as we embark on a journey into the fascinating realm of branding with Laura Beauparlant.
Welcome to another episode of Art of the Kickstart! On this episode, we're thrilled to introduce our guest, Randall Thompson, founder of Dugout Mugs. Learn about how Randall grew his enthusiastic response from potential customers by highlighting the appeal of their product. Discover how the inspiration for Dugout Mugs came from seeing a coach turn baseball bats into training tools, leading Randall to the idea of turning bat barrels into drinking mugs.
Welcome to another captivating episode of Art of the Kickstart! In this installment, we're thrilled to introduce our remarkable guest, Justin Honeysuckle – CEO of TendedBar and a dynamic and visionary leader in the hospitality industry. Justin's journey has carved an inspiring path in the realms of entrepreneurship and innovation. Discover how navigating the uncharted territory of technology and regulation resembles the wild, wild west, where the balance between asking for permission and seeking forgiveness shapes the landscape of success.
On today’s episode episode of Art of the Kickstart we have a special guest Shawn True who is not only a personal trainer, but also an inventor. Shawn is a true trailblazer in the world of entrepreneurship and innovation. Join us as we explore his incredible journey with TruAbility and learn valuable insights on what it takes to understand your audience and know your product.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart! Today, we have an inspiring story about Levante, an Italian startup founded by Sara and Kim. They are revolutionizing the renewable energy industry with their modular origami-style solar panel. Leaving their corporate jobs, they embarked on a journey driven by a passion for clean energy and a desire to make a meaningful impact. Join us as we delve into the world of innovation, sustainability, and entrepreneurship with our special guests, Sara and Kim, the founders of Levante.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart! Today, we have Chloe Hill and Darryl Yang, the co-founders of Hypnap, a company revolutionizing travel comfort. Their product, TruRest, is making waves on Kickstarter after a decade-long journey of relentless dedication and ingenious problem-solving. Join us as we explore their remarkable story and the transformative evolution of TruRest, from cushion prototypes to compact innovation.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart! Today, we have a special episode featuring the co-founders of Estate 98, Andres and Jose Larine, sixth-generation coffee entrepreneurs from El Salvador. They recently launched their first product on Kickstarter—a specialty ultra-concentrated coffee that is impressing coffee enthusiasts worldwide. Join us as we explore their journey from discovering their ancestors' old-world coffee concentrate, "Esencia de cafe," to the creation of Estate 98 and their commitment to delivering an exceptional coffee experience to consumers.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart! Today, we have a special episode featuring the co-founders of Estate 98, Andres and Jose Larine, sixth-generation coffee entrepreneurs from El Salvador. They recently launched their first product on Kickstarter—a specialty ultra-concentrated coffee that is impressing coffee enthusiasts worldwide. Join us as we explore their journey from discovering their ancestors' old-world coffee concentrate, "Esencia de cafe," to the creation of Estate 98 and their commitment to delivering an exceptional coffee experience to consumers.
On this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Bruce Roesner, President and Co-Founder of Green Life Tech. With an impressive background in entrepreneurship and patents, Dr. Roesner introduces his latest Kickstarter innovation, "Fresh Defend Home." This countertop unit utilizes groundbreaking technology to extend the shelf life of fresh produce by reducing oxygen levels inside the container. Dr. Roesner also shares the product's versatility in preserving wine with separate containers. Discover how his expertise in electronics and patent litigation led him to develop this game-changing solution and join us on this captivating journey. Tune in to learn more about "Fresh Defend Home" and Dr. Bruce Roesner's remarkable story.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Anthony Bernas, co-founder and CEO of Cooler Keg. Bernas describes how he built a homemade prototype and received validation from lake goers that gave him the confidence to crowdfund.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Anthony Bernas, co-founder and CEO of Cooler Keg. Bernas describes how he built a homemade prototype and received validation from lake goers that gave him the confidence to crowdfund.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Liz Holland, CEO of Sensory Product Design. Listen to learn how Liz was able to fully fund her Kickstarter campaign in just 5 days with over 150 backers. Liz describes how she launched her first 2 products and explains how she had the confidence to crowdfund.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Anthony Bernas, co-founder and CEO of Cooler Keg. He took a backyard idea and a homebrewing hobby and turned it into a must-have tool for entertainers, home brewers and anyone who wants to enjoy a mobile draft beer. While his idea was a great one, it was his preparation for the campaign that made it a success.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Chris Noyes, Co-Founder and CEO of Pet Object. Pet Object is a thoughtfully designed, high-quality litter box made for cat parents everywhere. Developing the idea took Chris years, but with the help of an agency to engineer the product and his own research on the backend, he made it happen. His campaign launched and fully funded on Kickstarter. Listen to learn how Chris and his team created a product that stood out in a market with thousands of options.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
New products take persistence. It took ten years of planning, designing and prototyping to make his dream a reality. Chris had the visual idea behind his product but needed to outsource to make it real. Some entrepreneurs are scared off at the thought of outsourcing, but Chris advocates for it. Pet Object’s name has a simple background but proves that titles don’t need to be entirely unique or independent to make an impact. Chris’ SEO research aided in developing the name. 3D prototyping Pet Object helped the team visualize how timeless their product could be and how beneficial it would be for other cat parents.
Links
Pet Object’s Kickstarter Campaign
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years. Each week I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the Hype Squad. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am super excited because I am talking with Chris Noyes a serial brand builder, animal lover who obsesses over thoughtfully built projects or products. He is the co-founder and CEO of Pet Object, which is a product company with the focus on objects designed with the pet in mind. Collectively, the founding team brings over 60 years of experience in the branded consumer good space. Let’s welcome everybody, Chris Noyes, thank you for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Chris Noyes: It’s great to be here. Thanks for having me.
Roy Morejon: Yeah, I’m super excited to talk because you’ve been a longtime client of ours at Enventys Partners, not only from the launching of your active Kickstarter campaign that’s going on right now. So for all those listeners, go check out Pet Object on Kickstarter, but also you’ve been working with us from an engineering standpoint. So really I want to talk about all of those things and the idea and the evolution that it’s gone through but before we dive into all of that, Chris, let’s give our audience the elevator pitch on your product and what ...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Isaiah Vang and Justin Kujath, the co-founders of Espresso Pig. Isaiah and Justin knew they had to do something about the waste created by coffee pods, but they didn't know how. After tirelessly researching the market and learning about different materials, the team started prototyping Espresso Pig’s Pig Pods, but it wasn’t an easy road. They faced design challenges and worked hard to find a workaround. Listen to learn how the Espresso Pig team successfully created a plastic-free coffee pod and launched their Kickstarter campaign.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Breaking into a saturated industry is difficult, so Justin and Isaish focused on a niche community within the coffee industry. Justin and Isaiah conducted market research and were shocked to learn that their idea hadn’t been attempted before. Market research matters. Prototyping the product wasn’t easy. Because they were attempting something new, the team had to learn to work with new materials that weren’t commonly used in the manufacturing of coffee pods. Verbiage when marketing eco-friendly products can be a bit of a gray area. The Espresso Pig team focused their language on promoting their product as entirely plastic-free.
Links
Pig Pods Kickstarter Campaign Espresso Pig
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of The Kickstart. The show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Inventus Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of interventions and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years. Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level.
Roy Morejon: This show would not be possible without our main sponsor Product Hype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out Product Hype.co and join the hype squad. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of The Kickstart. Today I am joined by co-founders of Espresso Print Pig… Excuse me, Espresso Pig, check it out. It’s active on Kickstarter right now. I’ve got Isaiah and Justin with me, really excited to hear their story and share it with our audience. So I’m just going to jump in. Isaiah, Justin, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of The Kickstart,
Justin: Thanks for having us, Roy.
Isaiah: Thanks for having us.
Roy Morejon: So let’s dive. Give our audience a little bit of background about the two of you and how you met and started this amazing company.
Justin: Sure. So I originally started Espresso Pig. It was originally a concept I had in college. I started my junior year, started working on it and went through one of the crowd funding or the… Excuse me. I went through one of the startup incubators on the campus, started working with them and that’s when I met Isaiah. We had a couple classes together. I was business management,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Brock Massner, CEO and co-founder of NV Athletics and the inventor of the NV Rack. NV Rack is a patented Non-Varying Resistance™ system that’s made up of two universal squat rack attachments that allow you to add resistance or assistance to any lift or movement. Brock’s background in fitness sparked the idea for the NV Rack, but it’s his involvement with younger athletes and beginners that encouraged him to pursue the product development process for NV Rack. Listen to learn how Brock and his family-based team used feedback from their athletic communities to push NV Rack one step further.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Brock tested his prototype on members in his gym and the athletes he was training. The feedback he received prompted him to work with a product development team to develop the prototype further. Trust is a huge part of launching a product successfully. Who are you partnered with? Do you trust them? Through events like the CrossFit games, the NV Rack ream learned how to promote their product effectively and received feedback that made both the NV Rack itself and their business more successful
Links
NV Rack's Kickstarter Campaign NV Athletics
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years. Each week I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level. T.
Roy Morejon: This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out ProductHype.co and join the HypeSquad. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am super excited because I am speaking with Brock Massner, CEO and co-founder of NV Athletics, and the inventor of the NV Rack. Brock just launched his campaign yesterday, so I’m super excited to kind of dive in. Now that he’s hopefully had a good night of sleep, we can talk about this campaign and all the work that they have done to get there. So Brock, welcome to Art of the Kickstart.
Brock Massner: Hey, thank you, Roy. I’m excited to be here.
Roy Morejon: Yeah, me too, man. I got my workout in already this morning, so I want you to give the crowd the elevator pitch for the NV Rack.
Brock Massner: The NV Rack is a supplementary training tool. It’s a squat rack attachment that you can attach to any squat rack, and it’s going to increase the effectiveness of all your lifts, exercises, and movements, using our patented and trademark technology of Non-Varying Resistance.
Roy Morejon: What is Non-Varying Resistance? Because I think that’s probably the biggest thing of like, “Okay, cool, I work out, all of that.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Attila Madarasz, advisory board member of BAM Concepts and creator of BLADEMAX. BLADEMAX is a revolutionary product from a team looking to save consumers money on shaving razors and to save the earth one razor at a time. As a first-time crowdfunder, Attila was convinced to launch BLADEMAX on Kickstarter after learning about how crowdfunding and Kickstarter work. He was excited to see if the people would also support BLADEMAX. Listen to learn how Attila and his team designed BLADEMAX and launched on Kickstarter.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Attila learned the science behind BLADEMAX, which was used to strengthen the testing of the product. Attila explains how crowdfunding was an easy choice for him and his team to make when deciding how to fund BLADEMAX. Most consumers are focused on immediate results rather than the long-haul, and the BLADEMAX team recognized this when designing their product. Beta testing allowed Attila and the team to recognize their idea was popular amongst their audience and pushed their testers to participate in a challenge to see whose razor could last the longest while using BLADEMAX.
Links
BLADEMAX
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups, to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions and earn more than $1 billion in sales. Over the past 20 years, each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the HypeSquad. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am speaking with advisory board member of BAM Concepts, Mr. Attila Madarasz. He is the visionary regarding how the BLADEMAX solution has gone to market. He’s also put together the entire business plan, so really excited to talk about how products got launched, and how they designed the BADEMAX dispensing system, raising capital for that. It’s active on Kickstarter. Attila, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Attila Madarasz: Thank you for having me.
Roy Morejon: Let’s dive in terms of giving our audience a little bit of the elevator pitch of the product that’s active right now over on Kickstarter.
Attila Madarasz: Yeah. Shaving hasn’t really changed much over the last 100 years, and so we are here to offer technology that gives you the closest most, most hygienic, and longest-lasting shave ever, and if you’re a consumer and you’re looking to save a lot of money, which a lot of people are, that’s why startups like Harry’s have become very successful, if you’re looking to improve your skin health, or if you’re looking to improve the environment,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, our host, Roy Morejon fires off in a speed round answering questions we’ve received from fans and members of the community. Roy touches on his personal background, crowdfunding do’s and don’ts, crowdfunding platform questions and all things Art of the Kickstart. Listen to learn more about crowdfunding and entrepreneurship.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Roy Morejon was excited to continue growing the podcast and speaking to new creators after acquiring Art of the Kickstart. His start in crowdfunding began with a startup client at his first company, Command Partners. Crowdfunding is perfect for some ideas, but evaluating your idea is important to see if it's a good fit. If it is, thoroughly research and plan for your campaign. Art of the Kickstart is one of the many resources available to help you gain knowledge about the crowdfunding industry and learn from other entrepreneurs.
Links
AOTK Contact Form
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups, to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of interventions and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years. Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the Hype Squad. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to a very special edition of Art of the Kickstart. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, as you all likely know. Today, we’re going to be doing something very different, a little different. I don’t think we’ve ever done this before, but our interviewee that we were supposed to have on this week was sick. So, we’re like, you know what? We want to give our crowd the content that they need, that they look for, that they need to light a fire under their butt and get their idea out there, or learn some nuggets of wisdom of how to launch a product and do it the right way, or some of the ways that people fail, but learned.
Roy Morejon: So, today, what we’re going to do is I’m going to answer fan mail question or some of the top questions that I hear when I speak at events or conferences that I’m attending. So, a lot of these questions came in from listeners or just in passing in terms of asking about crowdfunding. So, I’m just going to run down my list today and give you guys some insights in terms of some of the questions that we have around crowdfunding and launching products and startups and everything in general. So, you guys ready? Let’s get started.
Roy Morejon: The first one is always usually in regards to Art of the Kickstart, why did I start this podcast? Well, the real answer is I didn’t start this podcast. Another gentleman, Matt, started this podcast years ago.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Mark Coombs, Co-Founder of Sleepout and creator of Sleepout Home. Sleepout Curtain and Sleepout Home are blackout curtains that block all the light from windows. When they initially approached curtain companies with the idea, they were told it was impossible, and no one would support it. After their first successful Kickstarter campaign, Mark and Hannah, the other co-founder, took customer feedback and their own experience of purchasing a home and launched a second campaign. It funded in under 10 minutes. Listen to learn how Mark and the rest of the Sleepout team used their community and campaign supporters to design and launch their newest product.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Mark and his team took the core idea from their first campaign and transformed it into a new product with its own Kickstarter campaign. Sleepout focused on converting community feedback into a product with the help of manufacturers and engineers. The team believed strongly in building a network of supporters that would help drive their campaign and business forward. Support from Sleepout’s community was crucial in landing TV appearances and publicity. Mark discusses some exciting appearances and what they meant to the team. Sleep is extremely important, which the Sleepout team understood. Mark struggled with insomnia, and his own experiences led to creating a blackout curtain that evolved into Sleepout Home.
Links
Sleepout Sleepout Home’s Kickstarter Campaign
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon President and Founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years. Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the HypeSquad. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by one of my favorite products and favorite clients, Mr. Mark Coombs. We’re missing his better half Hannah on the show, but they are the co-founders of the Sleepout Curtain. They came on my show last year in 2021. They were one of the top voted episodes. They’re back. I’m so grateful that they are, and they’re also back with a new product, Sleepout Home: The Complete Blackout System for a Deeper Sleep. Mark, thank you so much for joining me again on Art of the Kickstart.
Mark Coombs: Roy, thank you so much for having me. Always a privilege to be on this show and just super stoked to get into it.
Roy Morejon: Yeah, I am super stoked as well. This new innovation is amazing. So if you would, let’s just jump right in and give our crowd,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Chris Cronin, Co-Founder of Kitanica and creator of Scorpion Pack. From making it to the big screen and being worn by celebrities including the Rock, Kitanica’s products have amassed a large following before launching on Kickstarter. Their first crowdfunding campaign was Scorpion Pack. Scorpion Pack is the ultimate lumbar waist pack for your gear and has raised over $100,000 with the help of almost 1,000 backers, 38% of which are first-time backers. Listen to learn how Kitanica overcame the hurdles of a first-time campaign on Kickstarter.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Is overthinking a bad thing? Kitanica takes its products further by overthinking every aspect of product design. Some were quick to bash Kitanica for using a Kickstarter campaign as an established company. But the Kitanica team wanted to strike the market, and reach new customers while their idea was trending. Kitanica’s products have been worn by actors in TV shows and movies like Mythbusters and Jumanji. It’s been difficult for the team to capitalize on those appearances due to rights around the movies, but the appearances have helped build a following. Kitanica’s production started in a basement with Chris’ brother sewing together sturdy jackets with high demand from their network of friends. Their demand helped them reach new Kickstarter audiences after launching Scorpion Pack.
Links
Kitanica Scorpion Pack’s Kickstarter Campaign
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart. The show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions and earn more than $1 billion dollars in sales over the past 20 years. Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the hype squad. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am super stoked because I am talking with Chris Cronin, the co-founder of Kitanica. They are one of the very few US manufacturers of clothing here in the United States. They have their own factory in Oakland, where Chris is calling in from, and they’ve recently introduced a new bag line that is sourced globally. The campaign is called the Scorpion Pack. It’s on Kickstarter right now. It actually just cracked over a hundred thousand dollars yesterday, has 25 days to go while we’re recording this. So Chris, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Chris Cronin: Awesome. Thanks Roy. Really appreciate having me on. It’s great. It’s really exciting.
Roy Morejon: Definitely. Well, I’m excited for this. This is a really cool product. It’s done really well. I mean,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Jack Yao, Co-Founder of Mobile Pixels and creator of Geminos. A repeat interviewee on Art of the Kickstart, Jack is also a repeat million-dollar campaign creator on Kickstarter. Jack and the rest of the Mobile Pixels team are now on their fifth campaign: Geminos. Geminos is a dual-screen desktop monitor that fully funded in 36 minutes and has raised almost $2 million with the help of over 2,000 backers. Listen to learn the lessons Jack learned on his creator journey and his tips for success.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Personal experiences drive the ideas behind Mobile Pixels products, and Geminos is no different. It came from working in a small office and wanting to maximize space and productivity. 90% of Geminos campaign backers are repeat backers from previous projects. How did Mobile Pixels create such a loyal following? The pandemic threw a curve ball for many businesses’ manufacturing and supply chain plans, but Jack emphasizes the importance of transparency with backers about hurdles encountered in the production process. Jack shares the three important aspects of launching an idea: research, feedback and adjustments. Larger companies like Lenovo and ASUS dominate the desktop industry, but Mobile Pixels used its pre-launch campaign for the confidence it needed to continue the project.
Links
Geminos Kickstarter Campaign Mobile Pixels
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years.
Roy Morejon: Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the hype squad. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am super excited because I am speaking with one of my favorite founders. I am speaking with none other than Jack Yao, co-founder of Mobile Pixels and if you haven’t been living under a rock for the last month, maybe the last four or five years now, it’s been a year and a half since Jack and I jumped on the show, episode 354 for all those listening. Back when we had Jack on the show, we were talking about DEUX and that Kickstarter campaign that had almost 4,000 backers and over $1 million pledged. Well, Jack is back with his team, their fifth creation now on Kickstarter, Geminos. It’s this amazingly, well, you know what? I’m going to let Jack talk all about it. Jack, welcome back to the show.
Jack Yao: Thank you for having me.
Roy Morejon: So Jack, you’re on your fifth campaign, Geminos. It’s already raised $1.2 million now from almost 2,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Eric Kurbanov, founder of RKIN and creator of U1. When Kurbanov realized how much bottled water he’d been consuming, he set out looking for a better way. His research showed him how inherently unsustainable and unhealthy bottled water was. Eventually, he created U1, a 4-in-1 reverse osmosis water purification system. With a preexisting customer base and ten years of customer feedback, Kurbanov launched his Kickstarter campaign. Listen to learn how U1 turned into a top crowdfunding campaign in an industry that is slowly becoming more popular.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
With U1, RKIN created a first in the industry system of water purifiers and filters. U1 eliminates the need for external water lines and hookups and delivers purified water through reverse osmosis. Many people buy bottled water without ever considering its many problems, including unsustainable packaging, BPA in materials and contaminated water. The more Kurbanov learned, the more convinced he was of the need for a product like U1. Every crowdfunding campaign relies on trust, and Kurbanov and his company leveraged 10 years of trust when creating and launching U1 on Kickstarter. U1’s Kickstarter campaign is in the top 4% of all successful crowdfunding campaigns, having raised more than $100K. The team was prepared for the campaign and had preexisting customer trust, but running a top crowdfunding campaign presented unique challenges.
Links
U1’s Kickstarter Campaign RKIN
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups, to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years. Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the hype squad. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am super excited again, because I am speaking with the founder of RKIN Water Systems, which is currently active on Kickstarter, but maybe for the listeners will be on Indiegogo InDemand, but definitely on their website. I’m speaking with Mr. Eric Kurbanov the founder of RKIN. Eric, thanks so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Eric Kurbanov: Thank you. We’re excited to be here.
Roy Morejon: Super excited to speak with you, because I think water is something we all need to survive, right? And I am always surprised, one, with just water inventions and ways to purify water and the problems that are out there in the world. So, for one, I’m really excited to just talk about your product, but first, if you would, for the audience’s sake,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstarter, we spoke with Chad Hickman and Garret Prather, creators of Yardball. This Kickstarter campaign has earned the support of almost 2,000 backers, which pushes Yardball’s motto, the ball for all. Yardball started as a tape ball that was tossed in the office, and the team worked through multiple prototypes and name changes to get ready for launch. Listen to learn how Chad and Garret took a ball of tape and transformed it into Yardball.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Marketing looks different for every product, and Yardball’s marketing involved kids playing with it in the yard and people tossing it around at tailgates. Sandlot Goods originally made leather goods as a hobby, which led to the creation of Kansas City merchandise. Once they began creating pandemic-related products, like testing gowns and masks, they made connections that helped them launch the rest of their leather goods line. Naming a product is challenging. It needs to be catchy, not under trademark or copyright, and fit your brand's personality. Learn how the Yardball team landed on “Yardball.” The team decided to test out crowdfunding with Yardball to provide market validation and give them the confidence to scale.
Links
Sandlot Goods Yardball’s Kickstarter Campaign
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years. Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the Hype squad. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m super excited because I’m playing catch. I am talking with Chad Hickman, founder and co-owner of Sandlot Goods, also a member of the team that created Yardball, and he’s brought in a play partner with him, Garret Prather, the director of business development. Gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Chad Hickman: Yeah, thanks for having us.
Garret Prather: Yep. Glad to be here.
Roy Morejon: I know we had some tech difficulties, but we’re here, we’re ready to play. First off, I’ve got to say congrats. You guys have a campaign that has reached and been supported by over 1,000 backers, which is huge. You’ve almost raised almost $50,000 for this campaign, Yardball, the ball for all. So if you would, give our audience a little bit of background and talk about the product as if they’ve never heard it or seen it before.
Chad Hickman: Yeah. Well, we like to think of it as the ultimate ball, just to bring everyone together.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Hunter Sparrow, Magpie’s Marketing and Sales Analyst. Magpie’s most recent campaign, Kiko, garnered the support of over 400 backers and raised above $50,000. The team focused on the feedback from their audience and lessons they’ve learned from previous campaigns to help improve and develop their campaign. Listen to learn more about the team’s approach to launching Kiko on Kickstarter.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
When COVID changed the costs associated with building their product, Magpie canceled Kiko's campaign, even though it was fully funded. Learn how that positively affected their relationship with backers. The team heavily relied on backer feedback to improve Kiko’s design. Since then, they've narrowed their focus by improving safety and cross-cultural differences with marketing in order to expand into a new market. Establishing trust early in a campaign is vital for campaign creators on Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms. Hunter describes how trust is the most important thing creators can build.
Links
Kiko’s Kickstarter Campaign Kiko’s Indiegogo Campaign
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of interventions and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years. Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the HypeSquad. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am super excited because I am speaking with the one and only, Mr. Hunter Sparrow, the marketing manager for US and Europe for Magpie Tech. If you haven’t heard of Magpie Tech, that’s okay, because you probably heard about their other five campaigns, many of them, the most recent one called Kiko, which just finished on Kickstarter, raised a whole bunch of money. These guys are really amazing at laser measurement technology. I’m super excited to be speaking with you, Hunter. Thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Hunter Sparrow: Oh, yes. Thank you so much, Roy, for having me on the show. I’m excited to talk about Kiko, talk with you, and let the listeners know what we’ve been up to, where we’re going, and how we’re getting there. This is going to be a great first interview. Thank you.
Roy Morejon: Yeah. No, I’m glad to break the seal, so to speak, on this for you personally, but also I’m really excited for the audience to learn about this because this truly is a revolutionary company that’s created amazing products and continue to go back to Kickstarter now for five campaigns on the platform.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Gilad Warter, Co-Founder of Auto Mount. What started as a career in managing Amazon and e-commerce revenue has grown into new ideas and launching a Kickstarter campaign. His latest venture, Knotix, is a universal adventure roof rack with sales flying well past its funding goal on Kickstarter. Listen now to learn how Gilad foresees the future of Knotix and his other ventures.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Gilad and his business partner both loved to travel but hated switching to cars with installed roof racks to carry what they needed. This sparked the idea for Knotix, a universal adventure roof rack. Knotix is unique because it universally fits almost any 4-door vehicle and features a unique clicker system for attachments. The Knotix team decided to crowdfund the Knotix because it requires a substantial amount of capital to bring the product to life. Gilad discusses the future plans for Knotix, and how his other ventures tie in with this crowdfunding campaign.
Links
Automount’s Website Knotix Kickstarter Campaign
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions and earn more than one billion dollars in sales over the past 20 years.
Roy Morejon: Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the HypeSquad. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m super stoked because I am speaking with one of the co-founders of AutoMount, Mr Gilad Warter. He is also one of the managing partners of Enso Brands, which is a company that builds and acquires successful Amazon and direct-to-consumer ecommerce brands. Gilad’s been in the Amazon and ecommerce space since early 2015. He’s managed in excess of 40 million in revenue across his company of portfolio brands, so I’m really excited to have him today.
Roy Morejon: He’s also enthusiastic about bringing amazing products to life via digital channels. Also an avid traveler like myself. So together with his business partner, they founded AutoMount, which is on a mission to disrupt the car roof rack industry. They’ve currently got an amazing product on Kickstarter that’s active right now called Knotix. It’s raised over 83,000 in funding from hundreds of backers. Gilad, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Gilad Warter: Hi, Roy. Thank you very much for having me. It’s a pleasure.
Roy Morejon: Yeah, I’m stoked to have you on. I know we’ve been talking for a while and working on the campaign and everything. Let’s jump back in time and give our audience a ...
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
- Gilad and his business partner both loved to travel but hated switching to cars with installed roof racks to carry what they needed. This sparked the idea for Knotix, a universal adventure roof rack.
- Knotix is unique because it universally fits almost any 4-door vehicle and features a unique clicker system for attachments.
- The Knotix team decided to crowdfund the Knotix because it requires a substantial amount of capital to bring the product to life.
- Gilad discusses the future plans for Knotix, and how his other ventures tie in with this crowdfunding campaign.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
- A simple day at the beach sparked an idea that developed into LulleVibes. Ron jumped into entrepreneurship after acquiring the skills and mindset needed for it from his years of experience in accounting and consulting.
- The design for the towel was inspired by plenty of research and wanting to be different from generic beach towels.
- The LulleVibes Travel Towel’s sustainability is rooted in how much waste Ron noticed as he traveled.
- Ron emphasizes the importance of researching the industry before your campaign.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Will Ranscombe, Founder of Tend Deep. Formerly in the investment banking and asset management industry, Will was looking for a change of pace when he was inspired to design Tend Deep. What started as a simple conversation in 2020 turned into a tendinopathy tool that utilizes vibrations to alleviate pain. Listen now to learn how Will and the rest of the Tend Deep team prototyped and prepped Tend Deep for crowdfunding.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
A chance meeting with a successful soccer club team’s physiotherapist sparked the idea behind Tend Deep. By focusing on vibrations, the team developed a new way to treat tendon pain. The Tend Deep team introduced their product through physiotherapists and friends but transitioned to crowdfunding to hone in on where their product might be most popular and with whom. Having an in-house designer has allowed the team iterate the product and incorporate the things. Will emphasizes how beginning marketing efforts don’t need to cost a fortune but can help you find your niche.
Links
Pre-order Tend Deep
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart. The show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners. The world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of interventions, and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years. Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level.
Roy Morejon: This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out, and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the hype squad. Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am super excited because I am speaking with the founder of Tend Deep, Mr. Will Ranscombe. After starting his career, Will was in investment banking and asset management, which was way too boring for him. And he went on to be the CEO of Click for five years.
Roy Morejon: And while under control of Click it quadrupled its revenues and went from a loss making to a profitable organization, getting prepared for sale. Will’s also managed the commercial side of Audo Design taking on the international OEM manufacturing for the likes of Logitech and BW. And now he’s on his show with a recently launched, very soon launched on Indiegogo called Tend Deep. Will thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Mr. Will Ranscombe: Hey Roy. Well, yeah, thanks very much for having me on with the kind words. Yeah. Great day to be on here because Tend’s live on Indiegogo started today. Already seeing some sales coming in, so pretty happy, and yeah, really excited to talk to you about it.
Roy Morejon: Absolutely. Well, I’m super excited. I know the audience is going to have a great amount of information to download on this one. So let’s go all the way back.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Ryan Chung, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of International at Unlimeat. What started as a plant-based meat brand in Korea has expanded to the United States through the company’s Kickstarter campaign. The team focused on weaving their goal of reducing food waste into every aspect of Unlimeat. Listen to learn more about the brand’s rise and challenges the Unlimeat team faced while entering the plant-based food industry.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
As a pioneer of plant-based meat in Korea, Unlimeat is working to make plant-based eating more interesting, with the overall goal of reducing food waste. Ryan and the Unlimeat team initially started with healthy juices and porridges, eventually transitioning into plant-based meats after finding inspiration in the United States. Market analysis in the United States made the Unlimeat team decide to create a jerky after all the plant-based jerkies they sampled in the United States were unsatisfactory. Prototyping the plant-based meat included studying plant proteins and yielding them with other materials. Unlimeat initially launched on a local crowdfunding platform in Korea and then transitioned to Kickstarter. Hear some diferenes between the two platforms.
Links
Unlimeat's Kickstarter Campaign Unlimeat's Website
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart. The show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners. The world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions, and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years. Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the HypeSquad. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am super excited because I am speaking with the one and only Ryan Chung, who leads international business at Unlimeat, Korea’s number one plant-based meat brand. So, if you haven’t checked it out so far, it’s on Kickstarter, it’s active right now. Definitely go check it out. But a little bit more background on Ryan. He’s got extensive global operations experience, both at large companies like Tesla and Samsung, and other tech startups. And Ryan is a strong advocate of plant-based diets for a healthier life and more sustainable food system. So Ryan, thank you for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Ryan Chung:
Thank you for having me.
Roy Morejon:
So, let’s talk about Unlimeat like I’ve never heard about it before, and like most of our audience likely has never heard about it before. And talk about the product, and what problems you’re trying to solve.
Ryan Chung:
Sure. Well, Unlimeat is really Korea’s number one plant-based...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Jay Gibb, CEO and Founder of CloudSponge. CloudSponge is a provider of contact picker software that many crowdfunding platforms use to help campaigns go viral. Their software allows project creators and backers to easily access their address books to share campaigns with their family, friends and colleagues. Listen to learn how CloudSponge operates and produces dramatically better results for crowdfunding campaign creators.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Jay emphasizes the importance of making it easy for creators to insert their friends’ email addresses into sharing interfaces CloudSponge understands the effectiveness of using address book data to personalize referral emails and leverages this knowledge to work with multiple platforms Sharing crowdfunding campaigns with contacts from an address book is a game-changer and drives CloudSponge to work with multiple Crowdfunding platforms The easiest way to start using CloudSpong is to work with a platform that already has CloudSponge in its interface
Links
CloudSponge’s Website
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Inventus Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of interventions, and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years.
Roy Morejon: Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor Product Hype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the Hype squad. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today we are speaking with Jay Gibb. Jay is the CEO and founder of CloudSponge, and CloudSponge is really cool because it’s a provider of contact picker software. That’s used by many of the biggest crowdfunding platforms to help campaigns truly go viral. So what Jay’s created is a CloudSponge. It allows project creators and backers to easily access their address books, right? And share the campaigns with people that they know to produce better results, depending on the social media links, and manually inputted lists of email addresses. So I’m really excited to learn more about CloudSponge because I had never heard about before and then how they can use this for these crowdfunding campaigns. So Jay, really excited to have you on the show.
Jay Gibb: Hey Roy, thanks for having me.
Roy Morejon: So if you would, do a better explanation of your software product than I just gave you, as if I had never heard it before.
Jay Gibb: Yeah. I think this easiest way to think about it. Everybody’s got, everybody’s had experience with a contact picker, and they’ve all seen it on their phone. So if you open up your phone, Android or iOS and you go to your contacts,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstarter, we spoke with Patrick Castellano, Founder of Gadget User. Gadget User’s website shares the latest and most innovative creative tech products. From highlighting startups and e-commerce brands to reviewing innovative products, Patrick and his team have built a brand with a loyal following of tech enthusiasts. Listen to learn how a young entrepreneur turned his digital marketing background into Gadget User.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Giveaways have helped the website partner with over 100 brands in the tech industry. Giveaways are a two-way street bringing partnerships to Gadget User and virality for the brands. An omnichannel approach is important to reap the benefits of different platforms. Staying on one platform limits your exposure. Patrick discusses the engagement newer channels like Tik Tok have amassed in a short period of time. Learn how to build trust and credibility through a website while launching a campaign on Kickstarter or Indiegogo that you can use after your campaign ends. Gadget User prioritizes searching for new products to feature and leverages product submissions and staff searches. This process allows the team to connect with more creators, and increase their engagement.
Links
Gadget User’s Website
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President and Founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years. Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the hype squad. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, we’re going to do things a little bit different because we are speaking with Pat Castellano, founder of Gadget User. If you haven’t heard of Gadget User, you definitely should check it out. The website, it is a website that shares the latest and greatest in creative tech products. They get to highlight all the new startups and existing e-commerce brands and they get to find and review really cool products on all the cool crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. But also they’ve highlighted different products from CES, Amazon, and people that are running e-commerce websites as well. So Pat, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Pat Castellano: Thanks so much for having me, Roy. I’m so stoked to be on your show.
Roy Morejon: Yeah, me too, man. I mean, you’re certainly a young entrepreneur. Last week, we had an even younger entrepreneur than you, but what I’m really excited about is kind of learning your genesis and evolution into what led you to be an entrepreneur. So if you would,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Scott Kobryn, the co-founder and co-creator of the Wild Fire 4-in-1. After almost 25 different prototypes, the Wild Fire 4-in-1 team perfected their design and launched their campaign on Kickstarter, raising over $100,000. The Wild Fire4-in-1 can quickly reach temperatures of up to 1200F for pizzas, searing and finishing food while swinging just as quickly back to traditional grilling temperatures with multiple grilling and warming surfaces, allowing you to create an entire meal in one space with one product. Listen to learn how Scott and the rest of his team went from successfully building thier first product, Steakager, to creating and launching Wild Fire 4-in-1.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Wild Fire 4-in-1 has adjustable temperature sections that perform different functions. Scott delves a little into the engineering behind Wild Fire 4-in-1. After a canceled campaign, Scott and his team adjusted to market changes on Kickstarter by regrouping and reorganizing, which helped lead to the successful relaunch of Wild Fire 4-in-1. The Wild Fire 4-in-1 is firm in their belief that every part of a campaign is a process. From Kickstarter to validation, their whole campaign is process-driven. Scott and his team internally conducted customer feedback research and used those responses to refine the story of their product and integrate it into their campaign.
Links
Wild Fire 4-in-1 Kickstarter Campaign: Wild Fire 4-in-1 Website Steakager Website
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions, and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years. Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, the E weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the hype squad. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today. I am super stoked because I am speaking with Scott Kobryn, the co-founder and co-creator of the Wild Fire 4 in 1, and the SteakAger. And if you guys haven’t been on Kickstarter, you guys definitely have to check out this product. The Wild Fire is on fire, already raised over $800,000… or $80,000, excuse me.
Scott Kobryn: I’ll take the 800.
Roy Morejon: I wish it had already raised $800,000, it’s well on its way, but I’m really have this conversation with you, Scott, because I think what you’ve done with disrupting charcoal is really innovative. So if you would Scott, give our audience a little bit of your background, and tell him what you’re up to.
Scott Kobryn: Well, Hey everyone, again, I’m Scott Kobryn, and our company here is wildfire4in1.com, that’s our website,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Jonathan Habshush, CEO and Co-Founder of HEAVYS. HEAVYS is changing the way listeners take enjoy heavy metal music. Not only are these engineered headphones protecting the ears of future heavy metal listeners, but they’re also enhancing the listener experience. Listen to learn how Habshush and his team have raised over $1 Million on Kickstarter.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Habshush and the other Co-Founders of HEAVYS generated an enormous amount of interest before ever prototyping an actual product. Once the idea took off, the team backtracked and took to launching a crowdfunding campaign around the idea. While performing market research, Habshush and his team tapped into a surprisingly underserved market. They knew they wanted to create the best headphones possible, but pre-marketing surveys revealed an enthusiastic market of heavy metal listeners. The community eagerly backed HEAVYS’ Kickstarter campaign and helped raise over $1.1 Millon dollars. Habshush stresses the importance of focusing on the “why” behind your campaign.
Links
HEAVYS' Fully-Funded Kickstarter Campaign HEAVYS' Website My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart. The show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to, before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development in engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions and earn more than $1 billion in sales, over the past 20 years. Each week I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert, in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the Hype squad. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am super stoked because I am talking to a $1 million plus crowdfunding campaign that’s just about to finish, over on Kickstarter. We are talking with the CEO and co-founder of Heavys, Mr. Jonathan Habshush got it. This is an amazing product, I’m super amazed that it actually hadn’t come out yet because this is basically this next generation audio company, that’s truly transforming headphones from a piece of hardware, to the truly immersive experience that defines real world limitations. So Jonathan, super excited to have you on the show today. Thank you for joining us.
Jonathan Habshush: Thank you so much Roy, for having me. Super excited to be on here today.
Roy Morejon: Absolutely. I got to go all the way back for the audience and learn, where did all this start? What inspired you to create HEAVYS?
Jonathan Habshush: Look, basically, we started a company without knowing anything about headphones, but everything about the people who want them. We’re all metalheads, we love metal music, we love hard rock, rock music. My co-founder came to me around two years ago and said, “Hey,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Jackson and Gavin Mann, the father-son duo behind SOS Save Our Species. At 15 years old, Jackson turned a trip to Costa Rica into a wildlife card game with the intent to donate 100% of the future profits from his game to charity. Jackson and Gavin built a game meant to make a big, positive change by prototyping multiple gameplays and working with the World Wildlife Fund. Listen to learn how Jackson and Gavin turned tens of thousands of game trials into SOS Save our Species.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstarter, we spoke with Victor Chor, Founder of InfinaCore and Creator of P4. From a young age, Victor had an entrepreneurial spirit, which he then morphed into a career. Victor and his team at InfinaCore have worked tirelessly over the span of three years to develop a product that competes with mainstream alternatives. Listen to learn how Victor used his entrepreneurial background and resources to surpass his campaign’s crowdfunding goal by over 530% in just two weeks.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Zbyněk Suba, the founder of Snowfeet and creator of Assled V2. After deciding to leave college to pursue business, Zbyněk created Snowfeet and Assled. Although similar products were available near his hometown, he capitalized on selling them abroad and used the power of viral videos to raise awareness of his company. Listen to learn how Zbyněk and his team brought a brand-new product to snow enthusiasts around the globe through crowdfunding.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Derek Tillotson, Founder of Haven Safari and CEO of Haven Tents. A two-time creator with minimal experience in product development or manufacturing, Derek’s Haven Safari launch is fully funded and surpassed the raise of his first Kickstarter campaign two times over. Haven Safari has exceeded every expectation Derek had set. Haven Safari is designed to be the ultimate glamping, car-camping or backyard escape base. Listen to learn how Derek surprised friends and family with his secret venture and gained the support of over 1,000 backers.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Derek took a giant leap of faith when he no longer felt challenged with his career. He leveraged the skills he’d built in sales and marketing and filled in the gaps with the right partners to launch his first idea on Kickstarter. For his second campaign, he enlisted additional partners to help him surpass even his loftiest expectations. Derek says he got lucky with Haven Safari’s first prototype. That beginner’s luck, combined with a great idea made Haven Safari possible. In 2018 Derek's focus word was “creativity.” In 2020, he focused on enterprise. There came a moment in his entrepreneurial career when Derek realized that he needed help. During the pandemic, a scam artist’s work helped drive customers to Haven Safari’s website which spiked sales, and Derek seized the opportunity to grow.
Links
Haven Safari Kickstarter Campaign Haven Tents Website
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions and earn more than one billion dollars in sales over the past 20 years. Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level.
Roy Morejon: This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the hype squad. Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am super stoked because I am speaking with the founder and creator of Haven Tent, Mr. Derek Tillotson. Derek, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Derek Tillotson: Absolutely. Thanks so much for having us. We are a week into our campaign and we’ve already done more than our first campaign did. We’ve two X-ed, our first campaign, and this is only a week into it now. So things are going great.
Roy Morejon: It’s killer man. And I love the intro that you gave me. I know you’ve been working on this product and the evolution of these products for years and years, and you’re a two time creator. The last campaign ran over a couple years of ago. Now like you said, you’ve superseded those funding. So give our audience a little bit of your background and then let’s talk about this prod...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Jake Epstein, serial entrepreneur and Co-founder of several consumer product startups. His latest Kickstarter campaign, Tango, garnered the attention of almost 1,300 backers and has surpassed its funding goal by over 870% in a short period of time. Epstein’s background in enterprise engineering helped him create consumer hardware and software. Listen to learn more about Epstein’s transition to consumer hardware and its intersection with crowdfunding.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Epstein’s background in engineering gave him a segue into the crowdfunding world. His ideas became consumer startups that he could monetize. Epstein offers a glimpse at a path other entrepreneurs can replicate for success. Epstein’s personal experience and frustrations carrying around cheap, plastic, sparkly pop sockets not meant for adults led to the creation of Tango. Epstein designs his innovations with simplicity and convenience in mind. He wanted to create something he wouldn’t be embarrassed to carry around. Epstein speaks on adding buffers to shipping times, so he’s always prepared when communicating with backers. Epstein touches on always fulfilling what the company promises and explains the internal process that allows for this fulfillment.
Links
Tango Kickstarter Campaign The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President and Founder of Enventys Partners. The world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully, raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level.
Roy Morejon: This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, a 300,000-member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a 1000 top tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: All right, welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today we are speaking with the one and only Jake Epstein. Jake is the co-founder of Rocketbook, tango and several other consumer startups. This guy is a true D to C expert, holds degrees in electrical and computer engineering from Purdue University, [inaudible 00:01:21] makers and began his career designing large scale computer systems and somehow ended up designing notebooks and phone accessories. Jake’s amazing, he and his team and his business partner Joe, they’ve worked on over a dozen products now that they’ve crowdfunded. Some made millions, others didn’t do so much, but they’ve had a lot of fun and a lot of failures on the way. Jake’s current product tango is this really cool grip stand. It’s this as Jake would say, “A geometric marvel of steel and magnets.” So I’m super excited today to have you on the show Jake. Thank you for joining us on Art of the Kickstart today, man.
Jake Epstein: Thank you.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Erin Holloway, President of FundAmerica by Prime Trust. In 2012, FundAmerica became the crowdfunding arm of Prime Trust and currently acts as the technology and finance handler behind companies like StartEngine and Republic. Prime Trust was founded in 2016 and supports the largest fintech brands. Listen to learn about the meteoric rise of equity crowdfunding and the current trends pushing the industry forward.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Equity crowdfunding is a booming industry and will continue to grow. Although the concept might not be familiar to everyone, the idea of crowdfunding is much more mainstream than we realize. Platforms such as Shark Tank and GoFundMe have crowdfunding topics and accessibility more mainstream. Holloway predicts Prime Trust and FundAmerica will continue to grow because of the normalization of trading securities and the increased usage of crowdfunding in the younger generation. Holloway offers key questions investors should be asking before engaging in an investment opportunity while considering economic and external factors that can shape an entrepreneur’s business and financial plan.
Links
FundAmerica Prime Trust The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and Blockchain are Challenging the Global Economic Order by Paul Vigna
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups, to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovation successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert, in order to help you take your startup to the next level.
Roy Morejon: This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, Product Hype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over 100 top-tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. So to kick off 2022, we are talking with Erin Holloway, president of FundAmerica by Prime Trust. If you guys haven’t heard of FundAmerica, they are everywhere. Erin has recently been appointed and brings in extensive experience in the financial technology to this role, with expertise in the payments platform, compliance, banking regulations, business networks, investment banking, treasury stuff. All that fun stuff that not a lot of us dive into but is certainly critical to the success of a lot of startups that want to use equity crowdfunding. Prior to joining FundAmerica, Erin served as the global VP at SAP Business Network.
Roy Morejon: So, really excited to have you on the show, Erin. Thank you for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Erin Holloway: Thanks so much for having me, Roy. It’s such a pleasure.
Roy Morejon: Yeah. I’m really excited about kicking off 2022 with you because I think a lot of the startups that we work with and a lot of the listeners on this sh...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Cedric Salcedo, Josh Goldman and Stuart (Stu) Goldman, creators of OODA Ball. OODA Ball is the world's first, completely untethered, free-weight punching ball, designed to be both functional and interactive. Its technology gives you maximum control by optimizing weight, speed and density. Listen to learn more about how the trio collaborated and used each other’s strengths to create OODA Ball.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Cedric and Josh’s connections to boxing and gyms accidentally led to the creation of the OODA Ball. Josh had been looking for something similar to Cedric’s original invention when Cedric approached him, and Stuart was happy to get involved. OODA Loop is the idea behind OODA Ball. Although the OODA Ball team did not invent OODA Loop, this idea of “Observe, Orient, Decide and Act” helped the group formulate the concept behind OODA Ball. The team chose Kickstarter as their platform for their crowdfunding campaign because of the trust Kickstarter has with its community.
Links
OODA Ball's Fully-Funded Kickstarter Campaign OODA Ball's IndieGoGo InDemand Campaign
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years. Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert, in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out ProductHype.co and join the HypeSquad. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am super excited because for the first time ever, I’ve got three guests on my show. I’ve got Cedric, Josh and Stu, they are the co-founders of OODA fit, a fitness innovation company. These guys are on Kickstarter right now, introducing the world to a new fitness and training category called functional interactive training. And if you can’t spell, that is fit and they have created the world’s first free weight punching bag, and this thing is badass. So Cedric, Josh, Stu, thank you so much for joining me today on Art of the Kickstart.
Cedric: Awesome to be here, thank you.
Stewart: Thank you for having us.
Roy Morejon: Absolutely. So I’ve got to ask and again, this is the first time we’ve ever had three entrepreneurs on the show at once. So if you would give our audience a little bit of your backgrounds individually and what led you three to coming together, launching this product.
Cedric: Okay. I’m going to jump in right there if you don’t mind guys. Okay. Me, I grew up in Manila, Philippines and my father, before joining the military as a young man, was an amateur boxer. And that’s how he paid for his law degree.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Ed MacDonald, CEO of Buffalo Carts. MacDonald was joined by his daughter, Marissa MacDonald, for the interview. Buffalo Cart is an electric-powered cart system that attaches to a vehicle hitch and helps you pull up to 500 lbs easily. Listen to learn how the Buffalo Cart team has surpassed their funding goal by almost 300% on Kickstarter.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Familiar with the product development process, Ed MacDonald was prepared for the challenges of funding a Kickstarter campaign. From design to prototyping Buffalo Carts, MacDonald and his team advanced and perfected the design within a year. The Buffalo Carts team tested the product on family and friends during the product development process. The feedback from loved ones and others who saw them using Buffalo Carts helped to improve the design. Ed and Marissa MacDonald speak on the importance of validation in product development. Feedback received from backers on Kickstarter encourages MacDonald and his team. The community’s questions and comments drive the campaign forward and help MacDonald plan for the future.
Links
Buffalo Cart's Website Buffalo Cart's Kickstarter Campaign (Production timeline updates are posted)
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing, we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years. Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, the weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the hype squad.
Roy Morejon: Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the kickstart. Today, I am super excited because I’m speaking with Marissa and Ed MacDonald, creators of Buffalo Cart. If you haven’t heard of Buffalo Carts yet you should. It is a Texas-based startup company that is producing American-made innovation in electric-powered carts in their system. So Ed, Marissa, thank you so much for joining me today on Art of the Kickstart.
Marissa MacDonald: Thank you.
Ed MacDonald: Thanks.
Marissa MacDonald: Our pleasure.
Ed MacDonald: Thanks Roy. We really appreciate the opportunity.
Roy Morejon: Definitely. So Ed, I got to talk to the crowd and if you would tell them about your product as if we’ve never heard it before. What is Buffalo Cart?
Ed MacDonald: Buffalo Carts is electric-powered outdoor convenience. This particular system really actually lends itself to outdoor activities and helps in eliminating or reducing the stress, the strain, and sometimes the injuries from moving products and gear in the outdoors.
Roy Morejon: Now trust me, I’ve gotten injured multiple times taking all of my kids’ stuff from the ca...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Ed MacDonald, CEO of Buffalo Carts. MacDonald was joined by his daughter, Marisa MacDonald, for the interview. Buffalo Cart is an electric-powered cart system that attaches to a vehicle hitch and helps you pull up to 500 lbs easily. Listen to learn how the Buffalo Cart team has surpassed their funding goal by almost 300% on Kickstarter.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we were joined by Jake Mahon and Rebekah (Bekah) Giacomantonio, Founders of Lunadesk. Lunadesk transforms the idea of a portable workstation by helping you elevate your laptop to different levels. This ergonomic laptop riser meets your body wherever it wants to be. Listen to learn how yoga led to the design and creation of Lunadesk.
Short on time? Here's what we talked about.
Jake and Bekah researched overseas manufacturing processes and issues before deciding to manufacture Lunadesk domestically. Manufacturing in the United States was a personal preference based on a few factors, including convenience and reliability. Designing Lunadesk was more than sketching on a piece of paper. Jake and Bekah connected with an industrial designer to kickstart Lunadesk's design process. What started as a simple sketch turned into Lunadesk. Jake and Bekah prepared for their Kickstarter launch for two years. The process involved 20 different people, and it wasn't until they secured an SBA loan that Lunadesk was able to launch.
Links
Lunadesk's Kickstarter Campaign The Professor Is In by Karen Kelsky Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart. The show that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company. From product development and engineering to omnichannel marketing we’ve helped our clients launch thousands of inventions and earn more than $1 billion in sales over the past 20 years. Each week, I interview a startup success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your launch to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, Product Hype. The e-weekly newsletter that goes out and shows you the best inventions that just launched. Make sure to check out producthype.co and join the hype squad. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today. I am super excited because I am speaking with Jake and Becca, the co-founders of Lunadesk. Jake is a posture and ergonomics enthusiast while Becca is a yoga teacher and restorative justice practitioner. They have recently just launched Lunadesk, which is the ability to transform any surface into a workstation. Really excited about this opportunity to speak with you both today. So Jake and Becca, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Becca: Yeah, thank you.
Jake: Thank you for having us.
Becca: We’re excited to be here.
Roy Morejon: So if you would, I’d love for you both to kind of just dive into your backgrounds and what led you guys to launching Lunadesk.
Becca: Well, as you mentioned, I am a yoga teacher and the sort of idea for this product, the Lunadesk came from when I was studying to be a yoga teacher back in October 2019. At that time, I was also applying to doctoral programs for clinical psychology and friends of mine who had doctorates told me that I needed to read this book called the Professor is In. Which is a really interesting book,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we were joined by Jake Mahon and Rebekah (Bekah) Giacomantonio, Founders of Lunadesk. Lunadesk transforms the idea of a portable workstation by helping you elevate your laptop to different levels. This ergonomic laptop riser meets your body wherever it wants to be. Listen to learn how yoga led to the design and creation of Lunadesk.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Adam Weiler, a top 500 Amazon seller and the CEO creator of Sunken Stone. Since 2017, Sunken Stone has been a premier, performance-based Amazon channel marketing partner with proven sustainable success. They have helped more than a hundred different seven- and eight-figure brands generate more than a hundred million dollars in sales on Amazon. Sunken Stone has international expertise, including marketplaces in Canada, Mexico, the UK, and the EU. Learn how Weiler went from selling HDMI cables on Overstock and eBay to creating and leading Sunken Stone to what it is today.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Sunken Stone's connection to Kickstarter, Indiegogo and Crowdfunding Sunken Stone's domestic and international team layout and collaboration strategy How Weilers' background influenced the creation of Sunken Stone Branding insight and how "Sunken Stone" got its name Sunken Stone's WeFunder campaign and tactics behind how they raised so much capital
Links
Sunken Stone's Website Sunken Stone's Blog
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President and Founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am super stoked because I am speaking with the one and only Adam Weiler, a top 500 Amazon seller and the CEO creator of Sunken Stone. Adam, really grateful for you to join me today on Art of the Kickstart.
Adam Weiler: Roy, thanks for having me.
Roy Morejon: So I know we go way back, but our audience may not have heard of you or what you’re doing over there at Sunken Stone, but you guys are doing lots of amazing things. Since you guys have opened your doors in 2017, you guys have helped out more than a hundred different seven and eight-figure brands generate over a hundred million dollars in sales now on Amazon. So if you would, let’s take a trip down memory lane and give our audience a little bit of your background and kind of what led you to becoming an entrepreneur and launching Sunken Stone.
Adam Weiler: Yeah, thanks. So Amazon is the 800-pound gorilla, they weren’t always. Back in 2007, I was working for theater company and that was going to chapter 11, they were going on business, had a little time in between before going back and getting my MBA. And I took a credit card cash advance for some HDMI cables, put those up for sale online, including Overstock and eBay and my own website and Amazon had just launched this FBA program or fulf...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed David Mills, CEO and Inventor of the Monkee Mount. Monkee Mount is an innovative hands-free massage gun holder compatible with all massage guns except the PureWave by PADO and the Theragun Mini. It's easy to use and can be used anywhere, making it perfect for travelers. The Monkee Mount attaches to just about anything 4 inches wide. Learn how the Monkee Mount team has fully funded their Kickstarter campaign and started their Indiegogo InDemand campaign with the support of over 1,600 backers.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Mills' background and previous company influenced the Monkee Mount Monkee Mount's team dynamic and various roles others hold Post-Kickstarter Success and how it led to Indiegogo InDemand Branding insight and how "Monkee Mount" got its name Pre-campaign prep work that led to the launch of their Kickstarter campaign
Links
Monkee Mount's Kickstarter Campaign Monkee Mount's Indiegogo InDemand Campaign The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners. The world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovations, successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor Product Hype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition, Art of the Kickstart. Today, I’m super stoked because I am speaking with the CEO in the inventor of the Monkee Mount Mr. David Mills. And if you haven’t already, jump on the web google Monkee Mount check out his product, because likely when you guys are hearing this episode, the campaign likely will be finished on Kickstarter, but we’re going to be heading over to Indiegogo InDemand. And if you haven’t seen it already, Monkee Mount is the truly innovative hands, free massage gun holder. And I know everybody listening likely has one of these amazing percussive massage devices, but cannot reach those tough spots. And David has created a solution to this with over 1,500 backers, over $90,000 in funding with just a week left on Kickstarter. Mr. David Mills, thank you so much for gracing us on Art of the Kickstart today.
David Mills : Thanks Roy, thanks for having us. And I just want to caveat Monkee is spelt with two Es and not a Y when you do that search.
Roy Morejon: The Monkee Mount. So David let’s jump in and talk to our audience a little bit about your background and what’s led you to becoming an entrepreneur.
David Mills : Yes, please go ahead. Or you want me to just go straight into [crosstalk 00:02:14] the background?
Roy Morejon: … Buddy, this is about you.
David Mills : Yeah. I mean,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed David Amaral and Dave Blaylock, the founders of NextScent. They introduced the idea of scent marketing to global brands in 2005 and have since developed patented scent systems and signature fragrances used by many of the most iconic brands, properties and small businesses worldwide. NextScent now works to transform homes, businesses and brands with advanced air care and scent solutions that are safer, smarter, eco-friendly and more affordable for everyone. Learn how Amaral and Blaylock have differentiated NextScent from other similar products on the market.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Amaral and Blaylock leverage their professional backgrounds in the creation of NextScent How NextScent's mission statement supports the company's goals What it's like bringing an innovative air purification and fragrance system to market Challenges the NextScent team faced while designing their innovation
Links
Ventus Home & Ion: Air Purifier & Scent Diffuser's Kickstarter Campaign Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX by Eric Berger NextScent's Facebook Page
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President and founder of Inventus Partners the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully raise over 400 million dollars in capital since 2010. Each week I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, Product Hype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top-tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am super excited because I am speaking with the founders of NextScent, Mr. David Amaral and Mr. Dave Blaylock. Gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
David Amaral: That’s a pleasure to join you, Roy. Thank you.
Roy Morejon: Absolutely. So, I’m super excited about this product because this is a truly eco-friendly way to not only monitor, but also purify the air. And I think a lot of us that have been home during this pandemic have noticed that living home might not always be the nicest thing and we need to get out and get some fresh air. And the product that you guys have created, it just launched it’s already hit 50% of its funding goal, which is amazing. You guys have a very storied background in our industry vets that have introduced the idea of scent marketing to global brands for over a decade. So, if you would, give our audience a little bit of background about what led you to this point in creating this product.
David Amaral: Well, this is David. I’ll start. Actually, I joined Dave Blaylock back in 2005 with a startup, another startup in Charlotte, ScentAir. At the time I think there was nine of us working on fo...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Pierre Baston, the inventor of Qterra. Qterra Craft, which is now active on Kickstarter, is more than just a travel mug. Instead, it's a travel brewer. This environmentally friendly travel mug lets you brew fresh coffee or tea and then quickly cool it for drinking, with the twist of a dial. With less than a week left in their Kickstarter campaign, Qterra has already garnered the interest of over 110 backers and surpassed their funding goal. Learn how Baston's trip to Argentina sparked the idea that led to the creation of Qterra Craft.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Baston's travel background influenced Qterra Craft Advice for entrepreneurs looking to launch a new product How Baston's background led him to be an entrepreneur How "Qterra" got its name What the Qterra team learned from its Kickstarter campaign
Links
Qtrerra Craft's Kickstarter Campaign
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups, to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2,000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor Product Hype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over 1,000 top-tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am super excited because I am speaking with Pierre Baston, the inventor of Qterra. Pierre, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Pierre Baston: Thank you, Roy, for having me. I’m happy to be here.
Roy Morejon: Yeah, really excited to talk about this amazing innovation because you’ve packed so much into this product, right? Qterra Craft live right now on Kickstarter, so go check that out. It is truly not just a travel mug. This is the travel mug made for everyone that wants to get out there and, basically, really maximize the overall flavor, as well as all of those antioxidants that go into brewing coffee or tea. So I really have to know, what led you to creating this innovation?
Pierre Baston: Well, I have to tell you, I used to drink coffee and tea just like many people do as an occasional thing, almost like a habit without thinking too much about it. But I love to travel. And I went to Argentina many times in order to study tango, in order to study the Argentine culture. And when I was in Argentina, I was struck by one of the most prominent cultural features of the country, and that is their love for a drink called mate. Mate is this hot herbal infusion that was first invented by the Guaraní Indians of Argentina over 500 years ago. And Argentines today love mate. Over 90% of Argentines drink this every single day. And what’s very interest thing to me,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Josh Smith, a serial Kickstarter creator and Co-Founder of End2End Development. Since 2015, Smith has created or worked with 25 Kickstarter projects and just launched his 26th campaign, ALVA. ALVA is a small hands-free torchlight that can be worn on the wrists or ankles to be seen on the road, track or trail. Learn how Smith's prior experience with Kickstarter as an entrepreneur has helped his campaign already exceed its funding goal by 165% just a few weeks into launching.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Smith's tips for a successful Kickstarter campaign What ways Smith says Kickstarter has evolved since he launched his first campaign How Smith chose the right crowdfunding agency for his projects The role of improved research and marketing for successful business
Links
ALVA's Kickstarter Campaign Ultimate Lens Hood's Website Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Audio Book
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners. The world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully raise over 400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor Product Type, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter, that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top-tier projects since 2017. Check out productype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter, now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today is going to be a super special episode because we are talking with the one and only Mr. Josh Smith co-founder of End2end Development, and someone who has just launched or worked with their 26th Kickstarter campaign, that’s right, 26th. Josh has been an OG of the Kickstarter community. He’s been a creator since 2015. He’s amassed tens of thousands of backers, helping raise over two and a half million for all of his projects that he’s worked on. Some of those things you’ve definitely seen before from his first one with The Titanium Hex-Bit Driving Ring, to Fidget Spinner Wallet to EDC tools and backpacks, coffee products to camera equipment. And now he’s back with the 26th campaign ALVA, which already has hundreds of backers midway through the campaign. So Josh, I am super excited to have you on the show today.
Josh Smith: No, thank you very much for having me.
Roy Morejon: So let’s talk background what’s you to first off becoming an entrepreneur?
Josh Smith: Sure. That’s a great question, my dad, essentially. Growing up, my dad ran a company in the offshore oil industry. He’d worked for several companies over the years and identified areas that they weren’t fulfilling. And they’d go out on job in foreign countries and there’d be requirements and things that were missing and all these little ideas formed. So he set up his own company, fulfilling those needs,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Tomer Soran, the founder of Sable Flow and creator of the Secret Whiteboard. Sable Flow focuses on building a balanced life with an emphasis on productivity and creativity. Their most recent Kickstarter campaign, Secret Whiteboard, exemplifies this. Secret Whiteboard is a hanging art frame that opens with a hinge to reveal a large, double-sided magnetic whiteboard, making any space multifunctional. It is designed to help switch between, and separate, work and home life. Learn how Soran's personal experience through working from home during the pandemic helped spark the idea for Secret Whiteboard.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Lessons Soran has learned from his campaign on Kickstarter How Secret Whiteboard improved Soran's life during the pandemic Specifics of Secret Whiteboard's two-year-long developmental process How Soran's company set themselves up for pre-launch success and exceeded their funding goal in the first 48 hours
Links
Sable Flow's website Secret Whiteboard's Kickstarter Campaign $100 Million Offers by Alex Hormozi
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2,000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010.
Roy Morejon: Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor Productype, a 300,000 member a crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top tier projects since 2017. Check out productype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another episode of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am super excited because I am speaking with the founder of Sable Flow and the creator of the Secret Whiteboard, Mr. Tomer Soran. Tomer, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Tomer Soran: Thank you for having me, Roy. It’s a pleasure being here and been working with your team.
Roy Morejon: Yeah, I am super excited about this product because for one, I’m a whiteboard guy. I am very visual. I need to see everything, but if you look in my office right now, there’s just stuff everywhere from Post-it notes to drawings to posters to ideas and all of these things. I think your product solves a lot of my needs because I love artwork as well. I’m married to an artist. So I think this blends well, just specifically for me, I feel like you made it for me, but I know there’s hundreds of other people that have backed this campaign with over $150,000 now raised on the Kickstarter campaign a little more than two weeks to go as we’re recording this. So let’s talk to our audience a little bit about where does this all start and what inspired you to create the Secret Whiteboard?
Tomer Soran: Sure. So for those of you listening, to describe the product,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed the Co-Founders of HellaRoller, Chris Knudsen and Ken Frei. HellaRoller is a multi-functional back and muscle roller with an adjustable, expandable core and interchangeable wheels. HellaRoller adjusts to your desired width and can be used on your body in over 100 ways for immediate relief. Learn how Knudsen and Frei turned a simple idea into a completely customized and improved muscle relief experience.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
The multiple ways HellaRoller can be used to help relieve pain How Knudsen and Frei's backgrounds played a part in the design development process How a common ailment, a search for a solution and a pandemic led to innovation How the HellaRoller team found success using direct response video in social platforms
Links
HellaRoller's Kickstarter Campaign HellaRoller's Website The Wright Brothers by David McCullough Titan by Ron Chernow Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday Discipline Equals Freedom by Jocko Willink
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President and Founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2,000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, Product Hype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top-tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am super excited because I am speaking with the co-founders of HellaRoller, Chris Knudsen and Ken Frei. Chris, Ken, really excited to have you guys on the show and talk all about HellaRoller today.
Ken Frei: Thanks for having us, man. We’re excited to be here.
Chris Knudsen: Thanks for having us.
Roy Morejon: Absolutely. Let’s tell our audience, give a little bit of background about HellaRoller as if I’ve never heard it or seen it before.
Chris Knudsen: Cool. Ken, you want to take that away or you want me to?
Ken Frei: Sure, I’ll give a little background. I would love to hear the story, where the idea came from, but quickly HellaRoller is an adjustable, expandable, interchangeable muscle roller. Muscle and back rollers have been around for a long time. Everybody is super familiar with that product, but the thing that makes HellaRoller unique is the fact that it can adjust to any body type and any muscle need so you can reach those hard-to-get-to places. And so you can customize your roller for you depending on where things are sore or not.
Ken Frei: We have three different types of rollers that you can attach to the roller. There’s your Standard foam roller. There’s what we call the Rocky roller, which is designed for pressure point massage.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed the CEO and COO of Reviiv, Forrest Smith and Tom Sanderson. Reviiv has recently launched its first campaign for Knee Plus, the next generation of at-home light therapy. Knee Plus uses advanced level technology and professional level treatment to provide treatment from the comfort of your own home. Learn how Smith and Sanderson utilized red-light therapy to create a portable and accessible device that delivers relief.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
The technical side of red-light therapy and how it led to the creation of Knee Plus How Smith and Sanderson's workforce experience affected the design of their product How Smith and Sanderson's background led them to work together at Reviiv Entrepreneurial insight into the future of crowdfunding
Links
Knee Plus Indiegogo Campaign The Wealth and Poverty of Nations by David S. Landes
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President and Founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2,000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, Product Hype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co just subscribe to the weekly newsletter.
Roy Morejon: Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am super excited because I am speaking with the gentleman from Reviiv, Mr. Forrest Smith, and Mr. Tom Sanderson, CEO and COO of Reviiv. They are about to bring an amazing product called Knee Plus to the market so I’m super excited to have this conversation today. Forrest, Tom, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Forrest Smith: Absolutely.
Roy Morejon: Absolutely. So this campaign will be live once this recording comes out, but let’s talk a little bit to the audience in terms of the product right, Knee Plus, this is the next generation of at-home light therapy that you guys have developed, advanced technology, professional level treatment from the comfort of your own home. And I think if we’ve all learned anything during the pandemic, it’s so nice to do things at home, especially when it comes to health and wellness. So talk to our audience a little bit about this product as if we’ve never heard it before.
Forrest Smith: Absolutely. Let’s, I’ll jump in a little bit from the technical side on, it’s a light therapy product. We’ve, we’ve actually developed this with next generation lasers, which are, are, and without going too far into the, the nerdy weeds on this are vertical cavity surface mission lasers. And it’s a, it’s a new type of technology. They’re, they’re a little bit different from some of the lasers that have been used in the past, but because of that, we can,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Yohan Jacob, the founder and president of Retailbound. Retailbound works to get emerging brands noticed by retail buyers. More importantly, they help these brands maintain a long-term relationship with buyers so they can enjoy sustained growth. In 14 years, they've worked with more than 4,000 product companies. Retailbound has also established a system of preparing brands to transition from crowdfunding to retail. Learn how Jacob's three decades of experience in the industry have allowed him to evolve with and create Retailbound.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Jacob's background, which included a position as a major buyer at Sears and Office Max, led him to create Retailbound How Retailbound helps clients prepare for retail, including creating a go-to-market strategy How Retailbound's market and the audience has changed over the past 14 years What does the path from crowdfunding to retail look like? What is the future of retail?
Links
Retailbound's Website Retail Bound: Learn How to Sell Your Products to Retailers by Yohan Jacob Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2,000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am honored to be joined by Yohan Jacob, the founder and president of Retailbound, and if you haven’t heard of Retailbound, where have you been? Obviously, you guys have been listening to my show for years now, but Retailbound is an agency that helps emerging brands get into these major retail stores and different sales channels. These guys, Yohan and his team have been around for over 14 years running the business. They’ve worked with over 4,000 different product companies. Yohan himself has spent three decades, sorry to age you there, sir, in the industry including being a major buyer at Sears, Office Max, and I have been honored to serve as a strategic advisor on his board for the past three years. So Yohan, really excited about the conversation and opportunity to finally get you on my show.
Yohan Jacob: Thanks for having me, Roy.
Roy Morejon: So let’s dive in. Obviously, you’ve seen it all in terms of products and clients and customers and consumer electronics, hardware, sporting goods, small appliances, STEM toys, you name it, you’ve seen it, just like we have over here at Enventys Partners, but what’s really unique is obviously what your company does.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed the co-founder of Yowel, Steve Krengel. Yowel is a set of eco-friendly, machine-washable towels that can replace paper towels, save time and money. It was co-founded by Krengel and his father, Ken Krengel. Their product is an easy way to reduce your dependence on paper towels and be sustainable in day-to-day activities. Learn how Krengel's personal experience led him and his father to solve a problem many others experience too.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Everyday life inspired an innovative product idea. How Krengel's involvement in the design process decreased the overall prototyping process The expected effects of Yowel's sustainability efforts How branding played a role in creating the company's original name Entrepreneurial advice for those looking to launch their innovation
Links
Yowel's Kickstarter Campaign Inside Steve's Brain by Leander Kahney
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2,000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over 1,000 top-tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today we are talking with Steve Krengel, co-founder of Yowel. And Steve, I know we had some technical difficulties, so we’re sorry that your father, Ken, couldn’t make it on this, but either way I’m really excited to talk to you today and have you on the show.
Steve Krengel: You too. Glad to be here, Roy. Thanks for inviting us.
Roy Morejon: Absolutely. So, Yowel. This is like a super fun, easy solution, obviously, to make actually a massive dent, I think, in the future. So if you would, give our audience a little bit of background in terms of, what is Yowel?
Steve Krengel: Okay. Yowel is basically a way to easily replace paper towels with reusable towels. It’s essentially a system that includes a dispenser, towels and a mesh bag. And to allow you to move through the process really easily of just… essentially, you could take your paper towel roll off your roll now, put a Yowel on and you’re really ready to start using reusable towels.
Roy Morejon: So, I know a lot of us have kids, especially a lot of the listeners out there, and we’re always trying to figure out these hacks to optimize our kids’ lives or our home lives. And something like this, I think really is going to be beneficial to the planet, which is why I’m really excited about it. As I mentioned before the show, I just got back from a entrepreneurship trip to Greenland. I was really devastated just seeing what’s happening ...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Ricardo Bottome, the founder and inventor of TreePod. Bottome, a three-time creator on Kickstarter, has just launched his most recent campaign with his new product that is truly reinventing the hammock experience. TreePod’s patented design combines the luxury of a cabana with the portability of a hammock with more space and 5 large windows. Learn how Bottome's previous Kickstarter experience and drive to better his product have helped him re-develop TreePod for his newest campaign.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Bottome went from struggling to raise funds for his campaign to garnering new interest for his just-launched campaign The challenges the TreePod team faced when redesigning their product The process that led to TreePod's new innovation-launch How Bottome's team went about finding the right channel for their product An introduction to new innovations Bottome's team is pursuing
Links
TreePod's Campaign TreePod's Website
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Inventus Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010.
Roy Morejon: Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level.
Roy Morejon: This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top tier projects since 2017.
Roy Morejon: Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter.
Roy Morejon: Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am getting the wonderful opportunity of speaking with Ricardo Bottome, the founder and inventor of TreePod. If you don’t remember, because I’ve got so many great listeners out there, Ricardo was on our show almost four years to the date with his original launch of the TreePod. And now he’s back. He’s going to be a three-time creator on Kickstarter with his new product that is truly reinventing the hammock experience.
Roy Morejon: So Ricardo, it is a pleasure to have you back on my show today.
Ricardo Bottome: Roy, thank you for having me back. I’m excited to be here again.
Roy Morejon: Absolutely. So you’re back again. Your company’s been through a lot of changes since you’ve been in the Slackline Industries business back in 2009, and finally you’re launching new products. You’ve got this new product that’s coming out on October 6th.
Roy Morejon: So tell our audience a little bit about what you’ve been doing behind the scenes and the new product that’s about to launch on Kickstarter.
Ricardo Bottome: So yes, let me go a little bit back. I’ve been outdoor industry for about 30 years. I’ve designed and manufactured a bunch of different products from footwear to apparel, packs, and 12 years ago, we launched Slacklines, trying to bring the sport into the mainstream. That brought me to the US and it was successful for a while.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Ryan Wolfe and Aaron Katen, the Co-Founders of NOSU. NOSU is a dual-purpose stainless steel tumbler with built-in cutlery. It's the perfect solution for an active lifestyle. NOSU stands for No Single-Use and can work with hot or cold beverages. With NOSU, everywhere you go, you have a knife, fork, and spoon built right into your water bottle. Learn how Wolfe and Katen spun an everyday simple idea into a convenient and sustainable product.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How one of Wolfe's personal experiences sparked the idea for NOSU The legwork that the NOSU team did before launching their successful campaign The process of prototyping that led to the final design of NOSU How they found the right agency that would be the perfect fit for their campaign Finding a manufacturer to bring their physical product to life
Links
NOSU Kickstarter Campaign Loonshots by Griffin Creativity, Inc by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace Originals by Adam Grant
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys partners. The world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, Product Hype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site, and newsletter, that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top tier projects since 2017. Check out ProductHype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I’m super stoked to be speaking with the co-founders NOSU, Mr. Ryan Wolfe and Aaron Katen. Gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Ryan Wolfe: Thanks for having us, Roy!
Aaron Katen: Yeah, it’s awesome to be here.
Roy Morejon: Well, it’s awesome of the product that you guys have created. So really excited to kind of dive in, you guys have an active Kickstarter campaign. Less than three weeks left on it. You’ve got over 500 backers, and over 45 grand raised on it. So congratulations on that, as well as getting fully funded on day one, which is always critical. But really want to dive in and talk about the product, as if our audience had never heard of it before.
Ryan Wolfe: Yeah, man! This product is unique, and it solved a problem that we kind of faced every day. It’s basically a vacuum sealed tumbler, with built-in stainless steel cutlery. So everywhere you go, you got a knife, fork, and spoon built right into your water bottle, everywhere you go.
Roy Morejon: You know, I was amazed with some of the stats that you guys had in the video, and it’s just compounding in terms of how much we humans waste. 40 billion single use plastic utensils are thrown out every year. And then add on to the fact that 22 billion plastic water bottles on top of that every year...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Chris Lustrino, the Founder and CEO of KingsCrowd. KingsCrowd is the private market's first and only data-driven ratings and analytics platform made to find and track the best startups across every equity crowdfunding platform. Having founded a platform that helps leverage data to support your decision to offer equity over benefits for your crowdfunding campaign, Lustrino's background helps him demystify the equity crowdfunding space.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
The main components and elements of KingsCrowd's business structure Lustrino's background and how it contributed to the company's namesake The skills needed to invest in private markets with confidence How KingsCrowd can help enable your startup investing journey Simplified logistics of how KingsCrowd's platform operates
Links
KingsCrowd KingsCrowd Equity Campaign Losing my Virginity by Richard Branson Screw it, Let's do it by Richard Branson
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups, to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President and Founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2,000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, Product Hype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over 1,000 top tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am super excited because I am talking with the one and only Chris Lustrino, the Founder and CEO of KingsCrowd. And if you haven’t heard of KingsCrowd yet, what have you been doing? If you’re in the crowdfunding space, these guys are the private market’s first and only data-driven ratings and analytics platform. So Chris, I’m super excited to have you on the show and talk about all of the cool things that you’re doing over there at KingsCrowd.
Chris Lustrino: Hey, thanks so much. I think this is going to be a really fun conversation. I’m looking forward to it.
Roy Morejon: Yeah, it better be fun, Chris. No. So let’s give a little bit of background to our audience because most of the folks that listen are usually in the reward based crowdfunding side, but you’ve really built out an amazing platform over at KingsCrowd on the equity crowdfunding side. So, if you will give our audience a little bit of background about KingsCrowd.
Chris Lustrino: Yeah, absolutely. So if you’re into the rewards crowdfunding space, you already understand the idea of, hey, if we can engage potential customers and fans and ambassadors of our business early on, that can really be a catalyst to grow our business. Well, that concept, which is phenomenal, was taken back in 2012 by the government and they created something called the Jobs Act and they said,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Michael Berard, inventor and president of RocketFire. Light any charcoal or wood grill, fire pit, or fireplace in a matter of seconds with RocketFire. RocketFire propels three 2000ºF flames at a 60 degree spread to the center of your charcoal or wood bed for fast lighting and an even spread of flames.
Having learned valuable lessons from its first campaign, RocketFire is relaunching its improved fire starter torch on Kickstarter.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How a childhood of tinkering created an entrepreneurial spirit. Key lessons from a lengthy development process. How canceling a Kickstarter campaign wasn't a failure, but rather a step toward success. Whether Berard thinks the average campaign creator should launch solo or enlist help.
Links
RocketFire Kickstarter Campaign RocketFire Remedy Video Launch & Scale with Khierstyn Ross
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company, that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter, that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top-tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co, to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now, let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am talking with Michael Berard, inventor and president of RocketFire. Michael, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Michael Berard: Hey, thanks, Roy, appreciate you having me.
Roy Morejon: So I’m really excited about this product, one, because I love the outdoors, two, I have a fire pit that I use as often as possible, and three, I think this product is absolutely amazing for lots of other things outside of fire pits. But first, before I dive in, let’s talk to the audience about what your product is as if I’d never heard it before, what is RocketFire?
Michael Berard: Sure, RocketFire is we’re saying that the fastest way to start a fire, it’s a fire starter that allows you to insert this particular starter into wood or charcoal and start it up in seconds.
Roy Morejon: Amazing, so let’s talk about your inspiration around RocketFire, where did this all start?
Michael Berard: Yeah, so a good, good buddy of mine and I, this was five years ago, we’re just sitting around, we were grilling. We were talking about the fact that it was difficult to start a charcoal grill, and he had burned up a couple of electric starters. We had used the chimney, we had used other blow torches. I was actually using a blow torch to start mine at that point. It was just, to us, it was crazy that there was nothing out there that was specifically designed and good at starting a fire.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed the MAÄT 1.0 Legging co-founders, Beth Godfrey and Fiona Devaney. The MAÄT 1.0 Legging is a yoga legging with built-in padding to protect your knees so that every yoga practice can be seamless and distraction-free. Designed with the fit and flexibility of wetsuit padding and the edgy aesthetic of motorcycle gear, the MAÄT 1.0 Legging provides comfort and is made to flatter. Learn how Beth and Fiona raised over $37,000 for their Kickstarter campaign with the support of over 220 backers.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Fiona's background inspired the design of the MAÄT 1.0 Legging The different ways Beth and Fiona drew inspiration during the design process How the MAÄT 1.0 Legging's Kickstarter campaign transpired Fiona's thoughts on pursuing entrepreneurship An inside look into the product design of the MAÄT 1.0 Legging
Links
MAÄT 1.0 Legging's Kickstarter Campaign MAÄT 1.0 Legging's Preorder Link Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Naomi Klein The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to art of the kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch.
Roy Morejon: I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners. The world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert, in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype. A 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter, that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of art of the kickstart. Today. I’m super excited because I am talking with co-founders Beth Godfrey and Fiona Devaney. They are the co-founders of MAAT Legging. This campaign actually just launched, so they’re super stressed out, but super excited. So I’m really excited to have you guys on the show and talk about this amazing product. So Beth and Fiona, thank you so much for joining us today on the show.
Fiona: Thank you for having us.
Beth: Yeah, thanks for having us.
Roy Morejon: All right. So like I said, you guys just click the button. So how does it feel?
Fiona: Relief. I mean, it’s exciting, but I feel relief because I mean, Beth is on the west coast, but she was working later. We both worked till really late, just double checking, triple checking, and then this morning got back at it. So it just feels good. I think I’m speaking for all of us. We feel like we did the best we could. We checked everything. We took our time. We did our research and it feels good for me. And I think it’s the same for you, Beth?
Beth: Yeah, I learned more than I ever thought I could about dimensional weight and international shipping and how that all works. So that’s been great.
Roy Morejon: Nice.
Beth: [inaudible 00:02:13].
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Kinsey Cronin, Senior Vice President of Business Development at FundAmerica. FundAmerica supports equity or debt-based crowdfunding, where backers invest in part of the company instead of receiving a reward for their contribution. Kinsey has more than a decade of experience managing sales and business development teams, as well as five years of working on the cutting edge of financial technology. Learn how Kinsey's background has allowed her to evolve with crowdfunding over the past five years.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Kinsey's background led her to work with entrepreneurs The different ways FundAmerica helps entrepreneurs raise capital through equity crowdfunding How equity crowdfunding platforms are growing Insight into the future of equity crowdfunding An inside look into Kinsey's podcast, In Crowd
Links
FundAmerica's Website In Crowd Podcast's Twitter In Crowd Podcast's Resource Page
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups, to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over 1,000 top-tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, we have a return guest from four years ago. We are speaking today with Kinsey Cronin. She is now the Senior Vice President of Business Development at FundAmerica. If you haven’t heard of FundAmerica, they are everywhere in terms of the equity crowdfunding side and the true infrastructure leader for FinTech innovators. Kinsey joins us today with now over a decade of experience managing sales and biz dev teams and five years of working on the cutting edge of FinTech. Prior to joining FundAmerica and Prime Trust, where she’s at now, she was Director of Business Development at StartEngine, which is one of the leading equity crowdfunding portals. So Kinsey, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Kinsey Cronin: Roy, thanks so much for having me back.
Roy Morejon: Oh, any time. I think what’s really exciting for the conversation today that I’m most excited about is just the overall growth of the equity crowdfunding side. But we’ll definitely dive into that in a little bit. But if you would, given your experience in crowdfunding overall, talk to our audience a little bit in terms of your background and what led you to working with entrepreneurs.
Kinsey Cronin: Okay. Let’s see, my background, I was working with entrepreneurs at a couple of startups, and I got this opportunity to work with hundreds of them at StartEngine, which I loved so much. It was something that I wasn’t sure I really was qualified for at the very beginning,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed the co-inventor of DorsiFLEX, Jim Cooper. DorsiFLEX is a one-of-a-kind stretching device that delivers a personalized stretch and strengthens the foot and the calf muscles of individuals. This patented device allows for a variable and adjustable positioning of your foot to achieve a deeper and more effective stretch of all lower leg and foot muscles. DorsiFLEX targets muscles that contribute to plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, and other lower leg injuries. Learn how DorsiFLEX raised nearly $100,000 with the support of over 800 backers as their Kickstarter campaign starts to wrap up.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Insight into how Jim's personal medical history led to the invention of DorsiFLEX How DorsiFLEX used market validation tests to prepare for their Kickstarter launch The different ways DorsiFLEX strengthens foot and calf muscles of individuals How DorsiFLEX went about the process of developing prototypes Takeaways from launching DorsiFLEX on Kickstarter
Links
DorsiFLEX's Kickstarter Campaign Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins How The Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In by Jim Collins DorsiFLEX's Website
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President and Founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2,000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level.
Roy Morejon: This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over 1,000 top tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m super excited because I am speaking with the co-inventor of DorsiFLEX, Mr. Jim Cooper. Jim, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Jim Cooper: Roy, thank you for having me. It’s great to be here.
Roy Morejon: Yeah, it’s my pleasure, honestly. I think you’ve created a truly innovative product. A truly, again, one-of-a-kind stretching device that delivers this deep, personalized, effective stretch and strengthens the foot and the calf muscles of individuals. You’ve got an active Kickstarter campaign that’s about to wrap up. You’ve got about $89,000 in funding with hundreds of backers that have come in. So if you would, Jim, give our audience a little bit of background about your product as if we’ve never heard it before.
Jim Cooper: That’s great. You got two hours? No, I’m just kidding. So the DorsiFLEX was invented by me for me because I was, like many people, suffering from plantar fasciitis, which is an inflammation of the arch of your foot where it inserts into your heel. Unlike most people, I had it bilaterally.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Hjalmar and Lorenzo, game designers, owners, and everything in between for Horrible Guild. They've produced various creative games, including Railroad Ink, Dragon Castle, King's Dilemma, and most recently, Tiny Turbo Cars, a frantic racing game where you use sliding puzzles to program the movements of your remote-controlled toy cars. Hjalmar and Lorenzo have also supported the crowdfunding community as super backers by helping fund over 144 different projects. Learn how their company Horrible Guild raised over two million euros over the course of their 7 campaigns.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Insight into how to build a community centered around your product The different ways direct contact with backers helped Hjalmar and Lorenzo find success How Hjalmar and Lorenzo decided to use Kickstarter as their crowdfunding platform Lessons the Horrible Guild Team learned over the course of launching 7 products Advice on how to launch a board game on Kickstarter
Links
Horrible Guild's Website Dungeon Fighter by Horrible Guild Kickstarter Campaign Tiny Turbo Cars by Horrible Guild Kickstarter Campaign Horrible Guild's Facebook
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners. The world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2,000 innovations, successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, we are speaking with some super backers and some super creators. We are talking with Hjalmar and Lorenzo, game designers, owners, et cetera of the company, Horrible Guild. So they have raised in total for their seven campaigns over two million euros. Not only have they created seven campaigns, but they’ve also supported the crowdfunding community as a super backer supporting over 144 different projects. So you’ve probably seen some of their super famous games that are out there, Railroad Ink, a recent one, Dragon Castle, King’s Dilemma, as well as another recent one, Tiny Turbo Cars, just some really creative projects. So Hjalmar and Lorenzo, thank you for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Lorenzo: Thanks to you, Roy. It’s a pleasure to be here for us.
Hjalmar: Thanks.
Roy Morejon: Absolutely. So I’ve got to go and jump back a little bit, Lorenzo. Let’s tell the audience a little bit about your background as the owner. What led you to being an entrepreneur and finding and founding this company?
Lorenzo: Well, it started back in 2009, and it was a different company. I was studying in university, and with a friend, we decided to try to make game. It was just for fun at the time,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed the founder of the Elevated Craft Cocktail Shaker, Adam Craft. Elevated Craft Cocktail Shaker is an innovative tool meant to elevate every home bar. The Elevated Craft Cocktail Shaker includes a leak-proof design, a 6 oz. integrated top, and the ability to stay cold for 24 hours. With this shaker, you'll get the perfect pour every time you shake it up. Learn how Adam raised almost half a million dollars on Kickstarter and generated more than $2.5 million in sales over the past two years.
Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Adam prepared for the launch of his Kickstarter campaign Insight into Adam's background in product design and engineering The different ways The Elevated Craft Cocktail Shaker was presented on Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Kickbooster and Amazon How Adam transitioned from his Kickstarter Campaign to Indiegogo's Indemand program Advice Adam has to offer on launching your first product on Kickstarter
Links
Elevated Craft's Website The Elevated Craft Cocktail Shaker Kickstarter Campaign Profit First for Ecommerce Sellers: Transform Your Ecommerce Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over 1000 top tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with the founder of the Elevated Craft Cocktail Shaker, Mr. Adam Craft. Adam, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Adam Craft: Yeah. Thanks for having me. Happy to be here.
Roy Morejon: Yeah. Super stoked to finally get you on the show. It seems like many, many moons ago that you launched your original Kickstarter campaign, raising almost a half a million dollars on Kickstarter, and then over the last two years, you’ve been in demand over on Indiegogo, and you’ve now done over $2.5 million in sales, shipping I think over 50,000 of these products out to the backers, so really excited to have you on the show. But before I get ahead of myself, which I typically love to do on these shows, let’s tell the audience a little bit about your background in terms of what led you to creating this product and being an entrepreneur.
Adam Craft: Yeah. So my background’s product design. And prior to starting Elevated Craft, I had a product design and engineering consultancy. And so I was exposed to a lot of different types of products, anything from toys to medical devices.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Hannah Brennen and Mark Coombs, the founders of the Sleepout Curtain. The Sleepout Curtain is a patented, portable OEKO-TEX® 100% blackout curtain that blocks light and installs anywhere for better sleep. Light enough to fold up and take with you anywhere, this curtain is also the first portable blackout curtain that installs on windows in seconds. Learn how Hannah and Mark prepared for the launch of their campaign that, in less than a week, has already raised over $102,000 with the support of more than 800 backers. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
The pre-launch campaign planning that allowed Sleepout to raise over 6-figures in less than a week How Hannah and Mark's experiences with insomnia and tech served as the inspiration for the Sleepout Curtain Insight into the Sleepout Curtain prototyping process from testing suction cups to using negative reviews for feedback How the relationship between sleeping in cool, dark environments and melatonin production makes the Sleepout Curtain a great tool for getting a good night's sleep How seeking out mentors positively impacted Hannah and Mark's experience the Sleepout Curtain Advice Hannah and Mark have to offer new entrepreneurs when creating landing pages and utilizing Facebook ads
Links
The Sleepout Curtain's Kickstarter Campaign The Sleepout Curtain's Website Measure What Matters by John Doerr Trillion Dollar Coach by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg and Alan Eagle
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups, to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2,000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010.
Roy Morejon: Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, a 300,000-member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over 1,000 top-tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am super stoked to be speaking with Hannah Brennen and Mark Coombs, the founders of the Sleepout curtain. Today is going to be a special episode, because their campaign is about to launch within the next 24 hours, so you’re catching them at a really good time where they’ve caught up on all their sleep. Just kidding. But they’re about to launch, click the button on Kickstarter. So Hannah, Mark, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Mark Coombs: Yeah, just a huge privilege to be here, and thank you so much for having us, Roy.
Roy Morejon: Well, it’s my privilege. So let’s dive in. I know I usually begin these interviews talking about the product and all of that, but I think it’s important, for this show, to talk about both of your backgrounds and what led you down this entrepreneurial pat...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Bjorn Ekeberg, Head of Brand and Marketing at Recharge Health. Recharge Health has taken red light therapy—light at specific red and near-infrared wavelengths clinically proven to trigger a physiological healing response in the body—a step further by creating FlexBeam, a state-of-the-art therapeutic device that can be used by anyone, anytime, anywhere. FlexBeam offers a targeted application of red and infrared light, which works directly where it's needed to help the body relieve pain, repair cells and recover faster. Learn how Bjorn raised over $1.5 million with the support of almost 4,000 backers for their IndieGoGo campaign. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
The strategy that allowed Recharge Health to raise over $100,000 in the first 24 hours How Bjorn's screenwriting and storytelling background helped FlexBeam's marketing efforts How Recharge Health dealt with skewed expectations from first-time backers Why Bjorn decided to use IndieGoGo for their campaign over Kickstarter How FlexBeam's IndieGoGo campaign attracted a large demographic Advice for startups looking for press coverage
Links
FlexBeam's Indiegogo Campaign FlexBeam's website How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups, to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President and Founder of Enventys Partners. The world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2,000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert, in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, ProductHype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter, that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over 1,000 top tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition Art of the Kickstart. Today, we are talking with Bjorn Ekeberg, Head of Brand and Marketing at Recharge Health. Now, if you haven’t heard of Recharge Health, where have you guys been? This campaign ran last year and is still currently active over on Indiegogo for the FlexBeam product. And FlexBeam is this truly revolutionary recovery device that helps relieve, repair, recover faster, with the world’s first targeted red light therapy device. So, this product’s been in development for years. It’s finally shipping. So, Bjorn, really excited to finally be able to get you on the show. I know you’ve been busy.
Bjorn Ekeberg: It’s a pleasure to be here. Thank you.
Roy Morejon: Yeah. So, let’s tell our audience a little bit more about the product, as if they’d never heard it before. So, what is Recharge and what is FlexBeam?
Bjorn Ekeberg: Yeah. That’s been an interesting challenge to work with this, is to tell people that there actually is a technology that’s been around for a long time. That’s been developed for over decades, scientifically and clinically shown that light at certain wavelengths do...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Dylan Robertson and Mitchell Coburn, the founders of Respira, an air-purifying garden that takes care of itself. Respira's design is rooted in nature, and backed by technology. Dylan and Mitchell focused on designing healthier indoor spaces by connecting them to nature and improving indoor air quality. Learn how Dylan and Mitchell raised over $240,000 with more than 300 backers for their Kickstarter campaign. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Insight into what led to the creation of Respira How Dylan and Mitchell named Respira Why Dylan and Mitchell chose Kickstarter for their campaign How Respira's campaign would have looked different if they could do it again Advice Dylan has to offer about finding a successful path for your product
Links
Respira's Kickstarter Campaign Meditations for Men Who Do Too Much by Jonathon Lazear Respira's Website Respira's Instagram
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch I’m your host, Roy Morejon president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with a tag team. I’ve got Dylan Robertson and Mitchell Coburn, the founders of Respira. Dylan, Mitchell, thank you guys for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Dylan: Thank you, Roy. We appreciate you allowing us on here to share our story.
Mitchell: Pleasure to be here.
Roy Morejon: Yeah, so I absolutely love these sorts of products. We spend so much time indoors, right? Like everybody, I think you guys said in your Kickstarter campaign video, we spend about 90% of our time indoors and you guys have truly created a beautiful air purifying garden that is self maintenance-free basically. So I’m really interested to hear both of your backstories and what led you to creating this product and being entrepreneurs.
Dylan: Definitely. So it all began probably about seven years ago when Mitch and I met each other at university, we were both in the real estate and housing program at the University of Guelph and just got on really well. My hallmate at the time, well I was living in Oakville, Ontario, and he mentioned he had a buddy from his hometown that reminded me or reminded him of me and ended up being Mitch himself. And this is definitely not our first business we’ve started. It’s one of maybe five, the previous four have all failed, but we picked up our bumps and bruises together, starting different businesses and mainly in the door to door industry where we were knocking doors and ...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Mike DeGrazia, founder and CEO of iGrip Technologies. Looking to solve a problem a lot of Americans and grocery shoppers all around the world have experienced, Mike designed SaniGrip. Designed as a shopping cart handle cover, SaniGrip is a silicone-based sanitary solution to dirty shopping cart handle problems. Learn how Mike is spreading the word about SaniGrip, with only nine days left in his Kickstarter campaign. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Insight into how Mike's first job at a private equity firm kickstarted his career as an entrepreneur How the pandemic influenced the idea and design of SaniGrip Why SaniGrip is a better hygiene solution than a disinfecting wipe How and why iGrip Technologies plans to use direct marketing to introduce SaniGrip to retail stores Some of the challenges Mike had to overcome to make SaniGrip a reality
Links
SaniGrip Kickstarter Campaign iGrip Technologies
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch.
Roy Morejon: I’m your host, Roy Morejon. President and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a Crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level.
Roy Morejon: This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, Product Type. A 300,000 member Crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top tier projects since 2017. Check out ProductType.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter.
Roy Morejon: Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, we are joined by Mike DeGrazia, founder and CEO of iGrip Technologies. Currently Mike’s got a product out on Kickstarter right now called SaniGrip, which is an amazing sanitary solution for shopping cart handles. So, really excited to have you on the show Mike, thank you so much for being here.
Mike DeGrazia: Of course. It’s great to be on happy to introduce the product and tell a little bit more about myself.
Roy Morejon: Yeah, let’s do that because I think you’ve truly solved a true real-world problem that all of us have dealt with not only over the past year, but for previous years of any time you start going to the grocery store, just that question mark, of what’s on this shopping cart? What’s on the handle there? So, let’s talk a little bit about that inspiration and where it began.
Mike DeGrazia: Yeah, of course. No, it’s definitely a problem that a lot of Americans and even grocery shoppers all around the world have experienced. It’s dealing with the public shopping cart handles where you don’t know how many germs and bacteria are presently on that current shopping cart handle. And, especially given the current pandemic that we’re in, I felt like there was definitely a need for this product. And I mean, this is something that can help keep everyone safe while doing their daily shopping errands. And, more specifically, most of these parents that travel around and do these errands with our kids...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed "Sneaker" Steve Patiño, CEO and founder of Ales Grey. Looking to support the more comfortable, effortless lifestyle that thrived during the pandemic, Steve developed the Ales Grey Rodeo Drive Slip-On. This slip-on is the world's first recycled, sustainable clog. Learn how Steve surpassed his active Kickstarter funding goal by more than 70% with the support of over 130 backers. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Ales Grey's mission-driven mindset influenced the idea of the Rodeo Drive Slip-On Steve's inspiration behind the brand and the namesake of the company Insight into how Steve's first sneaker store job kickstarted his career in this industry How Ales Grey designed and prototyped the Rodeo Drive Slip-On Background into Ale Grey's partnership with XL Extralight in Italy's "Difference Makers" program
Links
The Ales Grey Rodeo Drive Slip-On Kickstarter Campaign The Power of a Positive No by William Ury Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups to “Art of the Kickstart,” the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010.
Roy Morejon: Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, Product Type, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top tier projects since 2017. Check out product Hype.Co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of “Art of the Kickstart.” Today, I’m super excited because I am speaking with “Sneaker” Steve Patiño, CEO, founder of Ales Grey. And if you haven’t heard of this product, it is truly amazing because it is the first recycled sustainable slip-on. Also, it looks to be one of the most comfortable, durable, lightweight, sustainable clogs ever. So “Sneaker” Steve, Mr. Steve Patiño, thank you so much for joining us today on “Art of the Kickstart.”
Steve Patiño: Aw, thank you, Roy, so much. It’s an honor to be on “Art of the Kickstart,” and I wish I had you in the video because that was an incredible introduction. I love it.
Roy Morejon: Yeah, I nailed it. So, usually, I don’t do that, but no, that was wonderful. And I’m super excited to speak with you because I mean, you truly are a global footwear expert, right? I mean, you’ve got 25 years plus now of experience working on all sides of the footwear industry from DC shoes to other places. And now, you’ve got this amazing product that you’ve brought to market on Kickstarter, which the world is going to be made aware of now with this show.
Roy Morejon: So let’s talk a little bit about this product as if I’ve never heard of it or if our audience has never heard of it. Where did it start, and what inspired you to create this product?
Steve Patiño: Well, thank you.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed two-time Kickstarter creator and the inventor of multiple products, Sam Wechsler. Looking to reduce the number of cooking gadgets in his home, Sam developed innovative kitchen tools, such as CoffeeClip and TeableSpoon, to save space and time. The CoffeeClip and TeableSpoon are measurement devices built into clips and spoons for all your coffee and baking needs. Learn how Sam, supported by 300 backers, surpassed his initial Kickstarter funding goal of $10,000 for CoffeeClip, Spoontula and TeableSpoon XL6. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Sam's engineering mindset transformed throughout his entrepreneurial career The design inspiration and prototyping process behind CoffeeClip and TeableSpoon XL6 Insight into how Sam's childhood kick-started his entrepreneurial spirit How Amazon is expected to turn business around for Sam after a net loss What, according to Sam, is the big picture business concept behind his culinary multi-tools
Links
Teablespoon's Website The CoffeeClip The Spoontula TeableSpoon XL6 CoffeeClip, Spoontula & TeableSpoon XL6: cooking simplified Kickstarter Campaign Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers by Alexander Osterwalder
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president and founder of Inventus partners. The world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co. Just to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m honored to be joined with Sam Wechsler, the two-time creator on Kickstarter and the inventor of multiple products. First campaign was the tablespoon XL first campaign, and now recently just finished with the coffee clips, spoon chiller and the tablespoon XL6 to simplify the cooking experience. So Sam I’m really excited to have you on the show today. Thank you for joining me.
Sam Wechsler: Hey. Thank you Roy. Glad to be here.
Roy Morejon: So yeah Sam, we’ve been working together for a long time, but I really want to know and I think our audience wants us to start about… Let’s talk about your background and what led you to being an entrepreneur.
Sam Wechsler: That’s a good question. Okay. My background is in engineering actually, electrical engineering. And I’ve always been an entrepreneurial person since I was about seven years old. Yeah. The first time… I still remember the first time I ever sold anything and that was at an agricultural fair.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed founder and chief product tester of Amabilis, Brian Abrams. For the past 25 years, Brian has been designing premium apparel and gear for the men and women of our most elite military forces and those that respond first. Fully funded in six hours, the Responder Lite Tactical Chore Jacket and the Primaloft Shirt-Jac Kickstarter campaign is Brian's fourth successful Kickstarter campaign. Learn how Brian surpassed his funding goal by over 249% with 217 backers. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What Kickstarter changes Brian has noticed since the launch of AMABILIS' first product, the Dave Jr. Duffel Bag How Brian applied his 25-years of experience designing special operations products to creating AMABILIS' two tactical inspired jackets The opportunities available for international crowdfunding, along with advice for international shipping How AMABILIS has achieved a very high repeat customer buy rate What, according to Brian, is the most important factor in having a successful Kickstarter campaign
Links
AMABILIS Website AMABILIS' Two Tactical Inspired Jackets on Kickstarter Forging An Ironclad Brand: A Leader's Guide by Lindsay Pedersen
Note: As an Amazon Associate, Art of the Kickstart may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome Entrepreneurs and Startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon president and founder of Inventus Partners. The world’s only Turnkey Product Launch Company that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, in inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top tier projects since 2017. Check out ProductHype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition “Art of the Kickstart”. Today I am honored to be joined by Brian Abrams, founder and chief product tester of Amabilis. Brian, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Brian Abrams: My pleasure, Roy, thank you so much for the invitation.
Roy Morejon: Absolutely. So Brian, you’re a well accomplished man, 25 year veteran, you’ve been designing premium apparel and gear for men and women and you know, for the elite military forces and those that respond first. So really honored to have you on the show and talk about your fourth Kickstarter launch. That’s active today. The two tactical inspired jackets that are out there, the chore jacket, which I think is a personal favorite of mine because I’ve never seen a chore jacket before in my life, but also this shirt Jack, which is this new puppy, and I love your tagline in terms of it being built for work play and every day.
Roy Morejon: So super excited to have you on the show. Let’s dive in, in terms of talking about one you’re in the elite category, just for running for Kickstarter campaigns now, but let’s talk about the campaign that’s active right now in terms of the tactica...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed CEO of Thomas and Darden, Nathan George. Nathan is the creator of Kube4, a premium portable, wireless, and waterproof entertainment system. Kube4 has recently crossed over $100,000 raised on Kickstarter, putting it in the top 4% of all Kickstarter campaigns. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Nathan's entrepreneurial start from selling Airheads at the bus stop to real estate to founding KubeSound How Nathan went from wanting to sell Kube4 out of the back of a trailer at football games to being featured as a top product by WIRED magazine What prep work the KubeSound team did in advance of their launch How Nathan and his team decided which features to include and optimize with the Kube4 Advice for entrepreneurs looking to make partnerships
Links
Kube4 on Kickstarter KubeSound Website Zero to One by Peter Thiel
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome, entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President and Founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2,000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor, Product Hype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top-tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now, let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am talking with the CEO of Thomas and Darden, Nathan George, the creator of Kube4, a premium portable entertainment system. Nathan, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart. Nathan George: Sure, thanks for having me, Roy. Roy Morejon: Really excited about today’s conversation. I think it would be prudent for me to jump in and say let’s talk a little bit first about your background because you’ve seen and done a lot of things, and been very successful with many things. What’s led you to this point and what led you to start as an entrepreneur? Nathan George: I don’t know. I think it goes back to even early days where I was always trying to figure how to make money. I didn’t have a lot growing up, whether it was trying to sell Airheads and Blow Pops at the bus stop, to making a self-sustaining hamster and durable business. I was running ad pack routes at 10 years old to get my first job as soon as I created 14 or 15 running inventory and stock boy for Finish Line. I started early just looking for ways to make money so I can buy a bicycle or anything else like that to get around. Roy Morejon: Talk a little bit about your current businesses or adventures in the entrepreneurial world. Nathan George: I think that that mindset is kind of always been around for me. I thought I was always destined to be an academic and be a professor, so my background’s in math and physics. I worked at Los Alamos National Labs and NSA. When I was at Berkeley after my first year, I got an email for a summer job to work with a startup hedge f...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Warren Tuttle, whose new book titled Inventor Confidential: the Honest Guide to Profitable Innovation, is a number one bestseller on Amazon. Warren Tuttle is the President of the United Inventors Associations and in his book, shows inventors a better way to monetize their product. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Warren's entrepreneurial start from having a paper route to owning a food business with actor Paul Newman to writing a book In which ways the process of working with inventors have changed over time How the patent industry has changed in recent years In which ways launching a book is similar to taking a product to market The top 5 things inventors should be aware of before taking a product to market What the future of inventing looks like
Links
Inventor Confidential: the Honest Guide to Profitable Innovation by Warren Tuttle Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant by W. Chan Kim Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell The Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth with Innovation by AG Lafley Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou OwnYourVenture
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon
Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president and founder of Enventys Partners, the world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2,00 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor Product Hype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over 1,000 top tier projects since 2017. Check out ProductHype.co to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon
Welcome to another addition of Art of the Kickstart. Today is a very special day, because we are interviewing someone who has been helping the inventor community for decades. I don’t want to date you, but Mr. Warren Tuttle, he has overseen the open innovation product programs for several industry leading companies including Lifetime Brands, you’ve likely heard of lots of their products from Farberware to Kitchen Aid, as well as the power tool industry with Techtronics, as well as the direct response television. Warren has been out there, he’s been the person behind the launches of several highly successful consumer products. He interacts and has helped hundreds of thousands of inventors over his years. He’s been a part of over 100 different licensing deals, and his products that he’s worked with have done over $1 billion in retail sales.
Roy Morejon
So it’s an honor to have you, sir, Warren Tuttle on the show today. Thank you for joining us.
Warren Tuttle
Hey, Roy. Thanks so much for the kind intro and it’s great to be here.
Roy Morejon
Warren, we’ve been working together for a long time, been part of the board on the United Inventors Associa...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Sierra Green, the on-camera host and content creator for Movo WebMic. Movo WebMic HD Pro is an all-in-one HD webcam, mic, and LED light that allows you to be seen, be heard, and look good. Learn how the Movo WebMic team has raised over $462,000 from over 3,100 backers with two weeks to go in their Kickstarter campaign. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How COVID-19 inspired Movo Photo, a microphone company, to create high-quality technology products for working from home Why high sound quality is especially important to the team at Movo WebMic How backers helped Movo WebMic decide to roll out a lens cap, a stand, a clamp, and certain colors What led Movo Photo to work with an agency like Enventys Partners What's in store for the future of Movo Photo—from new products to pushing their products to big box stores
Links
Movo WebMic HD Pro on Kickstarter Movo Photo Website Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio The Lean Startup by Eric Ries Big Time Shirt
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I’m super excited because I am speaking with Sierra Green, the on-camera host and content creator for Movo Mic. And if you have not seen it yet, Movo Mic HD Pro all-in-one HD webcam mic, LED light, currently active on Kickstarter. It’s raised over $462,000 with over 3,100 backers with two weeks ago. Sierra, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Sierra Green:
Awesome. Thank you so much for having me. I am so excited to be here and, wow, that was so exciting hearing you read those numbers out loud, because I’ve been watching it. We’ve been watching them for a bunch, several days now, so it’s very exciting.
Roy Morejon:
Yeah, no. The team over here is super excited to be working with everyone at Movo WebMic, excuse me. And obviously the success of the campaign is really inspirational I think for a lot of people from the content creators of the worlds, the filmmakers, photographers, musicians, et cetera, all artists trying to create. And I think that’s what this product does so well. So I’m really excited to kind of dive in and learn about the story and what was the inspiration behind the creation of Movo WebMic.
Sierra Green:
Absolutely. This product we are so excited to be launching because it is something that has come in a time of need. And this time is so unique with this pandemic that we’ve all had to live through. The first idea for this product came around March,...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Nycol and Matthew Bevis, the siblings behind Top Shelf. Top Shelf is the first open-layout sling bag that allows you to access your gear in 1.1 seconds. Learn how these photographers secured over 3,600 backers and raised over $1 million on their first product launch. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Nycol and Matt's photography experience led them to notice a gap in the market when it came to the styles of bags offered for photographers Why it was so important for Matt and Nycol to get their product patented Why the pair used pre-campaign advertising to test the viability of their product The difficulties Nycol and Matt faced when trying to find a manufacturer and how they found the perfect manufacturer for them What the siblings would do differently the next time they launch a product
Links
Top Shelf on Kickstarter Top Shelf on Indiegogo Bevis Gear Website Bevis Gear on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010.
Roy Morejon: Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the kickstart. Today we are joined by brother and sister, Nycol and Matthew Bevis. Bevis. God, I messed it up right there too. That is my bad because I didn’t practice that well enough.
Matthew Bevis: It can happen.
Roy Morejon: So Nycol and Matthew, you guys are the founders of your very first product launch on Kickstarter. You guys launched The Top Shelf, which is an amazing, super fast all-access camera bag. I’m super stoked to have you guys on the show. Nycol, Matthew, welcome to the show.
Matthew Bevis: Thanks.
Nycol Bevis: Thank you so much. Thanks to be here.
Roy Morejon: Yeah. So you guys are photographers. You’re brother and sister, right? So I’m really excited. One, to see how you guys actually started a company together because that, I don’t know if I could ever do that with family or let alone my sisters, but really what was that inspiration, that a-ha moment that inspired you both to create The Top Shelf product, the camera bag.
Nycol Bevis: Okay, well, I’ll let Matt start with his inspiration. Then we can go into how we came together on this. But, Matt.
Matthew Bevis: Yeah, I was a photographer doing like events and especially weddings for like three or four years. My passion was landscape photography and everything. And when I was doing weddings, I was so annoyed just with the current camera bags that it was just always on my mind. I was like, “These things need to change.” There’s really only three or four styles of different camera bags.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Jack Yao, co-founder of Mobile Pixels. DUEX by Mobile Pixels is a monitor that can slide out of the back of your laptop so you can deploy it anywhere. Learn how Jack raised $1.5 million in pre-sales from 4,000 backers on Kickstarter and Indiegogo during his first campaign and what's to come with his third campaign. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How the idea for Mobile Pixels came to Jack when he was a student at MIT on an internship at Amazon What ways COVID-19 has impacted Mobile Pixel's manufacturing How Sean incorporated backer feedback into his process of designing and launching more mature versions of his earlier products Lessons Jack has learned from his previous campaigns, including why he chose to leverage influencer marketing How Mobile Pixels scaled after signing distribution contracts with Staples, QVC, B&H Cameras, and Best Buy
Links
Mobile Pixels Website DUEX Lite and DUEX Plus on Kickstarter The Promised Land by Barack Obama
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art Of The kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Roy Morejon: Art Of The Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art Of The Kickstart. Today, I am joined by a very special guest, Mr. Jack Yao co-founder of mobile pixels. Jack, thank you again for being on the show today. It is an honor to have you.
Jack Yao: Thank you. It’s nice to be on show again.
Roy Morejon: Yeah. So here we are again, we’ve got a new campaign. I’m sure our listeners know all about you, they remember your story, but I think it’s important to revisit that in terms of the roots. So if you would go back down memory lane and talk about the inspiration in terms of creating mobile pixels and the evolution of where you’re at now and why you’re back on the show.
Jack Yao: Sure. So our company started about three years ago, it formally started three years ago, but the idea originated maybe four years ago all the way back when I was still a student at MIT on an internship at Amazon. I was sitting in a coworking space doing some programming work, and not having a second monitor really held me back. And obviously if you’re in a coworking space, you can’t be walking in and out of the office with a desktop monitor. So that’s where the light bulb initially went off. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool if there is some type of monitor that could slide out of the back of your laptop and you could deploy it anywhere, essentially?” So that’s where the idea came from.
Jack Yao: And we made some prototypes with funding from the school, and with Roy’s help, launched the Kickstarter. Back then we were still going to get real jobs.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Sean De Clercq, co-founder and CEO of Kickfurther. Kickfurther works by connecting growing startups to a community of people who help these startups fund the production of their inventory. Learn how Sean solved his own cashflow gap by creating a community that helps entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Sean's background in supply chain management and entrepreneurship led him to encounter inventory finance issues How Kickfurther connects growing startups to a community of individuals that can help startups raise funds How guerilla marketing helped Sean and his co-founder launch Kickfurther Tips Sean has for entrepreneurs looking for funding from investors What Kickfuther's plans are for the future
Links
Kickfurther Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcriptRoy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, we have got an exciting episode for you. We are talking with Sean De Clercq co-founder and CEO of Kickfurther. Sean, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Sean De Clercq: Hey Roy, it’s great to be here. Thanks for inviting me.
Roy Morejon: Yeah, no really happy to have you. I know you’ve worked with a bunch of our clients that have used you post crowdfunding. And really excited to kind of learn more and introduce you to our audience in terms of what you do. I mean, you’re a lifelong entrepreneur working on solving one of those hard problems that businesses face in terms of how to fund the production of their inventory. And I know you had to deal with that yourself. So I would love for you to introduce yourself to the audience. And tell the audience a little bit about where did this start? Tell us the backstory and what inspired you to create Kickfurther?
Sean De Clercq: Absolutely. Thanks, Roy. So, I think like a lot of your audience, I was an aspiring entrepreneur myself. My background and my parents’ business was in supply chain management. So that’s where I really cut my teeth in helping other businesses to manage their factories, typically overseas. And I started my own company, a merchandising company, where we worked with factories. We took products that they were making, customize them a little bit, and then we would sell them as exclusive white label products to retailers here in the US. And it was in the growth of that business, we did 600,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Jill, Nicholas, and Eric from Aurai, an eye massager for those with eye condition. Aurai is eco-friendly, gentle, temperature-controlled and has the feature to fit any face shape. Learn how the Aurai team raised more than $350,000 with 1,900 backers on their first launch and what's to come with their second. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How a relative who used Coke cans to relieve eye strain and fatigue inspired the Aurai team to create this high tech eye massager The process of virtually soliciting feedback from backers during COVID How the Aurai team applied lessons learned from their first crowdfunding campaign What upcoming healthcare products Aurai has lined up Why creators have to be more prepared than ever when launching their products and why working with an agency helps
Links
Aurai on Indiegogo Aurai Website The Story Factor by Annette Simmons
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcriptRoy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010.
Roy Morejon: Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product-discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by the team from Aurai. I have Jill, Nicholas and Eric from the Aurai team with me today. Jill, Nicholas, Eric, thank you guys for joining me today on Art of the Kickstart.
Nicholas: Thank you.
Jill: Thank you for inviting us.
Nicholas: It’s our pleasure.
Eric: Thank you, Roy.
Nicholas: Yeah.
Roy Morejon: You’re very welcome. So I’m really excited to talk about your company. Obviously you’ve formed this team of creative talents, industrial designers, mechanical engineers, you’ve built this full team, and you’re about to launch your second crowdfunding campaign.
Roy Morejon: The original Aurai launched back in 2018, was super successful, over 350,000 US dollars raised with 1,900 backers. You’re a Good Design Award winner, and now you’re coming back with version two of this. So if you would, for the audience, give a little bit of the background of where did this all start and what inspired you to create Aurai?
Eric: Okay. It starts with a Coke from my father-in-law. He suffered from eye fatigue and eye strain for years. He told me that he has been using Coke cans to soothe his eyes because there is no eye massager with cool compress on the market. So I told him, “Why don’t we create the eye massager which suits your needs, and perhaps help others with similar eye conditions?”
Roy Morejon: Yeah, no, it’s a truly impressive product, so I actually backed the original campaign that you guys did. And I’ve been using them weekly now as part of my routine in terms of the overall eyestrain,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Nate Thuli, founder of HAVA Mug, a self-heating smart mug. HAVA uses a swipe sensor to allow you to control exactly what temperature you want your coffee to be, and over time, the mug will discover your custom preferred temperature. Learn about how a hot beverage aficionado went from breaking open mugs to discover their thermal properties to smashing his Kickstarter goal in just a few days. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Nate wants to improve the social coffee drinking experience through the HAVA Mug What HAVA Mug has in common with dating apps like Tinder How HAVA Mug differentiates itself from its competitors Why HAVA Mug relied on customer feedback to find the perfect temperature for a hot drink How HAVA Mug overcame initial product design and technology challenges
Links
HAVA Mug on Kickstarter HAVA Mug Website The Lean Startup by Eric Ries The Startup Way by Eric Ries
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010.
Roy Morejon: Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today we are talking with Nate Thuli, founder of HAVA Mug. Nate, thank you so much for joining us today.
Nate Thuli: Hey, great. Nice to be here.
Roy Morejon: Yeah. I’m really excited to talk about this truly advanced self-heating smart mug. We have a lot of smart products on our show and that launch on Crowdfunding and Kickstarter. Some of them don’t necessarily need to be made smart, but I think a product like this that you’ve innovated to keep the drink at your desired temperature for multiple hours is truly inspirational and I think resonates to the audience that’s out there.
Roy Morejon: So let’s hear a little bit about your backstory, Nate. What inspired you to create HAVA Mug and what’s brought you to this point.
Nate Thuli: Yeah. For sure. Thanks. I’ve always loved coffee and tea, and even more than that the ability for a good beverage to be kind of a social catalyst to an interaction with someone else. You gather around that beverage as a way of touching base with an old friend or catching up or talking business.
Nate Thuli: What I noticed is that the fundamental elements there are kind of interrupted sometimes when your coffee is getting cold, you find you’re kind of rushing through it, or in one way or another it’s not right and interrupts what you’re trying to do.
Nate Thuli: So really what we wanted to try to accomplish was look at the state of technology and see if there is a way that we can sort of break down those barriers and let the mug get out of the way and let the conversation and the soc...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Manuel Schönfeld, founder and CEO of PowerX, creators of comprehensive energy optimization solutions. Through a suite of smart home devices and an easy-to-use app, gain insight into your home's energy usage to pinpoint inefficiencies, reduce monthly costs and minimize your carbon footprint. Listen in and learn about the brand's product development journey and how they're bringing PowerX to market. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Manuel's extensive background in the energy industry The dual inspiration behind PowerX The difficult product development process, especially during a pandemic with so many international teammembers How Manuel compared raising capital to a horse race Why he choose to go into crowdfunding as well as work with Enventys Partners on the campaign The biggest surprise Manuel has encountered so far in the pre-campaign marketing phase
Links
PowerX on Kickstarter Beyond Weird: Why Everything You Thought You Knew about Quantum Physics Is Different by Philip Ball
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am being joined by Manuel Schonfeld, the founder and CEO of PowerX. Manuel, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart. Manuel Schoenfeld: My pleasure. Pleasure to be here. Roy Morejon: I’m really inspired by, not only your product, but also your story. This company that you’ve launched, truly has a mission to combat climate change overall. You’ve got previous work experience at some of the biggest companies in the world, Harvard, been there, you’ve got a TaeKwonDo black belt. Let’s start at the beginning I guess, and give the audience a little bit of your background and how you’ve ended up here launching PowerX. Manuel Schoenfeld: Sure. I worked actually in the energy sector most of my life, and the last companies I worked for were Morgan Stanley and the World Bank, and then the latest was McKinsey. And also at McKinsey, I was focused on renewable energy and energy markets around the world. Specifically, the last project I worked for McKinsey, was in the Middle East for a very, very big client, oil and gas client. I was really surprising that client had a lot of money, hundreds of millions of dollars set apart for making its processes green. What could possibly go wrong? So I staffed my team, it was all great, we could really contribute to combating climate change, making the client’s process green. And in the end, the project nearly failed, it didn’t,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Patrick, Director of Commerce, and Christian, Director of Market at KALEA, creators of the fully automatic kitchen composter. No matter where you live or how much space you have, KALEA turns your organic waste into nutrient-rich compost in only 48 hours. Listen in to hear about the brand's product development journey and how they came to crowdfund on Kickstarter. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
The inspiration behind bringing KALEA to life Why they had to change the name of the product initially What led them to crowdfunding for the brand's first product launch The marketing prepwork that went into releasing KALEA on Kickstarter
Links
KALEA on Kickstarter Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!
Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another addition of Art of the Kickstart. Today we are talking with Christian and Patrick from the KALEA campaign. Christian and Patrick, thank you so much for joining me today. Patrick Nennewitz: Thanks Roy. Yeah, it’s a pleasure for us being here. Christian Gärtner: Thank you for having us, Roy. Roy Morejon: Absolutely. Well, thank you for creating such an innovative product. I’m really excited about this, just the way the world is and how I think we need to be doing more for ourselves, and you guys have created a truly innovative product that turns kitchen waste into real compost in only a couple of days. So this fully automatic kitchen composter, natural composting process with some smart technology built into it. So if you guys would, give me an idea of what is the inspiration to create KALEA and where did it all start? Christian Gärtner: And so we [inaudible 00:01:43] the whole topic or working on the topic three years ago. KALEA is a startup from Germany, from the South of Germany, and Patrick who is with us, and also Johannes, the third guy, we all live in city apartments and dealing with garbage is what’s really a hassle for us, especially organic waste. It stinks, it’s dirty, but of course it’s also a wasted resource. Christian Gärtner: And three years ago, we began to think they have to be a better solution for this which is convenient on the one hand in terms of waste handling, but also sustainable on the other hand, because organic waste is really a huge resource. And we started thinking in developing the idea of KALEA. Patrick Nennewitz: Was basically it. And just to give you a bit more extra information. So here in Germany,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Hannan Hakim, co-founder and CEO of Hyper Lychee, creators of Skadu. As the faster, easier way to clean stuck-on grime anywhere in your home, Skadu is the hand-held, electric power scrubber with a lightweight ergonomic design and a variety of attachment options. Listen in and learn about the brand's product development journey and their road to Kickstarter. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How a visit with an elderly relative gave Hannan Hakim the inspiration for Skadu Why they choose Kickstarter as the avenue to introduce Skadu to the market How they prepared for the crowdfunding campaign two months before the launch The importance of testing to determine your best audience whether that be through a crowdfunding platform or retail The biggest takeaways Hannan can give as a first time Kickstarter creator
Links
Skadu on Kickstarter Hyper Lychee Jugaad Innovation: Think Frugal, Be Flexible, Generate Breakthrough Growth by Jaideep Prabhu
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Roy Morejon: Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today we are speaking with Hannan Hakim, co-founder of Hyper Lychee. Hyper Lychee is an amazing new innovation that’s on Kickstarter right now, set out to truly revolutionize the way that people execute daily tasks at home. It’s an amazing, powerful scrubber that I first got the opportunity to see at the Consumer Electronics Show last year. So I’m really excited that this innovation has launched, raised over $172,000 so far with close to 2000 backers. So Hannan, thank you so much for being on the show today. Hannan Hakim: Thank you for having me, Roy. Roy Morejon: So, this is a really cool innovation. I can’t wait to use it in my kitchen for just all of the cleaning and dishes that I have to do these days now that everybody’s at home and my kids are eating more than I think I’ve ever seen them eat before in their lives. So there’s a lot of dishes going around, but this product is definitely, has more than just one use case. So, take us back to, I guess, 2016 when you founded the company and the inspiration to create this product. Hannan Hakim: So in 2016, I was visiting my great uncle and aunt. That is the, my mother’s uncle and aunt. So you can imagine they are really old. And one fine day in the morning, I saw them cleaning the kitchen. And my first reaction was that, “Please give me the scrubber so I can do it.” And then I started to think about this really annoying task that we have all taken for granted and why it was not very difficult for me to put in some arm strength. I saw my uncle and aunt really struggle. Hannan Hakim: So, that actually led to the initial opening question as to why this task can’t be made simpler or ...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Adrian Solgaard, founder and CEO of Solgaard, a design-driven sustainable brand. With six successful Kickstarter campaigns, Solgaard started out by creating luxury gear for on-the-go lifestyles. Now, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company is launching at-home devices, like HomeBase Solar Boombox Ecosystem. With sustainability at the core of their mission, Solgaard not only pulls 5 lbs of ocean plastic for every item sold, but their products are also made from recycled ocean plastic. Listen in to learn about Solgaard's ecosystem of products and how the brand has grown from its first crowdfunding campaign. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Adrian found the factories that manufacture Solgaard products Tips for newcomers creating high-tech devices A sneak peek at a new item they're going to launch next year How Adrian balances backer feedback with his gut feelings for a potential product The importance of calculating in shipping costs, Kickstarter fees and other hidden expenses The considerations he takes into account when vetting marketing agencies
Links
Solgaard HomeBase and Solar Boombox Ecosystem by Solgaard on Kickstarter HomeBase and Solar Boombox Ecosystem by Solgaard on Indiegogo
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool, luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another special edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am talking with the one and only Adrian Solgaard, founder and CEO of Solgaard. Adrian Solgaard: [crosstalk 00:01:04]. Roy Morejon: Adrian is a six-time creator on Kickstarter. If you haven’t heard from him, you better check yourself because he is very innovative, comes up with amazing products, has built an amazing community. His last campaign just finished the HomeBase solar boom box Ecosystem with over 3,000 backers, over $600,000 raised on this campaign. He’s raised millions of dollars on Kickstarter. Ladies and gentlemen, Adrian Solgaard. Adrian Solgaard: Thank you. Thank you, sir. Hello. How’s it going? Roy Morejon: It is going, man. It is a pleasure to have you back on the show, tons of feedback and respect from what you’ve been doing and the company you’ve built with the community that’s out there on the Kickstarter side. So, this product is unique, where the company you’ve built has been built around travel products, and obviously with the pandemic that’s going on, that certainly is had to affect overall the industry itself and the ecosystem of people purchasing products like this. So, I’m really interested to hear what inspired you to come up with HomeBase and launch this product which is outside of the normal products that you guys have been launching in the past. Adrian Solgaard: Yeah. So, being born a kid of two different nationalities and sp...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Matt Adams, founder of The Decent Co., creators of The Decent Butcher Block. Elegantly engineered to blend traditional craftsmanship with modern design, The Decent Butcher Block is a durable cutting board that's built to last a lifetime. Learn about the inspiration behind the product and its road to Kickstarter. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What inspired Matt Adams to create The Decent Butcher Block The design process including how the poduct's features were decided The biggest surprise that came with launching the Kickstarter campaign The importance of early bird perks and how it can affect a crowdfunding campaign
Links
The Decent Butcher Block on Kickstarter Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am talking with Matt Adams, founder of The Decent Company. Matt, thank you so much for joining us today on the show. Matt Adams: Thanks for having me, Roy. I appreciate it. Roy Morejon: So, I’m trying to become a better cook, now that we’re all at home and spending more time with our family and you have created an amazing cutting board truly built to last, you’ve done a ton of engineering in this thing. So really excited to talk to the audience about this innovation, but really I’m excited to hear from you in terms of where did this start? What inspired you to create this product? Matt Adams: Yeah, it goes back quite a few years. I’ve been actively working on this project and the company for about two years since December 18th, 2018. That was kind of the day that everything crystallized and decided to proceed. But before that, I’d been kicking around some ideas as well. I’m an amateur cook, I cook at home a little bit myself. I wouldn’t call myself a foodie or a home chef or anything official, but I had been frustrated by cutting boards, failing on me, that’s in my Kickstarter intro video and it’s true. That really is kind of the inspiration that kicked this whole thing off. And that has been years and years now. It’s just been a frustration of mine personally. I stumbled upon end grain butcher blocks. Boos Block, they make a great product. They’re the number one player in the market. And there’s a lot of guys, other guys out there as well. Just notice though, that there are some fundamental failings, I guess, that end grain orientation addresses some problems, but then inherently there are some other problems as well. Matt Adams: So, I got that nugget of idea in my head and then… Going back, I guess, concurrently my grandfather, he was a jack of all trades and really of like a Renaissance man. He worked, founded a car dealership, was a woodworker, a metal worker and an artist.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Daniel Ekstam, Cofounder of ZEEKSACK™, a Swedish design brand, driven by functionality. As creators of travel gear & accessories to help calm your mind and organize your life, ZEEKSACK recently released the Organizer, a multifunctional backpack designed to fit everything you need, the way you need it. Listen in and learn about the brand's product development journeys and it's road to Kickstarter. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Daniel Ekstam's background as a lighting technician and the inspiration behind ZEEKSACK How Daniel determined what features to included in ZEEKSACK's final design The challenges that came with sourcing and manufacturing ZEEKSACK How the ZEEKSAK team prepared their marketing materials to launch on Kickstarter The biggest takeaway throughout the entire crowdfunding process
Links
ZEEKSACK ZEEKSACK on Kickstarter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am talking with Daniel Ekstam, founder and CEO of ZEEKSACK. Daniel, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart. Daniel Ekstam: Thank you for having me. Thank you. Roy Morejon: So you’ve got a product that’s about to launch, The Organizer, a really beautifully designed multifunctional backpack, designed to calm your mind and fit everything that you need. So I’m interested to hear about where this all began and what inspired you to create ZEEKSACK? Daniel Ekstam: Well, it began quite a few years ago, actually, where I spent a lot of time on the road as a lighting technician, I spent somewhere between 250 and 300 days on the road. And I started to think about getting out of that lifestyle, that’s not a job, that’s a lifestyle, but before I managed to do that, I kind of ended up getting burned out and sitting at home with a burned out diagnosis. And I never kind of let that idea of creating something of my own go, and when on my road to recovery, I figured that organization, everyday small detail stuff like that really helped me, and where I didn’t organize, and where I didn’t think about that, it really, really affected my wellbeing. So I started to organize my bags because I wanted to get back to my lifestyle and work of traveling around. And I really felt that the way I did it, I slashed up an old bag, did my own compartments, I sewed it together in some really ugly looking way, but it really helped me kind of get that edge of disorganization off, and I realized that this is a product, this is something that people actually would need, so I just started digging into the design and digging into that thought. And a few years later we’re here and I sourced it and we just made something out of it, but that’s how it started. Roy Morejon:
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Al Pierce, CEO and Founder of Infiniti Clean, makers of the patented cleaning cartridge system. The Infiniti Cleaner eliminates the need to replace dirty, single-use wet floor pads by using a continuous roll of cleaning fabric. Listen in and learn about Al's product development journey and his road to Kickstarter. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Al Pierce's entrepreneurial background and the inspiration behind the Infiniti Cleaner The challenges that came with the extensive design and prototyping process Why they decided to crowdfund the Infiniti Cleaner The product and marketing prep work they did before launching the Kickstarter campaign Their considerations when looking for a crowdfunding agency to work with
Links
The Infiniti Cleaner on Kickstarter Infiniti Clean How to Master the Art of Selling by Tom Hopkins
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am talking with Al Pierce, CEO and founder of Infiniti Clean. Al, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart. Al Pierce: Pleasure to be here, Roy. Thank you so much. Roy Morejon: So you have a new revolutionary breakthrough in floor cleaning, which I know people are going to be super excited for just given the world in the state that we’re in right now. So the Infiniti Cleaner is set to launch here on Kickstarter very quickly. It will replace the need to handle all those dirty Swiffer cleaning pads and everything else that needs to be cleaned with all the dirt that’s out there these days. So really excited to hear a little bit about your background and what inspired you to create the Infiniti Cleaner. Al Pierce: Oh wow. If I was still 22, my background explanation would be much shorter, but I originally was an entrepreneur from a very early age and I started traveling actually to China in the mid eighties. I originally involved in sporting goods and designed a number of patents and protective equipment and did that for a couple of decades and had a blast doing that, just got under my skin to be an entrepreneur and loved that and traveled throughout the United States and selling products to NFL teams, colleges, and retail stores. Al Pierce: Then later, much later in life while cleaning my own house, I had a couple of dogs that were always shedding too much as anybody with a dog might understand, and was using a product, a Swiffer product to clean the floor. And I just, I don’t know, I was always one of those people that if you drank water from my glass, I’d go off and get a new glass until I had a bunch of kids later in life and changed that theory. Al Pierce: But I didn’t, I really didn’t like touching those dirty slimy pads and...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Andrew Gardner, founder of Opeongo, creators of the tent and hammock crossover, AERIAL A1. With the ability to maintain a flat, stable sleeping surface in the air, this camping product suspends between two trees like a hammock while providing all the features of a traditional tent. Listen in and learn about Andrew’s past product development journeys as well as his crowdfunding experiences. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Andrew Gardner’s background in product design The story behind POLAR Pen, the first product he successfully crowdfunded The challenges that came with prototyping AERIAL A1 The surprising place Andrew found AERIAL A1’s target audience Advice he would give up-and-coming project creators
Links
Opeongo AERIAL A1 on Kickstarter POLAR Pen POLAR Pen on Kickstarter The 4-Hour Workweek By Timothy Ferriss
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100,000,000.00 for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am talking with Andrew Gardner founder of Opeongo. Andrew, thank you so much for joining us today. Andrew Gardner: Yeah, pleasure to be here. Roy Morejon: So Andrew, you’re a Kickstarter OG. You’ve done multiple campaigns on Kickstarter, so I’m really excited to dive into when you ran your first campaign a few years ago, now you’re back with your second campaign in a completely different category. So really inspired to hear your story and where it all began creating new products. Andrew Gardner: Yeah. Yeah. I can dive into that. So I guess the tent is where we are now. It’s a tent that suspends between two trees creating a flat surface. So it’s a bit of a longer story, I suppose, but I used to work for a life jacket company as my original job. Actually, it was a co-op position coming out of school, industrial design school. And from that job, I actually ended up launching the Pen, which was a bit of a random story. It was sort of a… The POLAR Pen was a Kickstarter campaign that I launched in 2013. It was a pen made out a bunch of magnets that snap together and actually took me out of designing life jackets and full time into selling this bit of a ridiculous little pen, but we were able to sell… We had a campaign that was over 800,000 with 14,000 backers. Andrew Gardner: And every year now I go back to my old school and I talk about this project to my old industrial design program. And each year I pick a student out of that program to go back to my old job at the life jacket company for that original internship. Anyways, I picked my co-partner in the tent company to do the internship. I randomly picked up another job designing a military life jacket for my old boss, just for a side job. Jacob and I just happened to be at [South 00:02:58] at the same time...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Cid Carver, Marketing Director at Lumen, creators of the first device to hack your metabolism. Not only did Cid spearhead the success of this multi-million dollar crowdfunding campaign, but she also helped launch two other health and wellness products: Vi, an AI personal trainer who lives in biosensing earphones, and UPRIGHT GO, a tiny habit-forming wearable that corrects your posture. Listen in and learn about the marketing strategy, prepwork and tactics used to raise over $5 million in total for these crowdfunding campaigns. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
The key components needed in preparation for a crowdfunding campaign launch Why capturing high-quality video content pays off in the end How she incorporated influencer marketing into Lumen’s overall strategy The biggest surprise Cid learned from all three campaigns The importance of planning for after your crowdfunding campaign ends
Links
Vi on Kickstarter UPRIGHT GO on Kickstarter Lumen on Indiegogo Lumen Spartan Up!: A Take-No-Prisoners Guide to Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Peak Performance in Life by Joe De Sena
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. Roy Morejon: The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today. I am super excited to be speaking with Cid Carver, the Marketing Director at Lumen. So, Cid is amazing. She has been the campaign manager on $3 million campaigns on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. So, really excited to learn about her progression on crowdfunding and helping multiple different startups raise lots and lots of money. So, Cid, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart. Cid Carver: Hey, thanks for having me and stoked to be here. Roy Morejon: Absolutely. So, your journey into crowdfunding is a unique one. So, really would love to tell the audience on what inspired you to begin working with startups and where it all began for you working with crowdfunding and your first campaign back in 2016. Cid Carver: Absolutely. So, I definitely have had a really unique opportunity of working with three amazing companies, all hardware, all in the digital health wellness realm. And in addition to that, working inside of the company as a team member, not from an agency on the outside source. So, I’ve been really lucky to be able to be part of these incredible teams and help guide each one. Again, with the startup journey, I loved being in startups with these amazing founders in these amazing companies and helping them bring their product to the market and share it. Cid Carver: So, I started in 2016, like you said, at LifeBEAM. They had already had a few products out and then they came up with another product called Vi. While I was there I really learned,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Lukáš Joukal and Martin Mikeska, co-founders of FLASH, creators of high-quality, high-performance electric skateboards and airless wheels. Whether you race, train, commute or just want to have fun, FLASHBOARDS will get you anywhere fast, no matter the terrain or weather conditions. Listen in and learn about FLASH’s inspiration, product development journey and crowdfunding marketing strategies. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How previous eBoards weren’t satisfying Lukáš Joukal and why FLASH was developed The biggest challenge to overcome when designing the boards The reason FLASH was crowdfunded instead of using a traditional direct-to-market strategy Why they switched crowdfunding platforms from Indiegogo to Kickstarter How FLASH was prepared for launch and why they partnered with the agency, Enventys Partners
Links
FLASH on Kickstarter FLASH How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m super excited because I am talking with Lukáš and Martin, co-founders of FLASH. Lucas, Martin, thank you guys so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart. Lukáš Joukal: Hi Roy. Thank you for your invitation. Martin Mikeska: Hello Roy. Thank you for inviting us. Roy Morejon: Absolutely. So you guys have this vision to make high quality, high performance electric skateboards for racing, training commute purposes. And I think now it’s more timely than ever with people stuck at home wanting to get out and just explore a little bit more. So really inspired by your story, where you guys have come and where it all began. So if you guys would please tell our audience where does this all start and what inspired you to create FLASH? Lukáš Joukal: Yeah, so we are from central Europe, we can say Czech Republic, where we started all this out. But the first we saw the products came in from the U.S. I think that most of the audience who are listening to us right now know the Boosted Board. And so it was the first inspiration when we saw these products and when we saw this kind of products on the market. And I tried it for the first time, I fell in love with that, with this product. And I was like, “Okay, that’s something we want to bring into Europe.” That was the first idea because we didn’t have it. It was just in the U.S., and that’s how it started because in Europe, in our country, no one sold it, no one did that. So that was the first idea I, create this board, this product. Roy Morejon: So talk a little bit about where that all began in terms of sourcing or traveling to China, visiting factories,
In this hour-long episode of Art of the Kickstart, we sat down with Sam Olawale, creator of trip essential brand, LiteTravel. With Qubix, Qubix 2 and SMOL under his belt, Sam reveals his tried and true methods of product research, audience development and fast funding for three successful crowdfunding campaigns. Tune in to learn about the backstory of LiteTravel and it’s products’ journey from inspiration to shipment. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why Sam Olawale uses Kickstarter and how it’s changed over the years How LiteTravel garnered such a loyal brand following The importance of multi-variance testing and backer surveying Why Sam doesn’t recommend using incentive marketing What surprised him the most about crowdfunding
Links
LiteTravel Qubix 2 on Kickstarter SMOL on Indiegogo Digital Super Systems TestMax Test Prep JJS Justice Lawyers Principles by Ray Dalio
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK20 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art Of The Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art Of The Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art Of The Kickstart. Today, I am super excited to be talking to Sam Olawale all the way from London, UK. Sam is a Kickstarter vet. He has created multiple campaigns, been a collaborator on multiple campaigns, and his most recent campaign, SMOL, was another major six-figure success. So I’m really excited to be speaking with you today. Sam, thank you so much for joining us on the show. Sam Olawale: Thanks very much for having me, Roy. I really appreciate the opportunity. Roy Morejon: Absolutely. So really interested to know, where does your journey begin? Where did it all start to inspire and create LiteTravel, your company Sam Olawale: When it all started about three years ago, I was basically a graduate at university with economics and econometrics. And I was working in the city of London, I was a sales trader. So for those who don’t know, people tend to hear the word stock broker or trader, a sales trader is someone in between, working and communicating with high level clients and firms and things like this. So I was doing that for a while and then I left the city of London and I went into property. I was sales and marketing director for a property investment company for a few years as well. Then I moved to Dubai, and when you’re young and dumb in my, let’s say mid to late 20s, I did all of that. Sam Olawale: And I thought I knew what I wanted to be in life, what I was going to do in life. Then I went to Dubai to live the dream. Back then, the property market was all the rage. And within three and a half years, I had lost every penny. For those who don’t know, living in a box room in Dubai still costs you around $10,000 a month, it’s crazy money. So in essence, after doing that, I decided, look, I wanted to finally become an entrepreneur for myself.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Elyasaf Shweka, industrial designer for Makeway, creators of the marble track super-puzzle. Through a variety of magnetic bits, this fully-backed product allows you to create intricate and unique marble paths that seamlessly attach to common metal surfaces such as fridges, whiteboards and cars. Listen in and learn about Makeway’s inspiration, product development journey and crowdfunding marketing strategies. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Elyasaf’s woodworking background and why he created Makeway Their extensive prototyping process to determine Makeway’s features Why they choose Kickstarter to crowdfund their product How they were able to earn over 600 backers and $70K in just the first day of the campaign The future of Makeway, amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Links
Makeway Makeway on Kickstarter The Dip by Seth Godin
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Inventus Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am talking with Elyasaf Shweka, industrial designer at Makeway. Elyasaf, thank you so much for joining us today. Elyasaf Shweka: It’s a pleasure. Thank you for inviting me. Roy Morejon: Well, I’m super excited, because you are the top campaign right now on Kickstarter. You have made this amazing product where you can create these intricate courses and watch marbles move around in a modular, really cool puzzle way, with the magnetic bits and everything that you’ve created on it. And as a kid growing up, I used to make all these different types of things, so I’m excited to see this project that’s now raised over $1.8 million. So I know that you’ve got a great back story, and our audience is going to be really excited to hear about some of the stuff that you had been doing and how you’ve pivoted, and failed forward, in a sense, to bring Makeway to market. So please tell our audience where all this started, and what inspired you to create Makeway. Elyasaf Shweka: So actually, this is a funny story. It was around five years ago, I think. Kickstarter was a bit different than nowadays in several senses, and I saw many projects running around and raising a lot of money, all kinds of different projects. Some are very good, some less. And I remember talking to my brother and saying, “You know, I’m an industrial designer. I have some professional knowledge about production, about all kind of technologies, and why wouldn’t I try to do my thing, go on Kickstarter?” And he said, “Yeah, great idea. What’s your idea?” I said, “Okay, give me a few minutes and I’ll come back with a good idea that will fit Kickstarter platform.” Elyasaf Shweka: And then a minute after, I called him back and I said, “I have a great idea. Let’s make Marble one machine,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Matthew Deasy, founder of Oomph™, makers of the 2-in-1 piston brew coffee maker and insulated travel cup. With two successful Kickstarter campaigns under their belt, Oomph has perfected the science behind the all-in-one, on-the-go coffee brewing and drinking experience. Listen in and learn about Oomph’s inspiration, product development journey and crowdfunding marketing strategies. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why Matthew Deasy started the brand, Oomph Their experiences prototyping both the debut product and their recent 2.0 version How the company used email marketing and Facebook to be successful in two campaigns The future of Oomph, amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Links
Oomph Oomph on Kickstarter The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am talking with Matthew Deasy, founder of Oomph. Matthew, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart. Matthew Deasy: Thank you for having me, Roy. Pleasure. Roy Morejon: You guys have created some amazing coffee geekery products, as you put them. You’re a two time Kickstarter creator. You launched your first version of Oomph coffee maker back in 2016, over a thousand backers raised over 60,000 pounds for the original version. You’ve got version two going on right now on Kickstarter. I always like to ask my guests, “Where was the inspiration to create Oomph, where does this product start?” Matthew Deasy: Okay. It actually starts from another business that I was involved in where we essentially provide coffee, coffee machines, and servicing to hotels, restaurants, bars and offices. The product idea, essentially, came from when I was driving around, visiting customers and so on, and sometimes demonstrating the automatic machines. It struck me that, why is no one, at that point Arrow Press wasn’t about, at that point, why isn’t anyone for doing this piston delivered coffee because the taste is much better, I perceive, than a coffeetier. I basically started to sketch out ideas and so on and so forth. At that point in time, because it was a fledgling business that I was involved in any way, I didn’t have the money to be doing two things at the same time. It stayed as a dream on paper. I did get it to the point where a fellow had enough down there to then put it onto a patent application. We did that and got the blueprint down if you like, but it was a few years later before we could actually attempt it. Roy Morejon: Beautiful. When you were creating this product, at least initially, what did the design process look like? How did you go about deciding what features to put into this? There’s some unique engineering built into this.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Isabel Aagaard, cofounder of LastObject, a company on a mission to change the single-use culture. With products such as LastSwab and LastTissue, this brand creates reusable alternatives to throw-away items. Tune in to learn about the eco-minded inspiration behind LastObject, their prototyping method and their experience crowdfunding. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Isabel Aagaard’s design background and how she co-founded LastObject How they manage and prioritize feedback when testing products The path from their first product, LastSwab, to creating a whole line of multi-use essentials The marketing tactics they deployed to ensure strong crowdfunding campaign launches Where they see LastObject in the future
Links
LastObject LastTissue on Indiegogo The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear To Faith by Gabrielle Bernstein
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am super excited to be talking with Isabel, co founder of LastObject. Isabel, thank you so much for joining us today. Isabel Aagaard: Thank you for having me. Roy Morejon: I’m really excited. The inspiration that you guys have created is now sweeping the world in terms of obviously the eco-friendly items that you guys have found a fit for in terms of the market with first being LastSwab with almost 20,000 backers just on the Kickstarter campaign alone. Then your most recent success LastTissue, which is now running in demand over on Indiegogo, which had over 13,000 backers on Kickstarter. Roy Morejon: I’m really excited to hear where did the inspiration start in terms of beginning LastObject as a company with your other co founders. How did that all begin? Isabel Aagaard: Yes, well we started actually just researching where could we really make a big impact for the environment? And we’re all three designers, so this is our angle in life and we wanted to do a product. We wanted to do multiple products, but that then in some way really could make a difference. And this is where single use just jumped out of the screen and we found out how enormous a burden it actually is to have all of these single use items produced on a daily basis. Isabel Aagaard: This was actually our inspiration and then we started just digging into what single use items are the worst and where can we really make a difference so that people actually would use our product instead even though the other thing could be more convenient. We have to be that better at for example, design or just feel in general. Roy Morejon: What was your background before coming into the company? Isabel Aagaard: Well, I have a digital background at an IT university and then I went to design school w...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we sat down with Arman Assadi, CEO and co-founder of EVO Planner, a company that individualizes the day-planning experience. Comprised of a personalized planner and app, their mission is to help users organize their thoughts, articulate goals and define successes based on their brain type. Tune in to hear the process Arman took to garner backer support before, during and after EVO Planner’s Kickstarter campaign. Also, learn about the pitfalls and successes they encountered as well as tips for startups looking to crowdfund. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
The process they used to decide what features to include in EVO Planner The biggest challenge when designing a physical product as well as an app The strategy to crowdfund EVO Planner before their Kickstarter campaign to gain early support How they drew on Facebook groups and influencer marketing in conjunction with their overall communication plan Why they went from Kickstarter to Indiegogo before moving on to ecommerce
Links
EVO Planner on Kickstarter EVO Planner
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Coming into Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am super excited because I am talking with Arman Assadi co-founder and CEO of EVO Planner, the first personalized flow system. Arman, thank you so much for being on the show today. Arman Assadi: Thanks Roy. I’m excited. Let’s do it. Roy Morejon: You don’t sound excited, Arman, I mean, you guys raised over a million dollars on your crowdfunding campaign. Come on. Arman Assadi: I mean, I could do a little dance for you if you want, but you won’t see it. Roy Morejon: Let’s dance. Arman Assadi: Absolutely, man. Absolutely. Roy Morejon: So you guys did a campaign not too long ago on Kickstarter, over 6,000 backers, $367,000 raised on it. Really excited to talk about where did this product start from, with you and your co-founder, Chad, give me an idea of what inspired you guys to create the EVO Planner. Arman Assadi: Pain, honestly. And I think all entrepreneurial journeys start with pain. Either seeing a pain in another person, someone you love, someone in your community, or a pain in yourself and needing to scratch your own itch. So the pain for us started, I’d say it was two different segments. Arman Assadi: One was just already being in this world of entrepreneurship, self-development, and seeing so many tools and resources and education, and kind of just observing the hypocrisy where everything was distributed in a way where you were told this is the silver bullet, the answer, the number one thing that’s going to help you. And I just couldn’t help, in the back of my mind because I love philosophy, I love looking at things from a very macro level,
In this exciting episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Joe Lemay, co-founder and CEO of Rocketbook, a company that brings traditional note-taking into the digital age. Through a variety of products, accessories and bundles, Rocketbook provides reusable, customizable, cloud-connected pens and notepads. Listen in to hear what inspired Joe to launch the product, the challenges he experienced throughout all four of his crowdfunding campaigns, and advice for up-and-coming project creators looking to use Kickstarter to launch their ideas. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
The difficulties that come with taking a crowdfunded idea to actual product fulfillment How they managed feedback when adjusting their product to accommodate other features and benefits The ways they’ve segmented their email database to effectively target and convert backers Their experience with being on the popular entrepreneurial show, Shark Tank The biggest surprise they’ve encountered throughout all four Rocketbook campaigns
Links
Rocketbook on Kickstarter Rocketbook The Lean Startup
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Inventus partners, the top, full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Roy Morejon: Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today is a very exciting episode because I am talking with Joe LeMay, Co-Founder, CEO of Rocketbook. Rocketbook is a four X creator on Kickstarter, a crowdfunded, the first notebook, the Wave, without ever even knowing how to build a product. So I’m really excited to dive in today with Joe and talk about the campaign, their experience on Shark Tank and teaser alert, an upcoming campaign that’s about to launch here very quickly. So Joe, thank you and welcome to the show. Joe LeMay: Hey, thanks Roy. Great to be here. Roy Morejon: So, I always love to start these interviews at the beginning and the inspiration behind creating Rocketbook. Tell our audience where it all began. Joe LeMay: Ah, yeah man. So, Rocketbook, if you don’t know, is just a paper and pen notebook, but it’s reusable. And we have an app too, so when you scan in your notes with it, it transcribes your notes and sends them to various cloud services for you. So really what it came down to was, back in the day I studied computer science, I was in engineering and then I was more on the sales side of software, just working for medium and larger businesses, but I was a tech guy. But more and more while all of my information was in the cloud, I was still a notebook guy and a whiteboard guy. It’s just how I get ideas out of my head, it just feels natural to me. Joe LeMay: I do remember one time, I was in a sales meeting and I had prepped so many hours just getting ready to understand the potential customers business and what I was going to pitch to them. Pulled out my notebook in front of the CIO of a pretty big company a...
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Alice Crisci, CEO and founder of MedAnswers, a digital gateway to information during the path to parenthood. Basically, MedAnswers is an app where you can anonymously ask fertility-related questions to a large pool of doctors and specialists — the “Quora” for people struggling to conceive. Listen in to learn about how Alice came up with the platform and the journey she took to get it from initial idea to equity crowdfunding and beyond. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
The inspiration behind MedAnswers How they determined the core features for the platform The decision process they went through to develop an app Their experience with equity crowdfunding on StartEngine The #1 tip to other startup founders when launching a product
Links
MedAnswers on StartEngine MedAnswers The Greatest Salesman in the World
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Alice Crisci, CEO and Founder of Med Answers. Alice, thank you so much for joining us today. Alice Crisci: You are welcome. Thanks for having me. Roy Morejon: So Alice, you have an incredible story behind you, I’m really excited to dive into your equity crowdfunding campaign that you did on Start Engine, but let’s begin at really the beginning here, and where did this all start, and what inspired you to create Med Answers? Alice Crisci: Great question. I think a lot of entrepreneurs, sometimes seeds are planted years before you have a full idea formed. 12 years ago I was diagnosed with cancer at a pretty young age, I was only 31, and my experience in going through cancer treatment was unique in that my second opinion oncologist didn’t agree with the treatment plan my primary oncologist had already had me on, meaning I was already getting chemo when I realized that my second opinion oncologist didn’t agree with what chemo I should be on. That was a very frightening experience. Chemo is really difficult to go through and for whatever reason I had the foresight to get the two of these physicians on a phone call together, so the three of us are on a conference call, and I had them explain to each other where they were coming from. I wanted to understand their critical thinking behind each of their approaches so that I could decide what made the most sense for me. Alice Crisci: And in the end I switched to my second opinion oncologist and I started down a different treatment path that was much more aggressive than the other one that I did. It was the decision I could live with. So fast forward, or flash forward years, and as I was getting deeply entrenched in the fertility field, I started to notice that when people go into paying $20,000 for an IVF cycle,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Julian Samarjiev and Marin Gerov, co-founders of DULO, a revolutionary men’s apparel company. In short, DULO provides performance dress shirts that are not only 100% biodegradable but also easy to maintain and comfortable to wear. Tune in and learn why Julian and Marin started DULO, the hurdles that come with being a small clothing startup and the evolution from their initial product to their current crowdfunding campaign. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
The inspiration for DULO based on real-life problems and concerns How starting as an outsider in the clothing industry allowed them to be a disrupter and address its long-standing waste issues The challenges that came with pivoting DULO to not only satisfy the original features and benefits but also make it sustainable The path that led them to Kickstarter and Enventys Partners to launch this innovative product Tips for other fashion startups looking to incorporate an environmentally-friendly component
Links
DULO on Kickstarter Zero to One
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am talking with the co-founders of DULO, Julian Samarjiev and Marin Gerov, both from Bulgaria. So I’m really excited to talk about this today. Julian, Marin, thank you so much for being on the show today. Julian S.: Thanks for having us on, Roy. Marin Gerov: Thanks for having us, Roy. Nice to meet you. Roy Morejon: So I love companies that have a sustainable piece of their business to it and you guys have gone about and made a 100% biodegradable fabric and performance dress shirt. So I’m really excited to hear about where does this start and what inspired you to create DULO? Marin Gerov: Well DULO started about I think three and a half years ago, almost. Like the very initial idea for when we started and it came from a really personal need, solving our own personal problems. Both Julian and I are developers and developers are typically not known for having a very smart wardrobe. But both of us actually like wearing dress shirts, but we hated all the hassle around basically getting ready and preparation and taking care of that. Also, wearing them was never so comfortable. So we wanted to see if there was an opportunity to do something in that space. And we’ve been looking actually before that for a while for doing something together because we know each other for more than 15 years and we’ve been friends for a very long time and always had been looking to start somethi...
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Scott and Ed, the inventors of the Hush Buddy sleep training device for toddlers. Hush Buddy is a reactive nightlight for toddlers that serves as a gentle reminder for bedtime. Listen in to see what they learned from their first Indiegogo campaign, how they applied that knowledge to their second crowdfunding campaign and more. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Scott invented the idea for Hush Buddy by attempting to solve a real-life problem Things to keep in mind while prototyping How they used customer listening to learn from their first campaign and what they applied to their second campaign How to use a Facebook Group to drum up excitement for their upcoming campaign The value of working with an agency during a crowdfunding campaign
Links
Hush Buddy on Kickstarter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a $300 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am talking with Scott and Edward, inventors of the Hush Buddy, sleep training device for toddlers. Scott and Ed, thank you so much for joining us today. Ed: Thanks for having us, Roy. It’s great to be here. Roy Morejon: Yeah, thanks Ed. I’m really excited about this product coming to market. One, because I think it’s an innovation that all parents really need. And two, because I’m a parent that needs this and got to use this and I’m really excited about the results as well. Let’s jump in and tell the audience a little bit about where Hush Buddy started and what inspired you to create it. Scott: Sure. Well, what Hush Buddy is, is a sleep training device for toddlers ages two to four. It’s an interactive or reactive nightlight. A little character face on it and it listens to the room and reacts to the child’s behavior in a very gentle way. If the child cries and fusses and acts out at bedtime, the light dims just briefly and just enough to be noticed. And when, if they’re quiet, the light goes back to full brightness again. And we pair that up with a storybook that engages the child’s imagination so that they love this character. The characters name is Whisper, Whisper the Hush Buddy. And so you can go into bedtime now with your toddler with this character at your side and being very careful, we got to be quiet now at bedtime. It’s a very gentle reminder that there’s quiet time at that time. And that type of response, that type of gentle visual feedback has a lot of impact on the child’s behavior and just reminding them, if I was just quiet, I’d probably be asleep right now.
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Cathryn Lavery, the CEO and co-founder of BestSelf Co. At its core, BestSelf Co. is a company that helps you find work-life harmony, think bigger, achieve more, and spark deeper connections. Not only is Cathryn an entrepreneur and creator, but she is a crowdfunding aficionado, having run four crowdfunding campaigns to date. Listen in to hear her talk about what she’s learned as a crowdfunding project creator, how she navigates the world of entrepreneurship, and what’s to come for BestSelf Co. in the future! Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why they decided to take the Kickstarter route in 2015 to validate their initial product before beginning production The value of a strong pre-launch strategy and how they implemented their strategy in order to set their campaign up for success Why adding a personal touch to your messaging is important when it comes to connecting with your backers The benefit of an overarching, shareable content publishing strategy to help support the launch of a crowdfunding campaign (hint: it involves Arianna Huffington) The value of Facebook Groups and how a fan-based Facebook Group developed into a positive, supportive environment that also doubles as a space to source customer feedback
Links
SELF Journal on Kickstarter BestSelf Co. Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am super excited because I am joined by the super talented Cathryn Lavery, CEO and co-founder of BestSelf Co. Cathryn, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart. Cathryn Lavery: Thanks Roy. It’s great to be here. Roy Morejon: So I’m really excited because you are one of the OG Kickstarter creators that have done more than one campaign, more than two. You are, have done now four campaigns on Kickstarter as I’ve just found out, with most recent successful campaign Tempo with over a thousand backers and then your uber successful campaign for the SELF Journal back in 2015 that had over 6,500 backers. So let’s give our audience a little bit of background here on Cathryn and of BestSelf Co. Where did it all start and how did you guys begin the company? Cathryn Lavery: So we started with the SELF Journal, which is a three month based goal planner, which is the original three month based planner essentially. And we’d started that just because it was a pain point that we had. We were scratching our own itch and whenever it came time to actually c...
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Vincent Meyer, CEO and founder of GOfee, the first coffee company to deliver coffee-shop quality beverages straight to your office. Learn more about how they used equity crowdfunding and StartEngine to raise capital for their business so that they can grow from a coffee solution in Midtown Manhattan to a coffee solution worldwide. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How they created a marketplace that aggregated a variety of brands while keeping brand loyalty in mind How they’re removing the issue of waste with today’s coffee industry Their biggest challenges when starting the company Why they chose StartEngine and equity crowdfunding versus other methods to raise capital Their initial content publication strategy in conjunction with their equity campaign, as well as how it supported their campaign The importance of continuously engaging with their audience and investors during the campaign process
Links
GOfee on StartEngine Onward by Howard Schultz Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined with Vincent Meyer, CEO and founder of GOffee. Vincent, thank you so much for joining us today. Vincent Meyer: Hey, Roy. Nice to be here. Roy Morejon: So we’re going to mix it up a little bit on the show today and talk about the wonderful world of equity crowdfunding. So, Vincent started a company GOffee, which is the first coffee company to deliver the same drink one would order at their favorite coffee shop right across from the office. So, you guys had been currently delivering upwards of 1000 cups of coffee a day to offices throughout Midtown. And just recently, ending in October, you finished the full $1,070,000 raise on StartEngine for your equity crowdfunding campaign. So congrats on that, and really we’d love to hear where did this idea start from? What inspired you to create GOffee? Vincent Meyer: Of course. It came from a combination of the things, but let’s be quit honest I’m pretty sure everyone dreamt at one point to go and create the ideas of I think is coffee delivered? Instead of going outside, like it is today in New York braving the snow or even worse, braving the long lines of the same coffee shop every day. So the idea came in with a combination of things we realized that, making a cup of coffee didn’t have to be as complicated as advents as people try to make it to be. Vincent Meyer: Two, we also realized that every single office provide a coffee solution,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Zalmi Duchman, the CEO of Mellow Duo. After finding success in the food tech industry for over 15 years, specifically in that of fresh meal delivery services, learn how and why Duchman invested in Mellow and guided its development into what it is today. Also, learn why he decided to use Kickstarter to help bring Mellow’s second-generation product to life. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Duchman evolved the brand and the product after learning about it via ProductHunt, eventually investing in the business Why he chose Kickstarter to grow the business while maintaining Mellow’s original community What led to the campaign’s initial success within the first 24 hours of launch How Duchman discovered Enventys Partners and why he chose them as their industry-specific crowdfunding marketing agency
Links
Mellow Duo on Kickstarter Good to Great
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Inventus Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred billion dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Zalmi Duchman, CEO of Mellow. Zalmi how did I do with your last name? Did I butcher it? Zalmi Duchman: No, you did great. Roy Morejon: All right, well listen, I’m really excited about today’s episode. Today we’re going to talk about an active campaign, Mellow Duo, which is the perfect sous vide product. Really excited to talk to you about this. So give our audience a little bit of background and tell us where this idea started from and what inspired you to create Mellow. Zalmi Duchman: You got it. Well, I did not create Mellow, so my background is I am in the food tech business for about 15 years, probably before the words food tech existed. I was in the meal delivery business. I launched my first business, which was called the Fresh Diet back in 2005 which was a fresh meal delivery service. And after I grew it and sold it in 2014, I came about Mellow and it was actually the first generation of the machine. It was not produced. I actually read about it on product hunt and discovered it and ended up investing in it because I thought it was such an amazing machine. So I can’t take credit for inventing it. But as we’ll get into, I ended up taking the company over and launching the Kickstarter for the second generation product. Roy Morejon: So when they were creating the first version, I guess if you can talk a little bit about what that process was like and then how you’ve decided to bring in new features into version two. The duo. Zalmi Duchman: Sure. So let’s start by talking a little bit about sous vide cooking,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Scott McKeon and Will Scuderi, co-founders of Espresso Displays, the world’s thinnest portable display for your device. Tune in to learn more about how they approached crowdfunding before launching, from consumer listening, manufacturing and development research, and much more! Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How they evaluated the need for their product before launching a crowdfunding project Why they ultimately chose Kickstarter How crowdfunding plays into their product lifecycle, initial manufacturing and future development plans The frontend work they accomplished before launching on Kickstarter in order to ship to backers by early 2020 What they considered when choosing the best crowdfunding agency for their needs
Links
Espresso Displays on Kickstarter Shoe Dog
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am talking with the co founders of Espresso Designs, Will Scuderi and Scott McKeon. Will and Scott, thank you so much for joining us today. Scott: Hey, thanks for being on the podcast. And it’s Espresso Displays. Roy: You got it. Espresso Displays. So you guys have created the world’s thinnest USB powered display. I’m really intrigued to always begin these interviews with, you know, where does the inspiration start for this idea? What inspired you to create it? Scott: Yeah, so it started off when Will and I were working on a project together about a year and a half ago and we’re working on our laptops and it was just a task. We had to create a poster and we had to get the content on one screen and then I had to rearrange and organize on the other screen. And we just got really frustrated that we couldn’t do that task. We’re trying to split the screen on actual laptop and then I was like, Oh, I just want a second monitor for my laptop and Will questioned me and goes, “That exists, doesn’t it?” And then we kind of stopped doing the work that we’re supposed to be doing and started looking this up for the next few hours. And then we couldn’t really find anything that really said yes, that’s what we want. That’s a product that we would buy. And then I went on with with the rest of my life, but Will had other plans. He ended up printing a 3D bracket that sits on your laptop that you can put another monitor in that you can use multiple screens. And then from there we really just started designing different things, speaking to a whole bunch of potential customers, other people who also felt this pain.
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Sam Whitten, founder of Hemp Eyewear, the world’s first sustainable hemp sunglass line. Tune in to learn more about how Sam set out to create a product with a positive global impact, how he approached design and development when building a “world’s first” product, and how he flipped the script on your average crowdfunding campaign video. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to approach designing and testing a “world’s first” product Capitalizing on the virality of their past crowdfunding campaign in 2014 How the crowdfunding landscape has changed in the past five years Their process of vetting the right crowdfunding agency for their needs and what caused them to choose Enventys Partners How they made their crowdfunding video and overall branding different from the industry standard to make them stand out The importance of pre-launch preparation before you hit the launch button
Links
Hemp Eyewear on Kickstarter Time Management for Dummies
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred billion dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of art of the Kickstart. Today I am talking with Sam Whitten, the founder of Hemp Eyewear. Sam, thank you so much for joining us today on the show. Sam Whitten: Thank you for having me. Roy Morejon: So, I’m really excited about this innovation. Hemp Eyewear is going to be the world’s first sustainable sunglass line developed entirely from hemp fiber and water. And no of course you can’t smoke them. So, I’m really interested to hear where this innovation started from and what inspired you to create Hemp Eyewear. Sam Whitten: So, I created the world’s first hemp sunglasses whilst I was at university. It was actually my final year project. So, I studied product design. I’ve always been passionate about sustainability and innovative design. So, I get bored of seeing the same products everywhere. And on the sustainability side, I discovered the great Pacific garbage patch whilst researching online. An area of 12 times the size of the UK in the middle of the Pacific ocean was just littered with plastic from the surface to about 12 foot underneath the ocean. It was just full of floating plastic. And I thought, wow, this is a massive problem. Why doesn’t everyone know about this? This was five years ago. So I asked the question, “What is the most sustainable material on earth?” And hands down, the answer was industrial hemp because it’s the most sustainable, eco-friendly, and diverse resource on earth. We can use it to make anything and it usually has beneficial properties than other...
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Clyde Snodgrass, founder of Vino Novo, the wine-enhancing solution. Tune in to learn more about how he used his product development background, networking abilities and entrepreneurial skills to bring his product to life. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to build a team and network as an entrepreneur Incorporating voice control into a crowdfunding project and weighing the necessity of building an additional app What to consider when determining potential stretch goals How he gathered user feedback and tested his product through grassroots efforts before venturing into crowdfunding What he took into consideration when determining the best crowdfunding agency for his business and his product
Links
Vino Novo on Kickstarter Dark Matter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit, and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of art of the kickstart. Today I am joined with Clyde Snodgrass, founder of Vino Novo. Clyde, thank you so much for joining us today. Clyde: Thanks for having me, Roy. Roy: I’m really excited about this innovation and obviously to talk to you about it. I’ve become a winer, I don’t even know what they call, wine snob, something like that, a person who enjoys wine these days. Red wine is certainly my flavor, especially coming into the winter months. I’m really excited about talking about this innovation that you’ve created. Give our audience a little bit of the background of where does this start, what’s your background and what inspired you to create, Vino Novo. Clyde: Sure. The idea came from a physics journal that I read back in 2008. I was… I’m still a big nerd, but I was a really, really big nerd back in high school and college. Physics really fascinated me. Sometimes I can’t sleep. I’ll just go down go down the rabbit hole of the internet. I found a paper written by three physicists out in China, the university [inaudible 00:02:11] culture. It talked about using AC electric fields for wine maturation. Years… When I was younger… I come from a pretty big Italian family, a lot of whom immigrated from Italy. My oldest uncle, my godfather, actually used to make wine when we were kids. We used to watch him do it. It was a very laborious process. I had this light bulb went off in my head. My grandmother, unfortunately, just passed away like a month ago, so it’s fresh. We had the last bottle of wine that she had. We drank in her honor, after her funeral. We started looking into how we could build a prototype out of this. The idea was to build a large-scale commercial unit. When I say large scale,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Thomas, the co-founder and Head of Communications at Reclouder. Tune in to learn more about how the team created their smart hybrid audio recorder, why they turned to crowdfunding to grow their product, and how they applied cutting-edge strategies to their lead generation tactics leading up to their campaign. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
The importance of the crowdfunding landscape for their product as it pertains to crowdsourcing feedback Why they chose Indiegogo over Kickstarter How they engaged with early, interested backers before their launch to gauge genuine interest How they’re using email marketing, Facebook Messenger chat and more for lead generation and incubating Why Reclouder chose Enventys Partners as their crowdfunding marketing agency
Links
Reclouder on Indiegogo The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art Of The Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred billion dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art Of The Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art Of The Kickstart. Today I am talking with Thomas, the co-founder and head of communications at Reclouder. Thomas, thank you so much for joining us today on Art Of The Kickstart. Thomas: Thank you for having me. Roy Morejon: So I’m really excited about this innovation and to talk to our audience about this. You and your other co-founders have created the easiest way to store, sync and share audio recordings. You have an upcoming launch that will be on Indiegogo. So I’m really excited to talk about where did this inspiration to create Reclouder started, where did you get into the music industry and create this new innovation. Thomas: Okay, well I can explain that briefly. A Reclouder is a project that is part of the CME company and CME runs multiple projects with the motto, “Music has value,” and our goal is to develop hardware and software and trial solutions that benefit independent curators such as musicians and filmmakers and people like that, to improve their workflow and to offer them monetization solutions. So that’s basically what we do as CME. When we were working on one of the other projects and we were designing a promotion campaign, a marketing campaign, we decided to shoot a video with multiple cameras and a live band on stage. When we were running this project, we found out that setting up this recording environment for multiple sound sources, like a band, and with multiple camera angles was really complex and time consuming and also brought a lot of frustration to the team. So at that point we found out that all audio recording solutions are centralized.
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Brook Parker, operating partner of Cotton Carrier and co-creator of SlingBelt and Bucket System for photographers. Tune in to learn more about Brook and his team’s experience launching their second successful project via crowdfunding, as well as how they took lessons from their first campaign to improve their efforts. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Brook and his team adapted to the marketing and fulfillment landscape over the past decade, thus finding crowdfunding The value of the Kickstarter community in today’s market Navigating the development, manufacturing and fulfillment waters The differences between their first and current crowdfunding campaigns and what they focused on for their second campaign How they approached their campaign video to tell their story How they chose the best crowdfunding agency for their needs The value of samples and a paid advertising budget during a crowdfunding campaign
Links
SlingBelt and Bucket System on Kickstarter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners. The top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am talking with Brooke Parker, operating partner of SlingBelt and Bucket System for photographers. Brooke, thank you so much for joining us today. Brook Parker: Yeah, thanks. No problem. I’m excited. Roy Morejon: So you’ve got a campaign that is hypothetically launching tomorrow on Kickstarter. This is not your first rodeo on Kickstarter. So I’m really excited to talk about the previous innovation SKOUT, where you guys had over a thousand backers come in and back your hands free, camera carrying system. And just looking at the history of the business itself or Cotton Carrier, you guys have been in business for a decade now I think. So I’m really interested to hear, where did this company start out of, where did the passion for photography begin and then what inspired you and your team to create SKOUT and now your newest product Launch Sling on Kickstarter. Brook Parker: Yeah, for sure. We all had jobs before. We all started this thing as a hobby. My uncle is a professional wildlife and landscape photographer, and he saw an issue with carrying his cameras into the field. So he created a harness 10 years ago and we sort of brought it to market quietly and slowly and naively and people were very receptive to it. So over the first couple of years we sort of sold this thing out of the garage and sort of bumbled our way trying to figure that out. And this was long before there was any crowdfunding or Kickst...
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Ryan Sim, Managing Director of We The People. Tune in to learn more about how Ryan and his friend, Joel Liew, found initial success raising over a quarter of a million dollars through five successful crowdfunding campaigns, and then created We The People, the world’s only multi-channel crowdfunding retail chain and community. We The People is, essentially, a community of backers who both teach crowdfunding and create products for creators, by creators. In the podcast, Ryan discusses some of his first Kickstarter launches with Kisetsu, as well as his big plans surrounding his new company, We The People. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Ryan’s journey growing each of his five crowdfunding campaigns - successes, mistakes, and all Whether or not to create customizable SKUs during a crowdfunding campaign and what to expect Crowdfunding tips for those thinking of launching accessory projects like his Things to keep in mind for crowdfunding campaign videos and rewards An in-depth explanation of We The People and how they offer additional resources for crowdfunding creators The most difficult hurdles between crowdfunding and bringing a product to retail Their strategies for the future of We The People and their goals around keeping their creators well incubated
Links
We The People Zero to One by Peter Thiel
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m really excited because I’m joined with Ryan Sim, Managing Director of We The People. So if you aren’t familiar with We The People yet, I’m really excited to introduce this company and phenomenon of what these guys are doing. Ryan and his best friend, Joel Liew, co-created a wallet company, Kisetsu, and have had five successful crowdfunding campaigns raising over a quarter of a million. And then created in 2016 We The People, which is the world’s only multichannel crowdfunding retail chain and community. And since its inception, these guys have gone on to help over 14 brands, over 200 different product lines. They’ve created six brick and mortar stores in Singapore, a store in Malaysia, online stores, and they’re expanding their reach all over the planet. They’ve opened up a place here in St. Louis in November of last year and have further plans for the US expansion with the goal of bringing together the global creator community. We The People is expanding internationally all over the place and they’re providing not only education in eCommerce,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Aaron Roubitchek, founder of Ponto (formerly Loafs), and creator of The Pacific, the ultimate all-day shoe. Tune in to learn more about how he approached developing and manufacturing an eco-friendly and sustainable product as a first-time entrepreneur. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Deciding to take the plunge as an entrepreneur Fighting the war on fast fashion while making a sustainable product Tips for making an eco-friendly product What to keep in mind as you move into the assembly and product development phase The benefits of launching a footwear product on Kickstarter Storyboarding and scripting a campaign video that converts while promoting the company ethos Why he chose to work with Enventys Partners and how he selected them from other crowdfunding agencies
Links
The Pacific on Kickstarter Start With Why Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values The Alchemist
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined with Aaron Roubitchek, founder and CEO of Loafs. Aaron, thank you so much for being on the show today. Aaron Roubitchek: Hey, how are you doing? Thanks for having me. Roy Morejon: Yeah, really honored to have you. I’m really excited about this project and any kind of project that we get to work on that’s eco-friendly. So with the shoes that you’ve created, made it entirely of recycled materials such as algae-based foam and chrome-free recycled leather. Really excited to talk today about where the inspiration came from and what inspired you to truly create Loafs. So, if you would, take us on the journey back of where the inspiration began. Aaron Roubitchek: Yeah. It’s from one form of anxiety to another. So it started about a year ago in June of 2018. I had started a company in a past life. I was actually in the Accelerator Program when I went to UCLA for something completely unrelated to this, which kind of sparked my desire to always get in entrepreneurship. But that was when I was at the age of like 21, 22, just kind of wanted to take a step back. Since then, my career has all been centered around technology. We spent about a year and a half at LinkedIn and the business rotational program, and then I’ve been at Google now for about two and a half years. But going back about a year ago, I believe it was May or June of 2018, something just didn’t feel right at work. I really liked my job,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Graeme and Alex of The 5TH SWISS. Tune in to learn more about how they built their initial brand and following online, developed a prestigious, high-quality product for a fraction of the price, and utilized Kickstarter for testing in today’s millennial market. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Implementing a pre-order, limited-release strategy to build their business before crowdfunding How they approached taking a mature, “old-age” product and developing it for today’s millennial market Utilizing the strategies of the direct-to-consumer model for a legacy product Applying Kickstarter backer feedback to the future plans of their business What they took into consideration when determining the best crowdfunding agency for their needs
Links
The 5TH SWISS on Kickstarter Good to Great Shoe Dog The Story of UGG
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Graeme and Alex from The Fifth. Graeme, Alex, thank you so much for joining us today. Alex: Thank you for having us. Graeme : Thanks Roy. Roy Morejon: I’m really excited to start this interview with the story and where the inspiration to create this company came back in 2014. If you would, let’s go through the journey that you’ve taken thus far. Alex: Yeah, well it’s been a really interesting journey. We started in 2014, and in many respects we had a dream, kind of started the business. We sold a thousand watches on day one of release and we sold out of production, which led to a problem of, you know, we weren’t able to supply customers for about three and a half months. What we did was we came up with a concept where we presold on the fifth of every month. Every fifth of the month, we would restock our watches and they were all preorder, customers could get them. Alex: What we saw was that that release mentality and kind of dropping things on the fifth of every month, that excitement generated a lot of demand for the product. We saw, you know, a really rapid growth in the business. We generated a large customer base, and we went on quite a journey with the business that kind of, in many ways, we launched our watches, we launched bags, we launched sunglasses and we kind of, we went with the energy of the business. It was a fast paced environment and kind of, here we are again today, you know, about to release something that’s really exciting, something that’s new and we’re here to do it on Kickstarter to an entire new audience.
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Miguel Madrid, the founder and Chief of Everything at Perk, a lifestyle apparel brand creating high-quality products like The All-Day Chinos. Tune in to learn more about how Madrid approached the development process for a revolutionary apparel product and created a company ethos, as well as the importance of understanding what it truly takes to become an entrepreneur. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Finding the right partner for the development process for an apparel product The differences between your run-of-the-mill apparel product release, made-to-order strategies and crowdfunding, as they pertain to apparel Sourcing the right materials for an apparel product Developing a company ethos Finding the right software tools that fit your needs How to manage your time and money when growing a business Strategic ways to gain customer feedback and iterate on those results
Links
The All-Day Chino on Indiegogo InDemand Myth of the Entrepreneur
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success, I’m your host Roy Morejon president of Inventis Partners the top full service turnkey product development and crowd funding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert, in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyers guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart, today I am joined with Miguel Madrid founder and chief of everything officer at Perks, excuse me. Miguel, thank you so much for joining us today. Miguel Madrid: Thank you for having me, man. Roy Morejon: So your campaign just launched today, I’m really excited about the launch of it. I love the tagline of, you don’t need another pair of pants, you need a better one. So, I really like the idea and the innovation of this lifestyle apparel brand that you’ve built. So I’m really interested to hear for our audience of where this idea started, and what inspired you to create Perks. Miguel Madrid: Thank you for having me, again, and yeah happy to go into this. What you see right now on the campaign is the culmination of two years of work. It’s been agonizing, it’s been stressful, I might’ve cried a couple of times, but things are different now. Now we’re live, everything is running and everything is operational, I can breather easy now. It’s sort of like getting engaged, you pop the question and it’s over, right? Anyways so the idea behind Perk came after my previous brand, I used to own an underwear brand called Bensly and it was about three years worth of e-commerce work and three Kickstarters behind it and as any good other business would tell you, we took feedback quite well. We took feedback as aggressively as possible and as honestly as possible, and of course some of that feedback was negative but we took it as a learning lesson to improve on our products.
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Edward Zhong, the creator of Ayi, the AI-powered smart mirror. Tune in to learn more about how Zhong created a smart mirror that is not only compatible with thousands of apps, like Uber, but also is able to custom-fit every user by combining artificial intelligence (AI) with an everyday-use product. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to find useful, day-to-day integrations with AI Hardware and software challenges Ayi faced with their product as a growing startup Their best advice and tips for someone developing a product with AI Things to take into consideration when directing and shooting a crowdfunding campaign video How to manage crowdfunding feedback when over 60% of your backers are first-time crowdfunders
Links
Ayi on Indiegogo InDemand Kickstarter Forum
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Inventus Partners, the top, full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am talking with Edward Zhong, the creator of Ayi, the AI-powered smart mirror for your home. Edward, thanks so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart. Edward Zhong: Thanks for having us, Roy. Roy Morejon: So this technology is really cool. I mean, basically it’s meet your new personal assistant inside your home, this amazing, visually stunning AI-powered smart mirror. Many times, if you’ve stayed at these luxurious hotels and things like that, you’ve had the opportunity to play with it or mess with it, and now, you can bring this to the comfort of your own home. This device launched a few days ago. It’s already over $80,000 in funding and hundreds of backers have already supported it. So Edward, I’m really excited to hear about where this all starts and what inspired you to create this smart mirror. Edward Zhong: Yeah, sure. We really love our product, and we really hope that our customers will love it as well. This whole company started behind the vision of changing how the smart home industry fundamentally is really. Most of the members on our team are either former product designers or software engineers for smart home based companies like Nest or Google. Through our experience in this industry, it’s just seeing that, although there are really cool products being made every year, it seemed like the smart home industry was rather dull and a little bit boring. We really wanted to change the status quo of the smart home industry in general in bringing better design, more functionality, and kind of a more futuristic feel really and take that risk that other big companies were hesitating to take for some reason.
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Phil Croft, creator of ProSteer. Tune in to learn more about his experience with the intricacies of developing a hardware product and preparing for a crowdfunding campaign. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
The development process for their product, pre-crowdfunding Making the decision to take the crowdfunding route with their current prototypes Working with third-party manufacturers The importance of educating your customers through marketing Difficulties for startups in the hardware space Making the decision to work with a marketing agency for their crowdfunding campaign
Links
ProSteer on Kickstarter Grand Theft Auto Jonathan Livingston Seagull: The Complete Edition
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Phil Croft, CEO of BoxDark and the upcoming crowdfunding project ProSteer. Phil, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart. Phil Croft: My pleasure, Roy. My pleasure. Roy Morejon: I know you’re on the other side of the world over in Brisbane, Australia, so I appreciate you being on the line. I’m also really excited to talk about this new handheld analog steering controller ProSteer. So if you would, give our audience a little bit of background and tell us where does this idea start? What inspired you to create this product? What was that aha moment you had? Phil Croft: Right, I guess I was… I’ve always been, let’s say an enthusiastic gamer as I was growing. I’m part of the generation where we first experienced the original PlayStation and then the development and the to and fro between PlayStation and Xbox and that massive development period where the games just improved so vastly over those first, I guess, couple of versions of consoles. I was very much part of that. That was when I was a young man in the ’90s. I had great frustrations because I’ve always loved driving games and I do like to draw cars in real life too. There was a massive disconnect for me, Roy, between what I was experiencing behind the wheel in my own car and what I was experiencing in game in that I didn’t have the control in the face or the realism of what I knew driving was. This was a constant frustration using gamepads with thumb sticks to steer a car. That was where it all started. Roy Morejon: That seems ridiculous now because I know whenever you jump on a video game like Mario Cart or whatever it may be, your
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Kristina Cahojova of kegg. Tune in to learn more about how Kristina and her team utilized incubators and Indiegogo to not only raise money, but conduct customer listening, for their important and technical fertility tracking monitor. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Working with incubators like SOSV and HAX, as well as the importance of raising initial capital before crowdfunding How to approach designing such an intimate device with crowdfunding marketing in mind Why they chose Indiegogo for their fertility tracking monitor The importance of educating your customers through marketing The importance of a strong campaign video How to apply backer feedback to your product while weighing it against your business model and FDA requirements Their best tips for future project creators
Links
kegg on Indiegogo Zero to One
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full service, turnkey product development, and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred billion dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am talking with Kristína Cahojova, CEO of Lady Technologies. Kristína, thank you so much for joining us today. Kristina C.: Hi Roy. Nice to talk to you. Roy Morejon: So Kristína, I know we’ve known each other for a few years now and I’m really excited to do this interview now that kegg has officially launched on Indiegogo. So I would love for you to give a little bit of the back story to our audience about where this idea started from. Kristina C.: Yes, thank you. kegg is a fertility monitor. It takes into account the most crucial information for fertility, which are information from vagina. I wanted to bring this product to life because there is nothing in a market that is sensing the information which really matter for conception, which are vaginal information. When you go to a doctor, they don’t look at your heart rate or something. They really need to understand what’s going on inside you and ideally your vaginal environment. And unfortunately now in the market there is nothing that can tell you this. Everyone is trying, more or less focusing on all the ovulation, but everyone is missing the core that we need to know the fertile window and the days before the ovulation that leads to conception. Because that is how we are getting pregnant. Kristina C.: Like we are having sex and then we can see when the sperm is inside and meets with the egg and fallopian tube. But it’s crucial that sex happen like 48 hours, or even 72 hours and even more, before the ovulation when the vaginal environment is most fertile. Because the sperm,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we caught up with Gareth Everard of Rockwell Razors and Keyto. Tune in to learn more about building a good relationship with your backers, doing everything you can to help your Kickstarter campaign succeed and much more. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How preparing for a Kickstarter campaign has changed since the early days of Kickstarter Why having empathy for your Kickstarter backers is so important How to build a good relationship with your Kickstarter backers Why good email marketing is critical to a Kickstarter campaign’s success Why getting investments prior to a crowdfunding campaign can be smart How to avoid becoming a “Kickstarter fail” Why good preparation is key before launching a crowdfunding campaign
Links
Rockwell Razors on Kickstarter Rockwell Model T on Kickstarter Rockwell Chrome Series on Kickstarter Keyto on Kickstarter How my Kickstarter Blew Up my Life Episode 134 with Gareth
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Backerkit and The Gadget Flow. Backerkit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts.
Roy Morejon: Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another episode of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined again with the one and only, Gareth Everard. Gareth, thank you so much for being on the show today again.
Gareth Everard: Yeah, thanks for having me back.
Roy Morejon: So Gareth, you were on the show, episode number 134 back in March of 2016. Obviously a lot has gone on the past three plus years since then. You’ve just finished launching your fourth crowdfunding campaign, so the first one was back in 2014 with the Rockwell Razors and then again with the Model T, and then again with the Rockwell Chrome, and now more recently finishing up a solid campaign for Keyto, that’s raise upwards of over a million dollars.
Roy Morejon: So let’s start in the past with giving our listeners a little bit more background on yourself. Tell us about the crowdfunding journey that you’ve been on so far, and how all of these crowdfunding projects have come to be.
Gareth Everard: Yeah, for sure. So way back … like you mentioned, way back in 2014 my co-founder and I in Rockwell were pretty frustrated with kind of the state of the razors at the time, this was kind of when Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s were come out. But tons of guys were still overpaying for razors, and getting ingrown hairs and razor bumps, and still they were throwing out truly thousands of tons of plastic waste every year. So we identified that there was a better way. We redesigned the classic safety razor, and got some patents on this design that eliminates ingrown hairs an...
This week on the Art of the Kickstart podcast, tune in to hear from Lior Ohayon and Aaron Spivak from the Hush Iced Kickstarter campaign. You’ll learn more about developing a textile product, what goes into a great pre-launch campaign, how to use email marketing for your Kickstarter project and much more! Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Solving pain points with a new product using crowdfunding How to approach product development using textiles Why you may want to use crowdfunding to launch new editions of existing products Why using Kickstarter may be a better option than a traditional pre-order approach How to begin preparing for a crowdfunding campaign How to build up an audience ready to back your Kickstarter project the day you launch Why having someone dedicated to public relations for your project can pay off How to handle Kickstarter stretch goals Why email marketing is an important part of a Kickstarter campaign
Links
Hush Iced on Kickstarter hushblankets.com The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a project discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am talking with Lior Ohayon and Aaron Spivak, founders of Hush. Gentlemen, thank you so much for being on the show today.
Lior Ohayon: Thank you for having us.
Aaron Spivak: Thanks.
Roy Morejon: All right, so this Hush Iced blanket, this awesome cooling sleep-induced blanket is active right now on Kickstarter, raised over 275,000 U.S. dollars so far with over 1800 backers. Let’s talk about Hush blanket and what inspired you both to create this awesome product.
Lior Ohayon: Sure. We’ve already been selling our weighted blankets for about a year now, and we noticed in the summer months, there was a slump of sales, and it was definitely due to the fact that people assume and know that it’s a very hot or heat-producing blanket when you’re under our regular cover, so people have been asking for a cooling blanket for a while, and that’s how we decided to combat two things at once. Don’t let people overheat in the summer, and also protect our sales in the summer.
Roy Morejon: Nice. You guys have been selling the Hush blanket. Now, we’ve got the Hush Iced blanket. What was the process like of determining how to blend bamboo, cotton, et cetera into the blanket itself and then deciding what other features to include when designing this product out?
Aaron Spivak: I mean, we did a little bit of research obviously into what types of fabrics are available for people who are looking to cool do...
This week on Art of the Kickstart, we’re talking with John Stanley, Harsha Venna and Harshit Aggarwal from the RoadWayve team. Check it out and hear more about how they designed their product, what they did to prepare for their Kickstarter campaign and what they’ve learned from the entire process. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What to consider when designing a future-ready product How to overcome product design challenges How to choose between Kickstarter and Indiegogo How long it takes to prepare for a crowdfunding campaign How to determine your target audience How to choose a crowdfunding marketing agency Why it’s important to make sure you are production-ready before launching a crowdfunding campaign
Links
RoadWayve on Kickstarter Jack: Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert, in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Roy: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with three guests. I think this is probably the first time we’ve had three guests on the show, but I want to welcome everybody with John Stanley, Harsha Venna and Harshit Aggarwal with the RoadWayve. Thank you so much for joining us today.
John: Thanks so much for having us.
Harsha: Excited to be here.
Harshit: Yeah, likewise.
Roy: You guys have come up with this really beautiful, bright led display that produces a super hi-res message for other drivers, and also hopefully facilitates a safer environment on the road. Let’s talk about the RoadWayve and where this idea came from, and what inspired you to create it.
John: Essentially it was a road rage incident when I was a kid with my mother. As road rage incidents go, it was fairly benign, but this kid got out of his car and started yelling obscenities to my mother. She was a beautiful person, but she happens to be a bad driver. I wasn’t necessarily afraid, but I looked at her face, and she was. There, that gave birth to decades of trying to figure out what can we do to try and help this epidemic, to quell this epidemic. That’s very basically the incident that gave birth to what is RoadWayve today.
Roy: When you were creating RoadWayve, what did that process look like, and how did you go about deciding what features to include and how to design it for multiple different vehicles?
Harsha: Right, so the idea started off, when I was on this project, we knew that an LED display in your rear windshield is a good solution, but we actually questioned to see the actual problem here. The problem here is communication, so we tried to go really high-tech with it and see if you can actually co...
On this week’s episode of our Meet the Experts series, we’re talking with Jeremy Losaw, director of engineering at Enventys Partners. Tune in to learn more about what to expect when working with a product development firm to build a product and launch it on Kickstarter or Indiegogo! Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What product engineering is and how it relates to crowdfunding Why all good crowdfunding campaigns start with a great idea How developing a product for a crowdfunding campaign may be a bit different than a more traditional approach to product development How long it takes to develop a new product for a crowdfunding campaign What post-crowdfunding campaign product development looks like How to pick a product development firm How crowdfunders can help their product development team build the best possible product
Links
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling Antifragile by Nassim Taleb SmartTerra on Kickstarter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. We’re back today with another episode of the Meet our Team series. Today, we’re going to be talking to Jeremy Losaw, director of engineering here at Enventys Partners. Jeremy, welcome to Art of the Kickstart. Glad to have you here today.
Jeremy Losaw: Thanks Roy, glad to be here.
Roy Morejon: So let’s talk today about product development and engineering for crowdfunding campaigns, specifically. To begin with, give us and our audience a little bit of background, tell us a bit about yourself and what you do here at Enventys Partners.
Jeremy Losaw: Yeah, sure. Like you’ve mentioned, I’m the director of engineering here at Enventys Partners. What that means is, I get to guide our inventors through all the way from an idea sketch through production. So helping you build the prototypes, working through the CAD, doing all the hard, deep work it takes to get the products to market.
Roy Morejon: Let’s start for our audience, by defining what product development and engineering are. Give our audience, I guess, a brief explanation of exactly what this is, and how it relates to crowdfunding.
Jeremy Losaw: Yeah, so product engineering is really the process of making ideas real. It involves, especially in the early stages, a lot of prototyping. Typically, we’re not quite sure every single feature of what the product is going to have, and so we need to really get down to the weeds of running tests, figuring out materials, figuring out linkages, levers,
In our latest installment of our Meet the Experts series, we talk to Julia Sherertz about using cross promotions as part of an overall crowdfunding marketing strategy for Kickstarter or Indiegogo. Tune in to learn more about what makes another project a good fit for cross promotions, how to set them up and more. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to use cross promotions as part of your Kickstarter or Indiegogo marketing strategy How to choose projects that are a good fit for a cross promotion How to pitch a cross promotion to another project How to set up cross promotions after another project creator agrees to partner with you What kind of results to expect from cross promotions
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full-service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010.
Roy Morejon: Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts.
Roy Morejon: Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today in this episode is part of our series of interviews where I’m speaking with some of the amazing, awesome team here at Enventys Partners that I have the opportunity to work with every day. Today, I’m going to be speaking with Julia Sherertz, Cross Promotion Specialist here at Enventys Partners. Julia, thanks so much for joining us today.
Julia Sherertz: Thank you for having me.
Roy Morejon: So, we’re so glad to have you here today to talk about crowdfunding cross promotions. I know this can be one of the single most effective ways to generate great conversions for people’s inventions for people that have already launched crowdfunding campaigns. Tell our audience a little bit about yourself and what you do here at Enventys Partners.
Julia Sherertz: Sure. I’ve been at Enventys Partners for a little over a year now, and I’m the only person here that does cross promotions, so I guess I have the unique opportunity to really work with every campaign that comes into Enventys. Basically, I’m the person that outreaches and builds that relationships amongst the Kickstarter Indiegogo campaigns like the community.
Roy Morejon: So, to begin with, give your audience, I guess, a brief explanation of what exactly cross promotions or cross collaborations are.
Julia Sherertz: Cross promotion is a form of marketing promotion where basically a project creator is choosing to promote another project that’s usually a similar audience, industry, project size, or price to his or her backer audience. I’ve come to see, just in my year that I’ve been here, that the Kickstarter Indiegogo communities themselves are very supportive and they want to help out their other campaigns as much as they can. So cross promotions have become almost commonplace f...
On this week’s episode of the Art of the Kickstart podcast, we spoke with Julia Benben of Chameleon Pens. Tune in to learn more about their latest Kickstarter project for the Chameleon Fineliner pens, plus how to build a community around your product or brand and launch a new project using Kickstarter. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to use crowdfunding to grow your product line How to think about features, pricing and more when designing a new product How to build a community around your product How backing a product on Kickstarter is different from buying a product on a different website Why listening to your customers is critical Why you need to research everything before beginning to launch a Kickstarter project
Links
Chameleon Pens on Kickstarter Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010.
Roy Morejon: Each week I will interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Backer Kit and The Gadget Flow. Backer Kit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster.
Roy Morejon: The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts.
Roy Morejon: Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Julia Benben with The Chameleon Pen Campaigns and Company. Julia, thank you so much for joining us today.
Julia Benben: Hey, it’s really wonderful to be here.
Roy Morejon: So I always love and enjoy, and I know the audience does as well, speaking to campaign creators that have done multiple campaigns. So you guys are about to launch your fourth campaign, and likely when this episode airs, it will be live, on May the 7th, launching The Chameleon Pen Campaign for The Fineliner, which is I guess a little bit of a broader product in terms of the category that you’re going to be launching in.
Roy Morejon: So I know the first project back in 2014 I think that you launched and have done subsequent campaigns thereafter, now this being the 4th campaign. Let’s talk about from the beginning. Where does this all start? Let’s talk about the journey that you’ve taken to get here.
Julia Benben: Sure. Yeah. It was an interesting journey because I think I mentioned to you, I started actually getting interested in the Kickstarter platform back in 2014, and I just thought it was a really innovative way to launch products.
Julia Benben: Before that, we’d launch most of our products through direct response television we have done before, through a lot of television home shopping channels. And this just looked like a whole new way to be able to launch new innovation.
Julia Benben: So we had come up with ah, well Terry Bolton, a friend of ours, had come up with this amazing concept to be able to get multiple color tones out of one pen.
This week on Art of the Kickstart we spoke to David Majeski, co-founder of Brightloc, a 2-in-1 bike lock and light system. Tune in to hear the story of how he was inspired to create the Brightloc, the product development process he went through, and how he ultimately launched it through a Kickstarter campaign. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to decide what features to include when building your product How combining form with function can be tricky when developing a new product Tips for turning an idea into a product ready for a Kickstarter campaign What to look for in a crowdfunding marketing agency Why understanding your customers is key
Links
Brightloc on Kickstarter brightloc.com Competing Against Luck by Clayton Christensen
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top, full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart, today I am joined with David Majeski, NC State student and co-founder of Brightloc. David, thank you so much for joining us today.
David Majeski: Oh, thank you for having me on Roy, I’m excited to be here.
Roy Morejon: So you are a super smart guy coming at an NC State, dual degrees, graduating here in May, so congrats on that. And you’ve come up with this really innovative two in one bike lock and light system that’s going to be launching here very quickly. Probably by the time this episode goes live, the campaign will be live. So listeners make sure, we’ll include a link to the campaign once it goes live. But this is a really unique solution for not only bicycle security and visibility, but it also combines this advanced lighting system with a high grade U-lock. David I’ve got to ask as always, where did this idea start? What inspired you to create Brightloc?
David Majeski: Yeah, thank you. So Brightloc was actually started out of the product innovation lab at NC State. In fall of 2016 myself and actually our lead designer who was a student then as well were on a team together in the product design and development course. Both myself, Brian, and a few other members of the team had either been active cyclists or were very active cyclists at the time. And all of us had had some pretty close encounters or actual accidents with vehicles while cycling in and around campus and in the Greater Raleigh area. So we were tasked with coming up with a novel solution to a problem or unmet need in a consumer facing market and we decided to tackle cycling safety.
David Majeski: So we were out interviewing a lot of cyclists who primarily use cycling for method of transportat...
This week on Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Nick Hamburger, founder of Quevos, the original egg white chip. Tune in and learn more about what the process of developing a food product looks like, how to get your Kickstarter campaign off on the right foot and much more! Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How long to expect it to take to develop a product before launching on Kickstarter How to test your product with consumers Why taking your time with Kickstarter prep work is beneficial Tips for developing a food product Why having manufacturers in place before launching a crowdfunding campaign is so critical How to build up excitement for Kickstarter launch day Why it’s important to leverage your network during a crowdfunding campaign Why your best approach is likely to target people who already use Kickstarter
Links
Quevos on Kickstarter Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn Quevos.com
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyers guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Nick Hamburger with the Quevos Campaign. Nick, thank you so much for joining us today.
Nick Hamburger: Yeah. Pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me, Roy.
Roy Morejon: Yeah, so the original egg white chip. I’m really excited about this campaign and this project. You guys crushed it on day one. You hit $10,000 goal on the first day, in the first two hours. These high protein, low carb chips made from egg whites, I’m really excited to obviously taste them, once you guys send them out. Four different flavors. The campaign’s done over 50K so far. Over eleven hundred people have backed this campaign.
Roy Morejon: So I’ve got to start with where the inspiration come from to create Quevos?
Nick Hamburger: Sure, yeah. So I’ll take you back about two and a half years ago. My co-founder and I had just graduated high school, so we had a lot of time on our hands that summer. He was making eggs which are kind of a stand-by for him, because he’s type 1 diabetic. So eggs are low carb. Great convenient snack for him. We were eating some of those crispy pieces that are left in the pan when you cook an omelet, kind of the refuse. We were eating them and were like, “Hey, these are crunchy. These are salty. They’re kind of like chips.” But it was clear to us that that’d be a much healthier base than potatoes or tortillas for our chips, so we started playing around. And after about, I’d say, six months of development, but it was on and off, we took the idea to the New Venture Challenge at U Chicago,
On this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Guy and Laura Newton, creators of the LAC Convertible Handbag. Listen in to learn more about what the prototyping process looks like, challenges to expect when finding and vetting manufacturers, how to prepare for a crowdfunding campaign, and much more. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What the prototyping process may look like Challenges that come with designing a product and finding manufacturers What to consider when partnering with a crowdfunding agency How much time to allow yourself to prepare for a crowdfunding campaign Why Indiegogo may be the right platform for your project
Links
LAC Convertible Handbag The Lean Startup
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top, full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010.
Roy Morejon: Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit, and the Gadget Flow.
Roy Morejon: BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations, and helping you print and ship faster.
Roy Morejon: The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets, and creative gifts.
Roy Morejon: Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined with Guy and Laura Newton. Thank you guys so much for being here today.
Guy Newton: Thanks very much. It’s good to be here.
Laura Newton: Yes, thanks for having us, Roy.
Roy Morejon: So you guys have created the LAC convertible handbag. So this is a really beautiful, natural leather, cross-body bag that has, you know, interchangeable bases, straps, and flaps, and customize your look instantly.
Roy Morejon: So let’s start with the inspiration to create this convertible handbag. Where did it all begin?
Laura Newton: I’ll talk to this one. I think the inspiration really came from when we moved to southeast Asia for our work. We did a lot of travel around, and I found that I could never find a bag that really suited what I needed, especially when traveling.
Laura Newton: I really wanted a bag that could take me from day to night. So this is how I came up with the idea. I wanted something that was flexible in nature, and convertible. The whole concept came about with one bag, but obviously, you can have it in many different colors, straps, so yeah, that was really the inspiration behind it.
Laura Newton: And also, just a bag not only for travel, but everyday needs, as well as night.
Roy Morejon: So when you were creating these bags, what did that process look like from the beginning? How did you guys go about what features to include, what materials to put into it? Talk a little bit about that.
Guy Newton: It was a series of, I guess, prototypes that we went through. Laura being the design and creative inspiration behind this ideas, and me bringing perhaps some of my operational skills, and really trying to prototype different design...
This week on Art of the Kickstart, we’re speaking with Chad Rogers of Lemonlight about creating a video for a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign. Tune in to learn more about growing a business, creating a great video that fits your budget and finding crowdfunding success. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Challenges that come with growing and scaling a company Why it’s important for a business to address a problem you’re passionate about solving Why video is so powerful Important considerations when creating a video for a crowdfunding campaign What types of information to include in a crowdfunding video What the process of creating a crowdfunding video is like Why it’s important to know your budget before you begin How to determine the best messaging for your video
Links
Lemonlight Kudrone on Indiegogo Traffic and Conversion Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Backer Kit and the Gadget Flow. Backer Kit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Chad Rogers, chief revenue officer and cofounder at Lemonlight. Chad, thank you so much for joining us today.
Chad Rogers: Thanks for having me, Roy.
Roy Morejon: So Chad, we had a chance to, to bond. You guys shared some space with us at the Consumer Electronics Show, but I wanted to tell everybody in the audience that Lemonlight is a video marketing company. You guys truly have mastered all of the ingredients that go into creating beautiful videos and crafting stories basically for people with videos. Over the last four years, you’ve guys have done over 4,000 videos. You’ve worked in almost every single state in this great land and you guys are on a mission to create high quality, affordable video content for businesses, as well as crowdfunding startups. So let’s start with where it all began. What inspired you to cofound Lemonlight?
Chad Rogers: Yeah. You know, when we first started the actual focus was we believe video is incredibly important in the future of marketing. And we believe that every brand, every company, everyone deserves to have their story told. And we figured out the way to do it scalably and that was by a looking at production budgets and saying where’s all the waste happening? And the waste was happening in bloated crews where there were multiple people on set and doing nothing while only a couple people were actually doing all the heavy lifting. So we really broke down our crews to minimize the expenses there and as well as utilizing local crews.
In this week’s episode of Art of the Kickstart, we speak with Adam Holden-Bache, email marketing expert at Enventys Partners. Listen in and learn more about email marketing for crowdfunding campaigns, including how to use it before your project, what to do with email on launch day, and how to get the best ROI from email marketing through the duration of your Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What is email marketing? Why email marketing is a key component of a successful crowdfunding campaign What kind of results creators can expect to see from their email marketing efforts The difference between email marketing performance and Facebook Ad performance How to use email marketing before you launch a crowdfunding campaign How to use email marketing for a live crowdfunding campaign What to consider when vetting a crowdfunding marketing agency How to get the best ROI from your email marketing campaigns
Links
Enventys Partners How to Win at B2B Email Marketing by Adam Holden-Bache
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstarter. This is the next episode in the series of interviews where I have been interviewing some of the most amazing marketing people here at Enventys Partners that I get an opportunity to work with every day. Our fourth guest today is Adam Holden-Bache. The director of email marketing and also author of “How to Win at B2B Email Marketing,”. Adam real excited for you to be here today.
Adam H.: Glad to be here.
Roy Morejon: Adam you’ve been with Enventys Partners now for over a year and a half after successfully selling your email marketing company. Really glad to have you on the show today to talk about email marketing and crowdfunding campaigns. To begin with give us a little bit of a background and tell us a bit about yourself and what you do here at Enventys Partners?
Adam H.: Sure. I’ve been in email marketing for pretty much my entire career. Kind of been there since the beginning. As you mentioned just a second ago, I did have an agency that I ran for over 15 years and sold it and we were primarily a B2B email marketing agency. Since then, I’ve kind of moved more to the B2C side and recently I’ve been working with Enventys Partners on crowdfunding campaigns along with any internal projects here too. But it’s been an interesting ride. Emails changed a lot but it’s also stayed the same a lot.
Adam H.: A lot of the experience that I’ve had from my career I’ve been able to extend into what we’re doing here. Along with the methodology and strategies for things like testing and stuff like that, we’ve seen a lot of improvements I think in our email marketing process recently and hope to continue that path.
Roy Morejon: Absolutely. So let’s start with defining email marketing. Give our audience the Adam version of what exactly email marketing is.
Adam H.: Well and I think it’s pretty self-explanatory in that we’re basically using emails to channel for marketing. I think the important thing with email marketing is making sure we’re hitting people at the right time with the right message … really trying to be relevant. I think probably one of the best things email marketing has done, in recent years, is increased its relevancy. We are doing a lot more to improve that. To make sure that we’re using personalization … Doing other things using data to actually make decisions and trying to get the right message in front of the right person so it gives them the most value.
Roy Morejon:
This week on Art of the Kickstart, we’re talking with Sarah Hunter, account manager at Enventys Partners, about what crowdfunding creators needs to know about working with an agency. Tune in to hear her thoughts about why you should work with an agency, how to make sure the agency you choose understands your brand and what you can do to ensure your campaign is a success. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why crowdfunding creators should work with an agency What kind of information an agency will need from you before they start working on your campaign How to make sure your agency understands your brand’s messaging How long to expect your crowdfunding agency to spend preparing for launch Why it’s important to trust your crowdfunding agency Why an open line of communication is important for a successful crowdfunding campaign
Links
Enventys Partners The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** by Mark Manson DUO: The on-the-go dual screen laptop monitor
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turn key product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the new level with crowdfunding.
Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Backer Kit and the Gadget Flow. Backer Kit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that help you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. This is the next episode in the series of interviews where I’ll be speaking with some of my amazing team here at Enventys Partners that I have the opportunity to work with every day. And our third guest on the show is Sarah Hunter, account manager here at Enventys Partners. Sarah, thank you so much for joining us.
Sarah Hunter: Of course, happy to be here.
Roy Morejon: So, really glad to have you on the show and find time in your busy account manager life. Sarah has worked on some of the biggest campaigns in crowdfunding. Again, DUO, Antonio Saint New York, lifepack, [inaudible 00:01:45], the list goes on and on. So we’re excited today to talk about our discovery process, and what to expect when working with an agency. So, if you would for our audience start off by introducing yourself, telling our guests a little bit about what you do here at Enventys Partners.
Sarah Hunter: Sure. I’ve been an account manager here at Enventys Partners for a little over three years now. I am currently the main point of contact for our crowdfunding clients, and I’m basically the main liaison between the clients and our internal team here.
Roy Morejon: So, here’s your job on how to sell it, right? So, to begin with, why should a crowdfunding campaign creator work with an agency like ours?
Sarah Hunter: Agencies like ours have been doing this for years. We’re well versed in all things crowdfunding. We can provide feedback, consult, create copy and materials,
Frustration with soggy sandwiches paved a path for Desiree Haller of SubSafe to create a new product, leading to a new business and a deal with the Sharks on Shark Tank. Tune in to this week’s episode of the podcast to learn more about building a great product, growing a company and making a deal with the Sharks. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why solving a need is the key to a great product How to overcome prototyping challenges when designing a new product How to determine your target market for a new product How long the process of getting on Shark Tank actually takes What to expect when you audition for Shark Tank Tips for making a deal with the Sharks
Links
SubSafe How to Win at the Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It by Mark Cuban Invent It, Sell It, Bank It!: Make Your Million-Dollar Idea into a Reality by Lori Greiner Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man? by Charles Barkley
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit, and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment, by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined with Desiree Haller, CEO, and I gave her the title of Chief Sub Organizer, with SubSafe. Desiree, thank you so much for joining us today.
Desiree Haller: Oh, thank you Roy for having me. I’m very excited to be here.
Roy Morejon: Yeah, really excited to have you on the show, I know we had Zorpads on a few weeks ago, and they shared the same episode on Shark Tank with you guys. You and your husband Adam went on the show in hopes of sharing a 13% of your company exchange, but ended up doing a deal with Mark Cuban, and Charles Barkley, where they gave you $100,000 for 25% of the company. So, I love this product, give us and the audience an idea of where did this idea come from? What inspired you to create SubSafe?
Desiree Haller: Well, the husband and I are avid boaters, and even more specifically we do a lot of offshore fishing, and where we live, we spend the whole day, it takes about two hours just to get to the location. So it’s really an all day event, and I think like most men are kind of creatures of habit, my husband always did the same thing. He went to the sub shop, he got the sub, he put it in the cooler. And we would always return with half of a soggy mess, you know, the part that stayed in just those extra couple hours was just enough to throw it over and ruin it.
Desiree Haller: So I was actually just, I had no intention of creating a product in the beginning, I was just trying to find something on the market, and it was just kind of one of those light bulb moments when I ...
This week we’re catching up with Wylie Robinson, who we first interviewed three years ago in episode 123. Tune in to learn more about how he went on to have two more successful crowdfunding campaigns, what he’s learned about scaling a business and entering the wholesale market, what’s next for his company and much more. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How a company can grow through crowdfunding Challenges that come with scaling a company after multiple successful Kickstarter campaigns How Kickstarter campaign preparations change after you’ve run multiple successful projects How to cut costs for your Kickstarter video How to use social media to grow your audience How to manage feedback from Kickstarter backers Why you need to have your product ready to go before launching on Kickstarter How to scale your company to begin to sell wholesale
Links
Art of the Kickstart Episode 123 Yvon Chouinard Yosemite National Park Let My People Go Surfing Change by Design
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts.
Now, let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Wylie Robinson, founder and CEO of Rumpl. Wylie, thank you for joining the show again.
Wylie Robinson:
Thanks, Roy. Nice to be here.
Roy Morejon:
I was going through the archives. You were episode number 123 three and a half years ago, basically December of 2015. This was my first episode after acquiring the podcast, so I’m really excited to have you back on the show today.
Wylie Robinson:
Yeah, it’s crazy. It feels like yesterday.
Roy Morejon:
It does, I’m sure. In that time, you’ve now run a total of four successful Kickstarter campaigns. You’ve raised over a million dollars in capital just from the Kickstarter community. You’ve now got, as we were talking offline, 22 full time people at your offices in Portland, Oregon. We’re really excited to hear about what you’ve been up to since then and all these lessons that you’ve learned since running your first crowdfunding campaign back in January of 2014.
Wylie Robinson:
Yeah. It’s been an insane, I guess, five years now, and a lot has changed. I think that the company’s developed a lot. I think I’ve personally developed quite a bit. It’s really just a whole different beast than when we launched that first campaign.
Roy Morejon:
Yeah, I bet. Let’s start by giving our listeners a little bit more background. Tell us where this whole thing started again, and how after these four Kickstarter campaigns came to be, and what you’ve been doing since we’ve last talked.
Wouldn’t it be nice to get practical Facebook advertising tips you could use for your marketing efforts? Do you have a marketing strategy for your ecommerce business yet? What are you waiting for? Here to share his knowledge on this vital subject is Danny Tarr.
Danny is the Director of Paid Media at Enventys Partners. He has been with Enventys serving in several roles over the last three years. Danny is passionate about digital advertising, photography and web analytics.
In our conversation, Danny talks about his work as the Director of Paid Media, why Facebook ads are so important for startups, how the Facebook Ads process works for his team, tips for getting the best ROI on Facebook Ad spending, and much more. Don’t miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Danny! Why are Facebook Ads so important? Are you using Facebook Ads? Do you find the prospect of using Facebook Ads daunting? Danny Tarr is here to help shed light on this often intimidating subject. There are 3.2 billion reasons why more and more startup entrepreneurs are turning their attention to Facebook Ads; that number represents the monthly average of active users on Facebook’s platform. Don’t you want to get your product in front of as many people as possible? It seems like Facebook is a worthwhile investment for startups to utilize both before and during a crowdfunded campaign. How to get the most out of Facebook Ad spending. As a business leader, you want to use your time, assets and resources in the smartest way possible. Let’s face it; you can’t use your funds haphazardly, you’ve got to be deliberate and calculating. What is the best way to get the most out of your Facebook Ad spending? According to Danny Tarr, the best way to maximize your Facebook Ad spending is to focus on creating custom audiences. This allows you to create look-a-like audiences and take advantage of assets you’ve already built like email lists. Danny also encourages project managers and marketers to constantly test and optimize their efforts while remaining flexible.
To hear Danny expand on his helpful insights and tips, make sure to catch this episode! Key Takeaways
[1:05] Danny Tarr joins the podcast to talk about his work with Facebook Ads for Enventys Partners. [2:45] Why are Facebook Ads so important for startups? [4:30] What does the Facebook Ads process look like for Danny and his team? [7:00] How do Facebook Ads come into play during a crowdfunded campaign? [8:30] Danny’s tip for getting the best ROI on Facebook Ad spending. [9:30] Danny enters the Launch Round; rapid-fire questions.
Links
Steve Jobs A Whole New Mind
Connect With Danny Tarr
Danny on LinkedIn
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team info@artofthekickstart.com
What are your current lead generation techniques and strategies? Have you started to craft your approach or are you still trying to figure out the best way to put your brand in a position to succeed? On this episode, Ashley Mizell joins the podcast to talk about her role in implementing lead generation techniques at Enventys Partners.
Ashley is the Paid Media Team Lead at Eventys Partners; she has been with the organization for the last two years. Ashley has over eight years of experience in PPC, website and mass email advertising, advertising promotions and events, and crowdfunding campaigns. She is currently responsible for the implementation of PPC strategies and setup of all campaigns at Enventys Partners. Using PPC advertising, Ashley maximizes brand awareness, leads, and sales for startup initiatives.
In our conversation, Ashley talks about Enventys Partners’ approach to lead generation, how to create a successful landing page, what it takes to use Facebook Ads effectively and much more. You don’t want to miss a minute of this informative episode featuring Ashley’s helpful insights! Lead generation techniques you can use. Every ecommerce business wants an innovative and successful lead generation process, but few are willing to invest the time and resources required to see the process through. What is your current approach to lead generation? At Enventys Partners, Ashley Mizell leads the paid media team tasked with lead generation. The primary goal for Ashley and her team is to collect as many high-quality leads as possible; they accomplish this goal through email collection campaigns and Facebook Ads. They also pour a lot of effort into creating a solid landing page that clearly communicates to their target audience their next step of engagement. Make sure to catch this episode as Ashley expands on this critical topic and more! How to use Facebook Ads effectively. When it comes to Facebook Ads and connecting with your target audience on the social media platform, what is your strategy? Have you committed resources to your efforts on Facebook or are you still trying to figure out your approach? Using lead generation apps within Facebook, Ashley and her team focus on two methods.
Using an “Enter to win” offer they can acquire the lowest cost per lead. Using a “Sign up for discount” offer they can acquire a higher quality leads.
In one instance, they found that their “Sign up for discount” offer led to a 2.5 times better conversion than their “Enter to win” offer. Ashley’s ultimate goal with Facebook Ads is to convert as many leads as possible into backers. To accomplish this goal, Ashley and her team make sure to contact these leads with a launch email detailing the advantages of joining a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign as an early backer. Learn more about Ashley’s innovative and successful lead generation techniques by listening to this episode! Key Takeaways
[1:05] Ashley Mizell joins the podcast to talk about her work at Enventys Partners. [2:45] How does Enventys Partners approach lead generation? What are the main goals? [4:20] What are the most important aspects of a successful landing page? [5:45] Using Facebook Ads to gather leads. [7:20] Ashley enters the Launch Round; rapid-fire questions. [10:00] Closing thoughts from Ashley.
Links
Mark Zuckerburg Rise and Grind
Connect With Ashley Mizell
Ashley on LinkedIn
Sponsors
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data,
What are your current lead generation techniques and strategies? Have you started to craft your approach or are you still trying to figure out the best way to put your brand in a position to succeed? On this episode, Ashley Mizell joins the podcast to talk about her role in implementing lead generation techniques at Enventys Partners.
Ashley is the Paid Media Team Lead at Eventys Partners; she has been with the organization for the last two years. Ashley has over eight years of experience in PPC, website and mass email advertising, advertising promotions and events, and campaigns. She is currently responsible for the implementation of PPC strategies and setup of all campaigns at Enventys Partners. Using PPC advertising, Ashley maximizes brand awareness, leads, and sales for startup initiatives.
Our conversation, Ashley talks about Eventys’ approach to lead generation, how to create a successful landing page, what it takes to use Facebook Ads effectively, and much more. You don’t want to miss a minute of this informative episode featuring Ashley’s helpful insights!
Lead generation techniques you can use. Every ecommerce business wants an innovative and successful lead generation process, but few are willing to invest the time and resources required to see the process through. What is your current approach to lead generation? At Eventys, Ashley Mizell leads the paid media team tasked with lead generation. The primary goal for Ashley and her team is to collect as many high-quality leads as possible; they accomplish this goal through email collection campaigns and Facebook Ads. They also pour a lot of effort into creating a solid landing page that clearly communicates to their target audience their next step of engagement. Make sure to catch this episode as Ashley expands on this critical topic and more!
How to use Facebook Ads effectively. When it comes to Facebook Ads and connecting with your target audience on the social media platform, what is your strategy? Have you committed resources to your efforts on Facebook or are you still trying to figure out your approach? Using lead generation apps within Facebook, Ashley and her team focus on two methods.
- Using an “Enter to win” offer they can acquire the lowest cost per lead.
- Using a “Sign up for discount” offer they can acquire a higher quality leads.
In one instance, they found that their “Sign up for discount” offer led to a 2.5 better conversion than their “Enter to win” offer. Ashley’s ultimate goal with Facebook Ads is to convert as many leads as possible into backers. To accomplish this goal, Ashley and her team make sure to contact these leads with a launch email detailing the advantages of joining as an early backer. Learn more about Ashley’s innovative and successful lead generation techniques by listening to this episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Ashley Mizell joins the podcast to talk about her work at Enventys Partners. * [2:45] How does Enventys approach lead generation? What are the main goals? * [4:20] What are the most important aspects of a successful landing page? * [5:45] Using Facebook Ads to gather leads. * [7:20] Ashley enters the Launch Round; rapid-fire questions. * [10:00] Closing thoughts from Ashley.
Links * Mark Zuckerburg * Rise and Grind
Connect With Ashley Mizell * Ashley on LinkedIn
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
Have you ever lived with someone who has terrible shoe odor? Living in close quarters with shoe odor can be a really unbearable situation, so what is the solution? Taylor Wiegele joins the podcast to talk about his shoe odor solution, Zorpads.
Taylor received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He’s spent time in retail at Target Corporation, consumer goods at The Clorox Company, and aerospace at SpaceX. Bringing all of this experience to the table, Taylor and his business partner, Sierra Smith, founded Zorpads.
In our conversation, Taylor talks about his experience on Shark Tank, tips he has for fellow inventors, challenges they’ve faced along the way, what it takes to get press coverage, and much more. Don’t miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Taylor and Zorpads. How Zorpads fights shoe odor. Is shoe odor really that big of an issue? Can you build a whole business and brand around solving shoe odor? If you think about it, your shoes turn into a Dutch Oven over time as smell builds up. Most of the odor is caused by sweat that has nowhere to go! That’s where Zorpads come in; these pads have an insane amount of odor-absorbing surface area for sucking up bad smells. Zorpads are long lasting too; they can be used over the course of sixty wears. If you’d like to know more about the impressive technology that goes into each Zorpads product, make sure to check out their website located in the resources section. Appearing on Shark Tank. Most entrepreneurs and innovators dream of getting the chance to pitch their product on Shark Tank. Is the opportunity really all it’s hyped up to be? Are there any tips for getting a shot to appear on Shark Tank or making the most of that opportunity? Taylor Wiegele was kind enough to take the time to open up about his Shark Tank experience. Taylor and his business partner, Sierra leveraged their network and contacts with anyone who had ever connected with Shark Tank in any way to send in a recommendation for them to appear on the show. Fortunately, their efforts paid off, and by the time they were able to sit down with producers, they had already heard about Zorpads from multiple sources. Get the full story from Taylor on this episode! Raise more money than you think you’ll need. There are so many challenges to get a startup off the ground and functioning. Many entrepreneurs don’t have the margin in their budget to pay themselves for years. Looking back on his journey with Zorpads, Taylor Wiegele encourages innovators to aim for raising more money than they think they’ll need. The truth is, costs grow and variables arise that you can’t foresee when you first start your journey. If you go in with the knowledge that you’ll need even more funds than you think, you’ll be better prepared for whatever comes your way. Learn more helpful insights like this one from Taylor’s story by listening to this informative episode! Key Takeaways
[1:05] Taylor Wiegele joins the podcast to talk about his product, Zorpads. [4:45] What were the challenges of developing Zorpads? [6:30] Why it’s important to delay manufacturing as long as possible. [8:30] Taylor talks about why they didn’t launch their product via crowdfunding. [10:00] Tips for getting press attention and how to pitch your product. [12:30] Taylor opens up about the Shark Tank experience. [15:20] What would Taylor change about his product launch? [16:30] Taylor enters the Launch Round; rapid-fire questions. [18:00] Why you should check out Zorpads.
Links
Mark Cuban Help A Reporter Out (HARO) Blake Mycoskie The Innovator's Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth Shark Tank
Connect With Zorpads
Zorpads Zorpads on Shark Tank
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save,
Have you ever lived with someone who has terrible shoe odor? Living in close quarters with shoe odor can be a really unbearable situation, what is the solution? Taylor Wiegele joins the podcast to talk about his shoe odor solution, Zorpads.
Taylor received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He’s spent time in Retail at Target Corporation, Consumer Goods at The Clorox Company, and Aerospace at SpaceX. Bringing all of this experience to the table, Taylor and his business partner, Sierra Smith founded, Zorpads.
In our conversation, Taylor talks about his experience on Shark Tank, tips he has for fellow inventors, challenges they’ve faced along the way, what it takes to get press coverage, and much more. Don’t miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Taylor and Zorpads.
How Zorpads fights shoe odor. Is shoe odor really that big of an issue? Can you build a whole business and brand around solving shoe odor? If you think about it, your shoes turn into a Dutch Oven over time as smell builds up. Most of the odor is caused by sweat that has nowhere to go! That’s where Zorpads come in; these pads have an insane amount of odor-absorbing surface area for sucking up bad smells. Zorpads are long lasting too; they can be used over the course of sixty wears. If you’d like to know more about the impressive technology that goes into each Zorpads product, make sure to check out their website located in the resources section.
Appearing on Shark Tank. Most entrepreneurs and innovators dream of getting the chance to pitch their product on Shark Tank. Is the opportunity really all it’s hyped up to be? Are there any tips for getting a shot to appear on Shark Tank or making the most of that opportunity? Taylor Wiegele was kind enough to take the time to open up about his Shark Tank experience. Taylor and his business partner, Sierra leveraged their network and contacts with anyone who had ever connected with Shark Tank in any way to send in a recommendation for them to appear on the show. Fortunately, their gambit paid off, and by the time they were able to sit down with producers, they had already heard about Zorpads from multiple sources. Get the full story from Taylor on this episode!
Raise more money than you think you’ll need. There are so many challenges to get a startup off the ground and functioning. Many entrepreneurs don’t have the margin in their budget to pay themselves for years. Looking back on his journey with Zorpads, Taylor Wiegele encourages innovators to aim for raising more money than they think they’ll need. The truth is, costs grow and variables arise that you can’t foresee when you first start your journey. If you go in with the knowledge that you’ll need even more funds than you think, you’ll be better prepared for whatever comes your way. Learn more helpful insights like this one from Taylor’s story by listening to this informative episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Taylor Wiegele joins the podcast to talk about his product, Zorpads. * [4:45] What were the challenges of developing Zorpads? * [6:30] Why it’s important to delay manufacturing as long as possible. * [8:30] Taylor talks about why they didn’t launch their product via crowdfunding. * [10:00] Tips for getting press attention and how to pitch your product. * [12:30] Taylor opens up about the Shark Tank experience. * [15:20] What would Taylor change about his product launch? * [16:30] Taylor enters the Launch Round; rapid-fire questions. * [18:00] Why you should check out Zorpads.
Links * Mark Cuban * Help A Reporter Out (HARO) * Blake Mycoskie * The Innovator's Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth * Shark Tank
Connect With Zorpads * Zorpads * Zorpads on Shark Tank
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
What does it take to design and market the warmest jacket on the market? What is the target audience for this type of product? When is the best time to launch? Joining the podcast to talk about the Kistler Aerogel Jacket is Henry Wang. Henry is a business partner for Kistler, and it was my pleasure to speak with him about their incredible product. In our conversation, Henry opens up about their pre-campaign efforts, why they decided to connect with Enventys Partners, the video they made for the product, and much more. Don’t miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Henry Wang and the Kistler jacket. Creating the warmest jacket. Have you ever heard of aerogel? It’s a type of insulating material used to create ultra warm clothing. Aerogel was first created by Samuel Stephens Kistler in 1931. It’s an extremely durable and flexible material that is much more effective than other insulators such as down. It is the lightest solid in the world, and even NASA trusts aerogel technology to be used in their spacesuits, which are put through some of the universe’s harshest conditions. Kistler used Aerogel to create what they call “the warmest jacket.” Make sure to check out the link to their Kickstarter campaign located in the resources section at the end of this post. Finding the right partnerships. How do you find the right connections and partnerships to produce and market your invention? Is it a realistic to expect that you’ll find marketing partners along the way? Kistler decided to partner with Henry Wang as a business partner to lead their marketing efforts highlighting the Kistler jacket in the United States marketplace. Kistler also ended up connecting with Enventys Partners to roll out a robust and effective marketing strategy. To get the full story on Kistler and their successful partnerships, make sure to listen to this episode! Is there a perfect time to launch a product? When is the right time to launch a product? Should crowdfunding projects pay extra attention to the timing of their product launch? The team at Kistler decided to launch their product during a period that overlapped with the holiday season. Even though they launched during the holiday season they still experienced a good number of orders. Henry encourages inventors who launch during this season to stay optimistic because the numbers and traffic do tend to ebb and flow. To hear more of Henry’s take on launching during the holiday season, make sure to listen to this episode! Valuing backer feedback. When you launch a crowdfunded product, you’ve got to be prepared for backer feedback. Some inventors take a hyper-vigilant approach, and others don’t pay attention to backer feedback at all. Henry Wang and the team at Kistler were happy to get a significant amount of positive responses from backers of the Kistler Aerogel jacket. If you neglect backer feedback, you do so at your peril. Learn from Henry and Kistler’s story of listening to backer feedback and engaging with their backer community on this fascinating episode! Key Takeaways
[1:05] Henry Wang joins the podcast to talk about the Kistler Aerogel Jacket. [4:00] What pre-campaign efforts helped the team launch the product successfully? [5:40] Why did the Kistler team connect with Enventys Partners? [7:30] Henry talks about the video they made to market the Kistler jacket. [9:20] What are some of the stretch goals that Henry and the team included? [10:20] Responding to customer feedback. Why did they launch during the holidays? [13:30] Henry enters the Launch Round; rapid-fire questions. [20:20] Why you should check out the Kistler Aerogel Jacket.
Links
Jack Ma How To Win Friends and Influence People
Connect With Kistler
Kistler’s Kickstarter campaign
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products.
What does it take to design and publicize the warmest jacket on the market? What is the target audience for this type of product? When is the best time to launch? Joining the podcast to talk about the Kistler Aerogel Jacket is Henry Wang. Henry is a business partner for Kistler, and it was my pleasure to speak with him about their incredible product. In our conversation, Henry opens up about their pre-campaign efforts, why they decided to connect with Enventys Partners, the video they made for the product, and much more. Don’t miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Henry Wang and the Kistler jacket.
Creating the warmest jacket. Have you ever heard of aerogel? It’s a type of insulating material used to create ultra warm clothing. Aerogel was first created by Samuel Stephens Kistler in 1931. It’s an extremely durable and flexible material that is much more effective than other insulators such as down. It is the lightest solid in the world, and even NASA trusts aerogel technology to be used in their spacesuits, which are put through some of the universe’s harshest conditions. Kistler uses Aerogel to create what they call “the warmest jacket.” Make sure to check out the link to their Kickstarter campaign located in the resources link at the end of this post.
Finding the right partnerships. How do you find the right connections and partnerships to produce and market your invention? Is it a realistic expectation to have that you’ll find marketing partners along the way? Kistler decided to partner with Henry Wang as a business partner to lead their marketing efforts highlighting the Kistler jacket in the United States marketplace. Kistler also ended up connecting with Enventys Partners to roll out a robust and effective marketing strategy. To get the full story on Kistler and their successful partnership with Henry and Enventys make sure to listen to this episode!
Is there a perfect time to launch a product? When is the right time to launch a product? Should crowdfunding projects pay extra attention to the timing of their product launch and extended funding efforts? The team at Kistler decided to launch their product during a period that overlapped with the holiday season. Even though they launched during the holiday season they still experienced a good number of orders. Henry encourages inventors who launch during this season to stay optimistic because the numbers and traffic do tend to ebb and flow. To hear more of Henry’s take on launching during the holiday season, make sure to listen to this episode!
Valuing backer feedback. When you launch a crowdfunded product, you’ve got to be prepared for backer feedback. Some inventors take a hyper-vigilant approach, and others don’t pay attention to backer feedback at all. Henry Wang and the team at Kistler were happy to get a significant amount of positive responses from backers of the Kistler Aerogel jacket. If you neglect backer feedback, you do so at your peril. Learn from Henry and Kistler’s story of listening to backer feedback and engaging with their backer community on this fascinating episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Henry Wang joins the podcast to talk about the Kistler Aerogel Jacket. * [4:00] What pre-campaign efforts helped the team launch the product successfully? * [5:40] Why did the Kistler team connect with Enventys Partners? * [7:30] Henry talks about the video they made to market the Kistler jacket. * [9:20] What are some of the stretch goals that Henry and the team included? * [10:20] Responding to customer feedback. Why did they launch during the holidays? * [13:30] Henry enters the Launch Round; rapid-fire questions. * [20:20] Why you should check out the Kistler Aerogel Jacket.
Links * Jack Ma * How To Win Friends and Influence People
Connect With Kistler * Kistler’s Kickstarter campaign
One of the challenges of travel is worrying about where you will find safe water. You can’t assume that you’ll be able to find bottled water at every turn. Some countries have very different standards for what they consider safe water. What is the solution?
Dr. Rakesh Guduru has developed an amazing product that takes all the worry and concern over safe drinking water out of the equation. In our conversation, Rakesh opens up about what inspired his invention of the CrazyCap, how he prepared for the campaign launch on Kickstarter, what the development process was like, why he chose the campaign video he used, and much more. Don’t miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Rakesh and CrazyCap! Your frustration could lead you to a profitable solution. What will be the next major invention to catch momentum and go viral? How can you predict which ideas will take off and capture the public’s imagination? The next great invention could be a solution to a common frustration. Rakesh was concerned about where he’d find safe drinking water on a recent trip to China, and that sparked the idea for CrazyCap. Great ideas like CrazyCap are often hiding in plain sight; you just have to be ready to see them. To hear more about Rakesh’s story and how he came up with the idea for CrazyCap, make sure to listen to this episode! Safe water is more accessible than ever! For a long time, using water purification tablets was the only way to know for certain that your drinking water from an unknown source was safe. As demand increased and technology advanced, solutions like portable filters and UV sterilization sticks flooded the marketplace. While these were welcome additions, they all had their own set of complications; filters would clog, and some UV sterilization sticks would expose the user to UV.
CrazyCap entered the portable water purification space to provide a user-friendly solution. This innovative bottle cap auto-cleans your bottle and purifies water on the go. It is powered with advanced UVC LED light-ray technology and kills 99.9999% of bacteria and mold, and 99.99% of viruses. Make sure to check out the CrazyCap campaign on Kickstarter; the link is located in the at the end of this post. Don’t leave any stone unturned. Let’s face it, creating a successful product launch is no small feat. You’ve got to create a product that either has broad appeal or addresses a niche that is large enough to support your startup. To ensure that success is more likely than failure, entrepreneurs need to make sure that they turn over every stone they can to put their product in the best position for success. Rakesh and his team pulled out all the stops in their pre-campaign efforts, they contacted over 1500 bloggers and started with over 15,000 email leads. Even with this good start, Rakesh says that if he were to do it over again, he’d start even earlier reaching out to any channel he could. The lesson here to push beyond what you think you’ll need to succeed. Get more helpful insights like this one from Rakesh by listening to this helpful episode! Key Takeaways
[1:05] Dr. Rakesh Guduru joins the podcast to talk about his product, CrazyCap. [4:20] What inspired Rakesh to invent the CrazyCap? [6:30] Rakesh talks about the development process. [8:30] How did Rakesh and his team prepare for the campaign launch? [10:00] What was it like showcasing CrazyCap at CES? [12:00] How did Rakesh come up with the idea for the campaign video? [14:15] Rakesh enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. [16:45] Why you should check out CrazyCap.
Links
Snowball Made in America Elon Musk Google Adwords CES CrazyCap’s Kickstarter page
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts.
One of the challenges of travel is worrying about where you will find safe water. You can’t assume that you’ll be able to find bottled water at every turn. Some countries have very different standards for what they consider safe water. What is the solution?
Dr. Rakesh Guduru has developed an amazing product that takes all the worry and concern over safe drinking water out of the equation. In our conversation, Rakesh opens up about what inspired his invention of the CrazyCap, how he prepared for the campaign launch on Kickstarter, what the development process was like, why he chose the campaign video he used, and much more. Don’t miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Rakesh and CrazyCap!
Your frustration could lead you to a profitable solution. What will be the next major invention to catch momentum and go viral? How can you predict which ideas will take off and capture the public’s imagination? The next great invention could be a solution to a common frustration. Rakesh was concerned about where he’d find safe drinking water on a recent trip to China, and that sparked the idea for CrazyCap. Great ideas like CrazyCap are often hiding in plain sight; you just have to be ready to see them. To hear more about Rakesh’s story and how he came up with the idea for CrazyCap, make sure to listen to this episode!
Safe water is more accessible than ever! For a long time, using water purification tablets was the only way to know for certain that your drinking water from an unknown source was safe. As demand increased and technology advanced, solutions like portable filters and UV sterilization sticks flooded the marketplace. While these were welcome additions, they all had their own set of complications, filters would clog, and some UV sterilisation sticks would expose the user to UV.
CrazyCap enters the portable water purification space to provide a user-friendly solution. This innovative bottle cap auto-cleans your bottle and purifies water on the go. It is powered with advanced UVC LED light-ray technology and kills 99.9999% of bacteria and mold, and 99.99% of viruses. Make sure to check out the CrazyCap campaign on Kickstarter; the link is located in the resources section at the end of this post.
Don’t leave any stone unturned. Let’s face it, creating a successful product launch is no small feat. You’ve got to create a product that either has broad appeal or addresses a niche that is large enough to support your startup. To ensure that success is more likely than failure, entrepreneurs need to make sure that they turn over every stone they can to put their product in the best position for success. Rakesh and his team pulled out all the stops in their pre-campaign efforts, they contacted over 1500 bloggers and started with over 15,000 email leads. Even with this good start, Rakesh says that if he were to do it over again, he’d start even earlier reaching out to any channel he could. The lesson here to push beyond what you think you’ll need to succeed. Get more helpful insights like this one from Rakesh by listening to this helpful episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Dr. Rakesh Guduru joins the podcast to talk about his product, CrazyCap. * [4:20] What inspired Rakesh to invent the CrazyCap? * [6:30] Rakesh talks about the development process. * [8:30] How did Rakesh and his team prepare for the campaign launch? * [10:00] What was it like featuring CrazyCap at CES? * [12:00] How did Rakesh come up with the idea for the campaign video? * [14:15] Rakesh enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. * [16:45] Why you check out CrazyCap.
Links * Snowball * Made in America * Elon Musk * Google Adwords * CES
Connect With * CrazyCap’s Kickstarter page * www.microlyscs.com
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team info@artofthekickstart.com
What does it take to secure a successful funding pitch for your business or innovative idea? How can you tell your story and pitch your idea to investors in a way that stands out from the competition? Mindy Zemrak joins the podcast to talk about her experience as a Supervising Casting Producer for Shark Tank. In our conversation, Mindy explains what the Shark Tank vetting process is like, how she conducts casting calls, what the Sharks look for when they hear a pitch, and much more. Don’t miss a minute of this eye-opening episode with Mindy! The Shark Tank vetting process. When you think of Shark Tank and the process it takes to get featured on the show, what comes to mind? Do you think of packets of questions that you’d have to answer and maybe even tech guys combing through your digital footprint? While some of those images might not be too far off, Mindy Zemrak was kind enough to give a more accurate peek into the Shark Tank vetting process. According to Mindy, between twenty and thirty thousand people apply to get the chance to make their funding pitch to the sharks. When they consider an applicant, half of the decision is based on the product or idea and the other half of the decision is based on the entrepreneur. To hear more about this elaborate process from Mindy, make sure to listen to this episode! Why you need to know your numbers and tell your story. With the knowledge that two factors go into the decision-making process to get featured on Shark Tank, wise entrepreneurs would take the time to hone their message. If you got the chance, would you be able to effectively tell your story and pitch your idea in a matter of minutes? The business industry has affectionately called this short speech the “elevator pitch” for years. If you don’t know your businesses numbers and you can’t tell your story with enthusiasm, you don’t deserve the investment! Make sure to listen to this episode as Mindy Zemrak reveals even more helpful insights into the Shark Tank process. What to expect out of a successful Shark Tank experience. While many applicants and entrepreneurs go through the Shark Tank experience, few get a chance to proceed with a deal from one of the sharks. Even if an individual doesn’t take a deal or all the sharks pass on the opportunity, they often get a huge boost in interest and sales due to visibility from the show. The fortunate few who do end up inking a deal with one of the sharks, start the next chapter with a lot to look forward to. After the deal is made, the work expected of the entrepreneur intensifies significantly. Thankfully, if you’ve made it that far, you are up for the task! The future is bright! What will be the legacy of platforms like Indiegogo, Kickstarter, and Shark Tank? Will these amazing platforms for innovation go down as trailblazers in a new era of invention and experimentation? Or will they blip on the radar scene as a fun national pastime? While the day is still young for these platforms, it is helpful to consider their impact. It seems safe to say that their collective influence on the entrepreneurial marketplace is substantial. The public popularity for these platforms has led to a seismic shift creating more opportunity for thousands of men and women that never existed before. To hear more about the bright future of the American dream from Mindy Zemrak’s perspective, make sure to listen to this engaging episode! Key Takeaways
[1:05] Mindy Zemrak joins the podcast to talk about her role with Shark Tank. [3:30] What is the Shark Tank vetting process like? [6:40] Mindy talks about the casting call process. [10:40] What do judges look for during a casting call? [13:40] Are there certain criteria the sharks look for? [17:40] How long does the pitch process take? [19:00] If you get to pitch but don’t make a deal, what should you do? [20:15] Mindy enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. [23:15] How to connect with Mindy.
Links
What does it take to secure a successful funding pitch for your business or innovative idea? How can you tell your story and pitch your idea to investors in a way that stands out from the competition? Mindy Zemrak joins the podcast to talk about her experience as a Supervising Casting Producer for Shark Tank. In our conversation, Mindy explains what the Shark Tank vetting process is like, how she conducts casting calls, what the Sharks look for when they hear a pitch, and much more. Don’t miss a minute of this eye-opening episode with Mindy!
The Shark Tank vetting process. When you think of Shark Tank and the process it takes to get featured on the show, what comes to mind? Do you think of packets of questions that you’d have to answer and maybe even tech guys combing through your digital footprint? While some of those images might not be too far off, Mindy Zemrak was kind enough to give a more accurate peek into the Shark Tank vetting process. According to Mindy, between twenty and thirty thousand people apply to get the chance to make their funding pitch to the sharks. When they consider an applicant, half of the decision is based on the product or idea and the other half of the decision is based on the entrepreneur. To hear more about this elaborate process from Mindy, make sure to listen to this episode!
Why you need to know your numbers and tell your story. With the knowledge that two factors go into the decision-making process to get featured on Shark Tank, wise entrepreneurs would take the time to hone their message. If you got the chance, would you be able to effectively tell your story and pitch your idea in a matter of minutes? The business industry has affectionately called this short speech the “Elevator pitch” for years. If you don’t know your businesses numbers and you can’t tell your story with enthusiasm, you don’t deserve the investment! Make sure to listen to this episode as Mindy Zemrak reveals even more helpful insights into the Shark Tank process.
What to expect out of a successful Shark Tank experience. While many applicants and entrepreneurs go through the Shark Tank experience, few get a chance to proceed with a deal from one of the sharks. Even if an individual doesn’t take a deal or all the sharks pass on the opportunity, they often get a huge boost in interest and sales due to visibility from the show. The fortunate few who do end up inking a deal with one of the sharks, start the next chapter with a lot to look forward to. After the deal is made, the work expected of the entrepreneur intensifies significantly. Thankfully, if you’ve made it that far, you are up for the task!
The future is bright! What will be the legacy of platforms like IndieGoGo, Kickstarter, and Shark Tank? Will these amazing platforms for innovation go down as trailblazers in a new era of invention and experimentation? Or will they blip on the radar scene as a fun national pastime? While the day is still young for these platforms, it is helpful to consider their impact. It seems safe to say that their collective influence on the entrepreneurial marketplace is substantial. The public popularity for these platforms has led to a seismic shift creating more opportunity for thousands of men and women that never existed before. To hear more about the bright future of the American dream from Mindy Zemrak’s perspective, make sure to listen to this engaging episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Mindy Zemrak joins the podcast to talk about her role with Shark Tank. * [3:30] What is the Shark Tank vetting process like? * [6:40] Mindy talks about the casting call process. * [10:40] What do judges look for during a casting call? * [13:40] Are there certain criteria the sharks look for? * [17:40] How long does the pitch process take? * [19:00] If you get to pitch but don’t make a deal, what should you do? * [20:15] Mindy enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. * [23:15] How to connect with Mindy.
Links * Matt Higgins * Cup Board Pro
Connect With Mindy Zemrak * Shark Tank * Mindy on Facebook * Mindy on Twitter * Mindy on Instagram
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
What does it take for innovative products to succeed in today’s ecommerce marketplace? Is there any hope for entrepreneurs to get their ideas amplified? Ryan DeChance is the Discovery Director at The Grommet, a product discovery platform. In his conversation with Roy, Ryan opens up about The Grommet’s partnership with Ace Hardware, how they evaluate products, what role crowdfunding plays for The Grommet, what they look for when they consider supporting an entrepreneur and much more. Don’t miss a minute of this fascinating episode featuring Ryan and The Grommet! Expanding the platform. With the recent merger of Amazon and Whole Foods, conversations have increased about how ecommerce brands can partner with retailers. Playing to their strengths, these type of partnerships make a lot of sense to customers and investors. In 2017, Ace Hardware invested in The Grommet and also became a close retail partner. Together, with The Grommet’s web platform and physical presence in Ace stores, they are identifying, testing and growing new brands to become tomorrow’s household name. Learn more about The Grommet and Ace Hardware’s partnership by listening to this informative episode. Product evaluation. What does the process look like for product evaluation at The Grommet? Are there specific criteria that Ryan DeChance and his team search for when they consider an innovator and their product? As they begin the process, Ryan goes to work vetting the individual or team behind a particular product before they move forward. After that point, Ryan pitches the product to his discovery team, and they consider how the product fits on The Grommet platform. If the product passes muster, they proceed to the launch process which takes two to three months to complete. How The Grommet works. When you think of product platforms, what comes to mind? Between giants like Amazon, Ebay, and Kickstarter what would it look like for a product platform to stand out? The Grommet is a product discovery platform that amplifies innovative and unique consumer products from makers, inventors and small businesses to a community of 3.5 million supporters and early-adopters. Every weekday they launch at least one new product, and their goal is to improve the way consumer products are launched, discovered, shared and purchased. Tips for successful crowdfunding. How can innovators and entrepreneurs set themselves up for success? What is it that investors and partners look for when they consider which products to back? According to Ryan DeChance, more innovators need to be focused on these three areas:
Build support in your community and social spheres. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t find initial success, keep at it! Be kind and treat others like you’d like to be treated. Goodwill can go a long way.
To hear Ryan expand on each of these critical areas and provide more insights into how The Grommet works as a product discovery platform, listen to this episode of Art of The Kickstart. Key Takeaways
[1:05] Ryan DeChance joins the podcast to talk about The Grommet. [3:40] How did The Grommet end up partnering with Ace Hardware? [6:00] What is the process of evaluating products for Ryan and his team? [10:00] What role will crowdfunding play for The Grommet platform going forward? [11:45] Ryan talks about what The Grommet looks for when considering partnerships. [13:20] Tips for a successful crowdfunding campaign. [15:20] Ryan enters the Launch Round; rapid-fire questions. [19:30] Why you should check out The Grommet.
Links
Elon Musk Benjamin Franklin Thomas Edison The Tattooist of Auschwitz Subliminal The Everyday Calendar
Connect With The Grommet
The Grommet website
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets ...
What does it take for innovative products to succeed in today’s ecommerce marketplace? Is there any hope for entrepreneurs to get their ideas amplified? Ryan DeChance is the Discovery Director at The Grommet, a product discovery platform. In his conversation with Roy, Ryan opens up about The Grommet’s partnership with Ace Hardware, how they evaluate products, what role crowdfunding plays for The Grommet, what they look for when they consider supporting an entrepreneur, and much more. Don’t miss a minute of this fascinating episode featuring Ryan and The Grommet!
Expanding the platform. With the recent combination of Amazon and WholeFoods, conversations have increased about how ecommerce brands can partner with retailers. Playing to their strengths, these type of partnerships make a lot of sense to customers and investors. In 2017, Ace Hardware invested in The Grommet and also became a close retail partner. Together, with Grommet’s web platform and physical presence in Ace stores, they are identifying, testing and growing new brands to become tomorrow’s household name. Learn more about The Grommet and Ace Hardware’s partnership by listening to this informative episode.
Product evaluation. What does the process look like for product evaluation at The Grommet? Are there specific criteria that Ryan DeChance and his team search for when they consider an innovator and their product? As they begin the process, Ryan goes to work vetting the individual or team behind a particular product before they move forward. After that point, Ryan pitches the product to his discovery team, and they consider how the product fits on The Grommet platform. If the product passes muster, they proceed to the launch process which takes two to three months to complete.
How The Grommet works. When you think of product platforms, what comes to mind? Between the giants of Amazon, Ebay, and Kickstarter what would it look like for a product platform to stand out? The Grommet is a product discovery platform where they amplify innovative and unique consumer products from makers, inventors and small businesses to a community of 3.5 million supporters and early-adopters. Every weekday they launch at least one new product, their goal is to improve the way consumer products are launched, discovered, shared, and bought.
Tips for successful crowdfunding. How can innovators and entrepreneurs set themselves up for success? What is it that investors and partners look for when they consider which products to back? According to Ryan DeChance, more innovators need to be focused on these four areas;
- Build support in your community and social spheres.
- Don’t be discouraged if you don’t find initial success, keep at it!
- Be kind and treat others like you’d like to be treated. Goodwill can go a long way.
To hear Ryan expand on each of these critical areas and provide more insights into how The Grommet works as a product discovery platform, listen to this episode of Art of The Kickstart.
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Ryan DeChance joins the podcast to talk about The Grommet. * [3:40] How did The Grommet end up partnering with Ace Hardware? * [6:00] What is the process of evaluating products for Ryan and his team? * [10:00] What role will crowdfunding play for The Grommet platform going forward? * [11:45] Ryan talks about what The Grommet looks for when considering partnerships. * [13:20] Tips for a successful crowdfunding campaign. * [15:20] Ryan enters the Launch Round; rapid-fire questions. * [19:30] Why you should check out The Grommet.
Links * Elon Musk * Benjamin Franklin * Thomas Edison * The Tattooist * Subliminal * The Everyday Calendar
Connect With The Grommet * The Grommet website
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
What does the crowdfunding sector look like from a legal perspective? How do recent and previous laws passed by Congress impact startup entrepreneurs and crowdfunding campaigns? Here to give his unique take on the subject is one of the leading crowdfunding and financial technology lawyers in the United States, Mark Roderick. In his conversation with Roy, Mark opens up about the Jobs Act of 2012, the pros and cons of equity crowdfunding, various liability concerns that startup entrepreneurs should keep on their radar, and much more. You don’t want to miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Mark!
Who is Mark Roderick? Mark Roderick has enjoyed a robust career representing entrepreneurs and their businesses successfully for more than 25 years. He serves companies across a wide range of industries, including the technology, real estate, and healthcare industries. Leveraging his in-depth knowledge of capital raising and securities law, Mark is spearheading Flaster/Greenberg's crowdfunding practice. Mark is passionate about encouraging and equipping business leaders so the crowdfunding sector can continue its upward momentum. Learn more about Mark and his fascinating legal perspective by checking out the link to his blog located in the resources section at the end of this post!
Three types of crowdfunding created by the Jobs Act of 2012. Have you heard of the Jobs Act of 2012? Do you know how that law impacted the crowdfunding sector? Thankfully, attorney Mark Roderick was kind enough to break it all down in an easy to follow approach. The Jobs Act created three types of crowdfunding.
- Title two of the Jobs Act allows companies to use the internet or other mediums to advertise their security offerings.
- Title three of the Jobs Act allows a company to make securities offerings to non-accredited investors.
- Title four of the Jobs Act, also known as, “Regulation A” allows an issuer to raise up to 25 million dollars a year from anyone (both accredited and non-accredited investors).
To hear Mark expand on his insights from the Jobs Act of 2012 and much more, make sure to listen to this episode, you don’t want to miss it!
The pros and cons of equity crowdfunding. How should startup entrepreneurs like you view equity crowdfunding? Are there specific scenarios that equity crowdfunding is right for rather than others? According to Mark Roderick, equity crowdfunding is good for businesses that have a financial reward to offer. Equity crowdfunding is not helpful for businesses or causes that don’t expect a financial return. The best example of equity crowdfunding is real estate investment, as the primary goal is to invest in a venture that will provide a decent ROI. Make sure to catch the full explanation of equity crowdfunding from Mark and when to use it by listening to this informative episode!
Why it’s important to keep liability concerns in mind. As you build your startup business, are their certain liability concerns that you should have in mind? Have you started exploring this critical facet of getting your crowdfunded business off of the ground? According to Mark, anytime you take other people’s money, you are exposing yourself to potential liability. Here is the crucial part, if you do everything right and comply with the law, you will not be on the hook if the investor’s money is lost. If you are starting your crowdfunding campaign, keep this in mind and make sure you are honest and transparent with the folks you are raising funds from!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Mark Roderick joins the podcast. * [3:20] What the Jobs Act of 2012 created in regards to crowdfunding. * [6:30] How should a startup entrepreneur decide which regulation to raise funds under? * [9:00] The pros and cons of equity crowdfunding. * [12:00] Mark talks about the Investment Company Act of 1940. * [15:00] Which liability concerns should startup entrepreneurs have? * [20:00] How does the recent tax law reform impact the crowdfunding sector? * [22:45] Mark enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. * [26:20] Why you should connect with Mark.
Links * Thomas Jefferson * Henry Ford * Steve Jobs * Elon Musk
Connect With Mark Roderick * Mark’s Blog
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
Have you ever tried to figure out how to fix your posture? Maybe you’ve had a few trips to the chiropractor to get an adjustment or to find some relief for your back or neck pain. What if there was a way to fix your posture by merely changing the chair you sit on each day? David France and Clint Wright join the podcast to talk about their fantastic innovation, Workhorse Saddle Chairs. In their conversation with Roy, David and Clint open up about where the idea for saddle chairs came from, why they decided to launch with so many variations, how they’ve responded to feedback from backers, and much more. You don’t want to miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Workhorse Saddle Chairs!
Why we need better posture. With the rise of standing desks and balance ball chairs, people with desk job are starting to take notice of the long-term adverse effects of sitting all day. Have you experimented with any of these tools? Studies have found that over time, regular chairs can cause the spine to degenerate causing back, shoulder and neck pain. Muscle imbalance is also created causing strain, ache, and weakness. Pain, headaches, digestive and respiratory symptoms can follow, and patients can suffer depression as life is severely impacted. With all these effects, its no wonder people are willing to try anything to keep their bodies healthy!
What is a Workhorse Saddle Chair? Personally observing the ill effects of sitting on a regular chair, David France, chiropractor and founder of WSC, brainstormed and designed the Workhorse Saddle Chair concept from a personal, direct experience...to help fund his education, he worked with horses. Through Dr. France’s riding and anatomical and Chiropractic studies, he discovered that when people sit in a saddle, the body assumes an ideal spinal position. After many years of research and prototyping, he came up with his final concept for the Workhorse Saddle Chair. These innovative chairs have a unique, contoured saddle shape that will keep your spine in the perfect seated position. Make sure to check out their Kickstarter page located in the resources section at the end of this post!
Creating multiple options. It is rare to find a crowdfunded piece of furniture go to launch with multiple variations. What led Davide France and his team to roll out not just one but seven different models of the Workhorse Saddle Chair? As they developed the WSC concept, they quickly realized that multiple applications and contexts need a custom chair design. By adding several versions of the WSC, David and his team could also provide a range of price points that would appeal to a more significant segment of their target audience. Rest assured, whatever your application, there is a Workhorse Saddle Chair that will get you well on your way to fixing your posture.
Lessons learned in crowdfunding a unique chair. One of the best ways to set your crowdfunded product up for success is by creating an engaging video. David France and his team gave it their best effort and ended up with a compelling and convincing campaign video for the Workhorse Saddle Chair. In addition to launching with a good video highlighting their product, they also launched a product in a very niche category. The truth is, there aren’t many chairs on Kickstarter or crowdfunding platforms in general that address the critical need that the Workhorse Saddle Chair does. Learn more about David and Clint’s experience with crowdfunding their product by listening to this fascinating episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] David France joins the podcast to talk about the Workhorse Saddle Chair. * [3:05] How did David come up with the different saddle chair designs? * [5:30] Clint Wright talks about pre-launch marketing efforts. * [8:15] What made the campaign video resonate with people? * [10:45] Why did they launch with so many variations for the saddle chair? * [12:20] Responding to feedback from backers. * [16:00] Why did David and Clint decide to partner with Enventys? * [17:20] Lessons learned from the crowdfunding experience. * [20:20] David enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. * [23:30] Why you should check out Workhorse Saddle Chairs.
Links * Elon Musk * The Parker Series
Connect With Workhorse Saddle Chairs * Workhorse Saddle Charis on Kickstarter * Workhorse Saddle Chairs website
What would it look like if you could have a portable changing room at your fingertips? Imagine, no more dingy public restrooms or awkward wardrobe changes! The brilliant minds behind The Undress, Dennis Caco and April Estrada are here to showcase their fantastic product. In their conversation with Roy, Dennis and April open up about how they launched their first version of The Undress, why they choose to launch on Kickstarter, what the development process was like, how they marketed their product, and much more. Don’t miss a minute of this fascinating episode featuring Dennis and April!
What is The Undress? Let’s face it, there a ton of hurdles and logistical difficulties that arise when a woman needs to change her outfit away from the comfort of her home. For years, the solution has been wide-ranging from uncomfortable outfit changes in the car to enduring less than idea public bathrooms. Finally, there is a helpful solution on the marketplace, The Undress. The Undress is more than just a dress; it is a system that has many proprietary features to help women change clothes without ever getting naked. Not only is The Undress practical, but it is also fashionable too! Check out their latest version by going to their Kickstarter campaign page; the link is in the resources section at the end of this post.
Crowdfunding a portable changing room. What are the unique benefits of launching a clothing item like The Undress on a platform like Kickstarter? Why not take the more traditional route and go to clothing manufacturers to get the product in retail stores? According to Dennis, Kickstarter s the right place to start because of The Undress’ experimental features. While the platform was male-dominated and tech-dominated at the time, they decided to give it a shot and see how a portable changing room designed as a dress would fare. As it turned out, the product resonated with many women and ended up a great success.
Overcoming production challenges. With such great success for the initial campaign, you’d think that the production process would go relatively smoothly. Unfortunately, there were several significant challenges that Dennis and April ran into when they went to work getting over 10,000 orders fulfilled. Connecting with a few manufacturers in the Los Angels area, Dennis and April were hopeful that they could get things rolling quickly. Quickly they found out that there were some less than above board manufacturers that they got into business with which significantly delayed their delivery timelines. Thankfully their backers had the patience to stick with them and wait for their product to get delivered. Hear more about their challenging ordeal by listening to this episode!
A smart marketing strategy. After multiple challenges with the first production and then returning to Kickstarter with several updated versions of The Undress, what enabled Dennis and April to enjoy such marketing success? Did they have a secret formula that they labored over? According to Dennis, the best marketing strategy that worked for The Undress was getting someone on their team who is a marketing expert. While innovators might have a great idea and the passion for getting their product to the finish line, most are not talented marketers! Discover more from the valuable lessons that Dennis and April learn in each of their successful Kickstarter campaigns by listening to this episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Dennis Caco & April Estrada join the podcast to talk about The Undress. * [8:00] Why did Dennis & April launch The Undress on Kickstarter? * [11:30] What was the production process like for The Undress? * [22:00] Dennis talks about the best marketing strategy for a crowdfunded campaign. * [26:20] Dennis enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. * [31:00] Why you should check out The Undress.
Links * Walt Disney * The E Myth * The 4-Hour Workweek
Connect With Guest/Product Name * The Undress Version 4 on Kickstarter * The Undress website * The Undress on Facebook * The Undress on Twitter
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
Have you ever wondered why options are so limited when it comes to travel clothing for women? For too long women have had to scrape by with clothing that didn’t meet their traveling needs. Here to bring a helpful solution to the marketplace is the Kosan Go Travel Dress. On this episode, you’ll hear from Kosan Travel co-founder, Karyna McLaren as she explains how the product got off to such a successful launch and much more. Don’t miss a minute of this fascinating and engaging episode featuring this unique product! Lessons learned from previous campaigns. While it’s great to learn from your past mistakes, it is a lot more fun to learn from your recent successes. Karyna and her team at Kosan Travel have had the incredible fortune to build off of a successful crowdfunding campaign to launch their new product, The Kosan Go Travel Dress. Looking back on that first run, Karyna saw that there was a massive gap in the travel clothing and accessory category and wanted to find an innovative way to address it. Learning from the success they garnered with the travel bag they launched, Karyna and her team took their efforts to the next level by bringing the Travel Dress to market.
What is a Travel Dress? There are a ton of unique fashion options in the marketplace, but there are few affordable and stylish travel clothing options for young women. The folks at Kosan Travel put together an expert team that created the Kosan Go Travel Dress with the world traveler in mind. The travel dress is designed to enhance the wayfarer’s trip; it is loaded with traveler-friendly features that promote safety, organization, and style. When you travel, versatility is vital. Often the goal is to pack as little as possible while getting maximum wearability. The Kosan Go Travel Dress has an adjustable length; meaning regardless of the occasion, you are ready to go. Learn more about this unique product by checking out their Kickstarter page!
Pre-campaign efforts that led to success. How do you set up a crowdfunding campaign for success? Are there certain best practices that you can employ that will best position a product to catch on? According to Karyna McLaren, it was a mixture of ad campaigns and networking with their target audience that got things moving in the right direction early on. Specifically, Karyna says that she and her team worked hard to connect with Facebook groups that focus exclusively on female travel. Between that effort and engaging with women who were part of their last crowdfunding campaign, they were able to create a sizeable audience pre-launch.
Responding to Feedback. Let’s face it; you won’t get far in the crowdfunding community if you fail to respond to and value the feedback of your backers. Some startup entrepreneurs go in with a plan to keep their backers informed, while others proceed with no plan at all. Karyna McLaren and her team were so committed to fostering a good relationship with their backers that they called every backer from their first crowdfunded campaign. That effort alone shows you that Kosan Travel is dedicated to honoring their supporters and doing everything they can to fulfill their commitments. Key Takeaways
[1:05] Karyna McLaren joins the podcast to talk about The Kosan Go Travel Dress. [1:45] Karyna talks about launching her first crowdfunded product. [4:00] What led Karyna and her co-founder to crowdfund The Kosan Go Travel Dress? [6:00] The difference between their first crowdfunding campaign and the current one. [7:30] Pre-campaign efforts that led to early success. [10:00] Responding to backer feedback. [12:00] Karyna enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. [14:00] Why you should check out The Kosan Go Travel Dress.
Links
Richard Branson
Connect With Kosan Travel
The Kosan Go Travel Dress on Kickstarter Karyna[at]kosantravel.com Kosan Travel website Kosan on Facebook Kosan on Instagram
Sponsors
Have you ever wondered why there are so many limited options when it comes to travel clothing for women? For too long women have had to scrape by with clothing that didn’t meet the standards for their traveling needs. Here to bring a helpful solution to the marketplace is The Kosan Go Travel Dress. On this episode, you’ll hear from Kosan Travel co-founder, Karyna Mclaren as she explains how the product got off to such a successful launch and much more. Don’t miss a minute of this fascinating and engaging episode featuring this unique product!
Lessons learned from previous campaigns.
While it’s great to learn from your past mistakes, it is a lot more fun to learn from your recent successes. Karyna and her team at Kosan Travel have had the incredible fortune to build off of a successful crowdfunding campaign to launch their new product, The Kosan Go Travel Dress. Looking back on that first run, Karyna saw that there was a massive gap in the travel clothing and accessory category and wanted to find an innovative way to address it. Learning from the success they garnered with the travel bag they launched, Karyna and her team took their efforts to the next level with bringing the Travel Dress to market.
What is a Travel Dress?
There are a ton of unique fashion options in the marketplace, but there are few affordable and stylish travel clothing options for young women. The folks at Kosan Travel put together an expert team that created the Kosan Go Travel Dress with the world traveler in mind. The travel dress is designed to enhance the wayfarer’s trip; it is loaded with traveler-friendly features that promote safety, organization, and style. When you travel, versatility is vital. Often the goal is to pack as little as possible while getting maximum wearability. The Kosan Go Travel Dress has an adjustable length; meaning regardless of the occasion, you are ready to go. Learn more about this unique product by checking out their Kickstarter page!
Pre-campaign efforts that led to success.
How do you set up a crowdfunding campaign for success? Are there certain best practices that you can employ that will best position a product to catch on more than others? According to Karyna Mclaren, it was a mixture of ad campaigns and networking with their target audience that got things moving in the right direction early on. Specifically, Karyna says that she and her team worked hard to connect with Facebook groups that focus exclusively on female travel. Between that effort and engaging with women who were part of their last crowdfunding campaign, they were able to create a sizeable audience pre-launch.
Responding to feedback.
Let’s face it; you won’t get far in the crowdfunding community if you fail to respond to and value the feedback of your backers. Some startup entrepreneurs go in with a plan and intention to keep their backers informed and part of the process and so proceed with no plan at all. Karyna Mclaren and her team were so committed to fostering a good relationship with their backers that they called every backer from their first crowdfunded campaign. That effort alone shows you that Kosan Travel is dedicated to honoring their supporters and doing everything they can to fulfill their commitments.
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Karyna Mclaren joins the podcast to talk about The Kosan Go Travel Dress. * [1:45] Karyna talks about launching her first crowdfunded product. * [4:00] What led Karyna and her co-founder to crowdfund The Kosan Go Travel Dress? * [6:00] The difference between the first crowdfunding campaign and the current one. * [7:30] Pre-campaign efforts that led to early success. * [10:00] Responding to backer feedback. * [12:00] Karyna enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. * [14:00] Why you should check out The Kosan Go Travel Dress.
Links * Richard Branson
Connect With Kosan Travel * The Kosan Go Travel Dress on Kickstarter * Karyna[at]kosantravel.com * Kosan Travel website * Kosan on Facebook * Kosan on Instagram
One of the most amazing aspects of the crowdfunding movement has been the surge of unique sustainable solutions brought to the marketplace. From reusable beverage containers to innovative clothing, more and more entrepreneurs are considering how they can bring a solution to their wider community. The solution that Alice Chun and her team have developed is something that everyone around the world needs access to, renewable energy. In her conversation with Roy, Alice opens up about The QWNN, where the idea came from, why she chose to take her product to IndieGoGo rather than Kickstarter, and much more! Don’t miss a minute of this fascinating episode featuring Alice and The QWNN.
What is The QWNN? Did you know that fossil fuels, used for energy and lighting globally create 65% of the pollution in the air? Now more than ever, there is a significant need for sustainable and affordable sources of power. The QWNN is a unique origami-inspired, foldable, portable lantern and power bank. This product has been designed to harnesses the sun’s power and give users brilliant light to accent their home, garden, and outdoor adventures. To hear more about this amazing product and the story behind its creation, make sure to listen to this powerful episode with Alice Chun!
Why sustainable solutions are so important. As the global community faces increasing threats of natural disaster caused by global warming, new resources are needed to help devastated communities recover. Part of the mission and drive behind the creation of The QWNN is to help these communities with a product that will last. The company behind The QWNN, Solight Design, has a social mission to bring light to underserved regions around the world. The SolarPuff was created in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and they have since expanded to a whole line of solar lanterns. It's so inspiring to hear these amazing stories of innovation tied to social good!
The difference between Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. Many startup entrepreneurs struggle with the decision of which platform to launch their product on, Kickstarter or IndieGoGo. I’ve seen many entrepreneurs thrive with their innovative products on both platforms over the years. For Alice Chun, she has the unique vantage point of launching a product on both platforms, first on Kickstarter and then on IndieGoGo. Alice made the switch to IndieGoGo after a few rounds of miscommunication with Kickstarter plus she really enjoyed the fact that IndieGoGo provides a liaison specifically assigned to each project. Learn more about Alice’s experience on both platforms and more on this engaging episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Alice Chun joins the podcast to talk about her product, The QWNN. * [4:20] Why didn’t Alice take The QWINN to Kickstarter? What changed with this version? * [8:00] How Alice and her team reached fundraising goals & press engagement tips. * [10:00] What led Alice to get involved with creating solar lanterns? * [13:10] Alice talks about the difference between launching on Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. * [15:15] Alice enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. * [17:00] Why you should check out The QWNN.
Links * Steve Jobs * Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us
Connect With The QWNN * The QWNN on IndieGoGo
Imagine grabbing a portable drink container that you never have to worry about spilling or finding the right button or angle to use. Fredrik Krafft has developed a smart bottle that does all the work so you don’t even have to think about it! In our conversation, Fredrik opens up about how he came up with the idea for the Lyd Bottle, what the pre-campaign work was like, how he engaged with his backers, the benefit of using Kickstarter Live and so much more. Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn from Fredrik’s journey with the Lyd Bottle! What is the Lyd Bottle? There are so many great portable beverage containers on the market today, how do you choose which one is right for you? Do you need a container that will keep your beverage hot all day? Do you need a container that is convenient to carry? Or do you just want something that makes sense? As so many products flood the marketplace, the ones that stand out are those help users cut through all the complexity and get down to the basics: is it easy to use? When it comes to the Lyd Bottle, the answer is a resounding, yes! The Lyd Bottle is the only beverage bottle designed with 360-degree, touch-activated access that lets beverages flow the moment the bottle touches your lips. Don’t ever worry about buttons, tabs or finding the right position ever again! Take your time laying the foundation! Many startup entrepreneurs get so excited about bringing their product to market that they fail to build a solid foundation for their product to succeed. From market research to audience engagement, it’s vital that startups take the time to not only perfect their product but make sure their marketing approach connects. Learning from the success and failures of others, Fredrik took the time to connect with partners who could help him bring the Lyd Bottle to market in the best way possible. To learn more about Fredrik’s story and how he was able to get the Lyd Bottle in the best position for success, make sure to listen to this episode! Engaging with backers and learning along the way. Let’s face it, a startup product succeeds or fails largely based on the way that the brand treats their backers. While many startup entrepreneurs go into the process with the intention of staying connected to their backers and keeping them updated, the truth is, many fail to do so. Fredrik and his team did their best to learn and adapt their engagement strategy along the way. When they noticed their response time slipping, they worked hard to address that, then found ways to proactively engage with their audience by developing answers to many common FAQs. What can you learn from Fredrik’s journey? Leverage your network. At the end of the day, launching a crowdfunded product isn’t for the faint of heart. What steps can an entrepreneur take to build a community early and get their product off the ground and headed for a strong start? According to Fredrik Krafft, it all comes down to leveraging your circle of friends and family to fan the flames of the project from the start! If you believe in your product, then do what you can to spread that excitement to your friends and friends, as they could end up being some of your best cheerleaders and financial backers! Key Takeaways
[1:05] Fredrik Krafft joins the podcast to talk about his product, Lyd. [3:00] What was the preparation work like for Fredrik before he launched his product? [8:00] Fredrik talks about engaging with backers and how that evolved. [10:40] The benefit of utilizing Kickstarter Live. [12:30] Fredrik shares his biggest takeaways and lessons learned. [15:00] Why it’s important to have friends and family support your venture. [16:10] Fredrik enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. [19:20] How to connect with Fredrik and Lyd.
Links
Lyd on Kickstarter Elon Musk Thomas Edison The Lean Startup
Connect With Lyd
Lyd’s website
Sponsors
Imagine grabbing a portable drink container that you never have to worry about spilling or finding the right button or angel to use. Fredrik Krafft has developed a smart bottle that does all the work so you don’t even have to think about it! In our conversation, Fredrik opens up about how he came up with the idea for the Lyd Bottle, what the pre-campaign work was like, how he engaged with his backers, the benefit of using Kickstarter Live, and so much more. Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn from Fredrik’s journey with the Lyd Bottle!
What is the Lyd Bottle? There are so many great portable beverage containers on the market today, how do you choose which one is right for you? Do you need a container that will keep your beverage hot all day? Do you need a container that fits into convenient locations? Or do you just want something that makes sense? As so many products flood the marketplace, the ones that stand out will help users cut through all the complexity and get down to the basics, is it easy to use? When it comes to the Lyd Bottle, the answer is a resounding, yes! The Lyd Bottle is the only beverage bottle designed with 360-degree, touch-activated access that lets beverages flow the moment it touches your lips. Don’t ever worry about buttons, tabs, or finding the right position ever again!
Take your time laying the foundation! Many startup entrepreneurs get so excited about bringing their product to market that they fail to build a solid foundation for their product to succeed. From market research to audience engagement, it’s vital that startups take the time to not only perfect their product but make sure their marketing approach connects. Learning from the success and failures of others, Fredrik took the time to connect with partners who could help him bring the Lyd Bottle to market in the best way possible. To learn more about Fredrik’s story and how he was able to get the Lyd Bottle in the best position for success, make sure to listen to this episode!
Engaging with backers and learning along the way. Let’s face it, a startup product succeeds or fails largely based on the way that the brand treats their backers. While many startup entrepreneurs go into the process with the intention of staying connected to their backers and keeping them updated, the truth is, many fail to do so. Fredrik and his team did their best to learn and adapt their engagement strategy along the way. When they noticed their response time slipping, they worked hard to address that then found ways to proactively engage with their audience by developing answers to many common FAQ’s. What can you learn from Fredrik’s journey?
Leverage your network. At the end of the day, launching a crowdfunded product isn’t for the faint of heart. What steps can an entrepreneur take to build a community early and get their product off the ground and headed for a strong start? According to Fredrik Krafft, it all comes down to leveraging your circle of friends and family to fan the flames of the project from the start! If you believe in your product, then do what you can to spread that excitement to your friends and friends, they could end up being some of your best cheerleaders and financial backers!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Fredrik Krafft joins the podcast to talk about his product, Lyd. * [3:00] What was the preparation work like for Fredrik before he launched his product? * [8:00] Fredrik talks about engaging with backers and how that evolved. * [10:40] The benefit of utilizing Kickstarter Live. * [12:30] Fredrik shares his biggest takeaways and lessons learned. * [15:00] Why it’s important to have friends and family support your venture. * [16:10] Fredrik enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. * [19:20] How to connect with Fredrik and Lyd.
Links * Elon Musk * Thomas Eddison * The Lean Startup
Connect With Lyd * Lyd’s website
How do you handle adversity? Do you learn from it and move forward or does it tend to knock you back and cause you to question your approach? James Daigle joins the podcast to share his experience with crowdfunding and the lessons he’s learned along the way. In our conversation, James opens up about his first two unsuccessful crowdfunding campaigns, what he learned from the process, how his third campaign succeeded, why it’s important to keep your backers in the loop and so much more! Don’t forget to build an audience! Building an audience is not an easy or straightforward endeavor, but it can set you and your fledgling product up for long-term success. Too often startup entrepreneurs charge ahead and fail to take the time to do their research and connect with an audience that will fan the flames once they launch. James Daigle wants as many entrepreneurs as possible to learn from his oversight and take the time to find an audience before it's too late. During a product launch is the worst time to be searching for an audience, do the legwork and connect before you launch! To hear James go into further detail on this important topic, make sure to listen to this episode! Responding to disappointment. Let’s face it, an unsuccessful crowdfunding campaign is a tough pill to swallow. You pour time, resources and energy into an exciting project only to see it fail to reach the level of success you had hoped for. What do you do, scrap the whole thing and go back to the drawing board? For James Daigle, everything started off promising, they had the right tools and an ambitious goal, but they failed to reach their goal by $4,000. Instead of letting this disappointment sour him on the crowdfunding platform, James used this lesson as fuel and went on to launch two more campaigns before he found success. What can you learn from James’ story? Finding a path forward. Determined to find success through the crowdfunding platform, James Daigle and his team went back to the drawing board. Experiencing a second setback would knock most people out of the game but James pushed forward and tried for a third crack at getting a product funded via crowdfunding and he succeeded! If you are convinced that you have a product that will benefit the marketplace then stand behind it and don’t give up. Be prepared to face adversity and challenges, they can either defeat you or help you learn along the way. Learn more helpful lessons from James’ inspiring story by listening to this episode, you don’t want to miss it! Why you need to keep your backers updated. You’ve heard of the golden rule, right? “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Consider that wisdom as you launch your product! Put yourself in the shoes of your backers and treat them as you would want to be treated by someone you’ve invested in. It really doesn’t have to be more complicated than that. If you don’t trust your ability to consistently follow up with and engage your audience, then outsource it! The last thing you want to do is cause ill will with the people who’ve taken a chance on you. For more perspective on this subject, make sure to listen to this episode with James Daigle! Key Takeaways
[1:05] James Daigle joins the podcast to talk about his experience with crowdfunding. [3:00] James talks about his first crowdfunding effort. [6:50] Why it’s important to set realistic fundraising goals. [9:00] The wisdom of building a crowd of fans before a product launch. [10:30] Building off of crowds from previous campaigns, the third time's the charm! [12:45] Why you need to keep your backers in the loop. [15:00] James enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. [17:00] Why you should check out James’ work with Ubiqweus.
Links
Ubiqweus Qbiq Kickstarter Campaign Crossing the Chasm
Connect With
Check out the Ubiqweus website Follow James on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored...
How do you handle adversity? Do you learn from it and move forward or does it tend to knock you back and cause you to question your approach? James Daigle joins the podcast to share his experience with crowdfunding and the lessons he’s learned along the way. In our conversation, James opens up about his first two unsuccessful crowdfunding campaigns, what he learned from the process, how his third campaign succeeded, why it’s important to keep your backers in the loop, and so much more! Don’t miss your opportunity to learn from James’ valuable lessons!
Don’t forget to build an audience! Building an audience is not an easy or straightforward endeavor but it can set you and your fledgling product up for long-term success. Too often startup entrepreneurs charge ahead and fail to take the time to do their research and connect with an audience that will fan the flames once they launch. James Daigle wants as many entrepreneurs as possible to learn from his oversight and take the time to find an audience before it's too late. During a product launch is the worst time to be searching for an audience, do the legwork and connect before you launch! To hear James go into further detail on this important topic, make sure to listen to this episode!
Responding to disappointment. Let’s face it, an unsuccessful crowdfunding campaign is a tough pill to swallow. You pour all of this time, resources, and energy into an exciting project only to see it fail to reach the level of success you had hoped for. What do you do, scrap the whole thing and go back to the drawing board? For James Daigle, everything started off promising, they had the right tools and an ambitious goal but they failed to reach their goal by $4,000. Instead of letting this disappointment sour him on the crowdfunding platform, James used this lesson as fuel and went on to launch two more campaigns before he found success. What can you learn from James’ story?
Finding a path forward. Determined to find success through the crowdfunding platform, James Daigle and his team went back to the drawing board. Experiencing a second setback would knock most people out of the game but James pushed forward and tried for a third crack at getting a product funded via crowdfunding and he succeeded! If you are convinced that you have a product that will benefit the marketplace then stand behind it and don’t give up. Be prepared to face adversity and challenges, they can either defeat you or help you learn along the way. Learn more helpful lessons from James’ inspiring story by listening to this episode, you don’t want to miss it!
Why you need to keep your backers updated. You’ve heard of the golden rule, right? “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Consider that wisdom as you launch your product, seriously! Put yourself in the shoes of your backers and treat them as you would want to be treated by someone you’ve invested in! It really doesn’t have to be more complicated than that. If you don’t trust your ability to consistently follow up with and engage your audience, then outsource it! The last thing you want to do is cause ill will with the people who’ve taken a chance on you. For more perspective on this subject, make sure to listen to this episode with James Daigle!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] James Daigle joins the podcast to talk about his experience with crowdfunding. * [3:00] James talks about his first crowdfunding effort. * [6:50] Why it’s important to set realistic fundraising goals. * [9:00] The wisdom of building a crowd of fans before a product launch. * [10:30] Building off of crowds from previous campaigns, the third time's the charm! * [12:45] Why you need to keep your backers in the loop. * [15:00] James enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. * [17:00] Why you should check out James’ work with Ubiqweus.
Links * Crossing the Chasm
Connect With * Check out the Ubiqweus website * Follow James on Twitter
The Ketogenic health plan or Keto is taking the nation by storm, but what if you don’t have time to sit down and prepare a meal that keeps you on the plan? Here to provide a solution with a delicious Keto meal shake is Ted Tieken. In his conversation with Roy, Ted opens up about why he started the Ketogenic diet, how that led him to try his hand at a Keto-friendly meal shake, what it was like bringing that product to the marketplace, challenges he has faced along the way and so much more. Don’t miss this great opportunity to get an inside look at the beverage development crowdfunding community! What is the Ketogenic diet? If you aren’t up to speed, the Ketogenic diet is a very low-carb diet, which turns the body into a fat-burning machine. The primary goal is for weight loss but many users also turn to it for reduced inflammation as well. One of the biggest struggles with staying on a Keto-friendly eating plan is dealing with all the prep-work needed for a satisfying meal. From shakes to prepared and packaged foods, the market is bursting right now with a number of great, Keto-friendly options. Having said that, there is always room for innovation. What really sells is not only a healthy option, but convenient options! Convenience is king! Let’s face it, no matter which eating plan you are on, from highly regulated to whatever is nearby, convenience will almost always win! As diet plans continue to pick up steam in our society, more and more options are moving toward catering to the need for convenient meals and snacks. While it’s usually a better idea to take the time to prepare a meal, it’s helpful to have alternatives nearby so you don’t have to abandon your dieting goals. That’s why Ted and his team developed their product, Sated. Sated is a ready-to-drink keto meal shake with a ton of fiber, protein, potassium and other nutrient-rich ingredients that provide the fuel you need to get through your day. Building a solid base for marketing. What is the best way to build and reach your target audience? Is it the best idea to look at Facebook Ads or is email marketing the best option for your startup? Each niche market is going to have different results depending on the habits of their target audience. For Ted and his team, they found that the best use of their time and resources was building up a robust email campaign that ended up bringing in an impressive ROI. They also connected with Keto enthusiasts on web forums like Reddit to build awareness and excitement. Learn more about Ted’s successful marketing strategies by listening to this episode! Reviews that make a difference. One of the hardest aspects of getting a startup off of the ground and running is a lack of awareness and public trust. How does an unheard of brand establish trust when they are new to the marketplace? Customer reviews are taking on an important role when it comes to building the trust that is needed for first-time buyers to take that risk on a purchase. With an eye toward their Amazon product listing, Ted explains that he has seen how reviews for Sated have impacted their sales and their market reputation. What can you learn from Ted’s experience with reviews? How will your business highlight this important aspect? Key Takeaways
[1:07] Ted Tieken joins the podcast to discuss his product, Sated. [6:00] Challenges with pre-campaign efforts and launching a beverage. [7:30] What strategies led to early success for Ted and Sated? [11:45] Ted talks about earning trust and getting good press coverage. [13:45] Tips for startup entrepreneurs looking to create a new beverage product. [16:10] Ted enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. [18:40] Why you should check out Sated.
Links
Sated on Kickstarter Benjamin Franklin One Hundred Years of Solitude The E-myth Revisited Mail Munch
Connect With Sated
Check out the Sated website Sated on Facebook Sated on Twitter
Sponsors
The Ketogenic health plan or Keto is taking the nation by storm, but what if you don’t have time to sit down and prepare a meal that keeps you on the plan? Here to provide a solution with a delicious Keto meal shake is Ted Tieken. In his conversation with Roy, Ted opens up about why he started the Ketogenic diet, how that led him to try his hand at a Keto friendly meal shake, what it was like bringing that product to the marketplace, challenges he has faced along the way, and so much more. Don’t miss this great opportunity to get an inside look at the beverage development crowdfunding community!
What is the Ketogenic diet? If you aren’t up to speed, the Ketogenic diet is a very low-carb diet, which turns the body into a fat-burning machine. The primary goal is for weight loss but many users also turn to it for reduced inflammation as well. One of the biggest struggles with staying on a Keto friendly eating plan is dealing with all the prep-work needed for a satisfying meal. From shakes to prepared and packaged foods, the market is bursting right now with a number of great, Keto friendly options. Having said that, there is always room for innovation! What really sells is not only a healthy option but convenient options!
Convenience is king! Let’s face it, no matter which eating plan you are one, from highly regulated to whatever is nearby, convenience will always be king! As diet plans continue to pick up steam in our society, more and more options are moving toward catering to the need for convenient meals and snacks. While it’s usually a better idea, to take the time and prepare a meal, it’s helpful to have alternatives nearby so you don’t have to abandon your dieting goals! That’s why Ted and his team developed their product, Sated. Sated is a ready to drink keto meal shake with a ton of fiber, protein, potassium, and other nutrient-rich ingredients that provide the fuel you need to get through your day. Make sure to check out the Sated website located in the resources section at the end of this post!
Building a solid base for marketing. What is the best way to build and reach your target audience? Is it the best idea to look at Facebook Ads or is email marketing the best option for your startup? Each niche market is going to have different results depending on the habits of their target audience. For Ted and his team, they found that the best use of their time and resources was building up a robust email campaign that ended up bringing in an impressive ROI. They also connected with Keto enthusiasts on web forums like Reddit to build awareness and excitement. Learn more about Ted’s successful marketing strategies by listening to this episode!
Reviews that make a difference. One of the hardest aspects of getting a startup off of the ground and running is a lack of awareness and public trust. How does an unheard of brand establish trust when they are new to the marketplace? It seems that customer reviews are taking on an important role when it comes to building the trust that is needed for first-time buyers to take that risk on a purchase. With an eye toward their Amazon product listing, Ted explains that he has seen how reviews for Sated have impacted their sales and their market reputation. What can you learn from Ted’s experience with reviews? How will your business highlight this important aspect?
Key Takeaways * [1:07] Ted Tieken joins the podcast to discuss his product, Sated. * [6:00] Challenges with pre-campaign efforts and launching a beverage. * [7:30] What strategies led to early success for Ted and Sated? * [11:45] Ted talks about earning trust and getting good press coverage. * [13:45] Tips for startup entrepreneurs looking to create a new beverage product. * [16:10] Ted enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. * [18:40] Why you should check out Sated.
Links * Benjamin Franklin * One Hundred Years of Solitude * The E-myth Revisited * Mail Munch
Connect With Sated * Sated on Kickstarter * Check out the Sated website * Sated on Facebook * Sated on Twitter
Remember the golden days of water gun hysteria? Back in the 90’s, it was every kid's goal to wear their parents down until they eventually caved in and bought them the best water gun on the market. From the super soaker craze to water balloon grenades, it seemed like every summer was an escalation of water weaponry. Where did all that fun and excitement go? Why are water guns so lame today? Sebastian Walter joins this episode to showcase his revolutionary water gun, Spyra One. In his conversation with Roy, Sebastian opens up about what led him to create the next generation of water guns, what the design process was like, how he engaged his backers, and much more! Don’t miss a minute of this fascinating episode featuring Sebastian and Spyra One! Capitalizing on nostalgia. As millions of kids from the 80’s and 90’s become the dominant purchasing group in America, retailers are scrambling to appeal to their interests. Leveraging nostalgia is one of the largest trends to capitalize on this target demographic. Taking one look at the box office will confirm this trend, the dominance of superhero films is just one example of the power of nostalgia. Sebastian Walter dove deep into the recesses of his childhood and found a key item that taps into the nostalgia trend and is ripe for disruption, water guns. Find out how Sebastian and his team are changing the face of the water gun market with their product, Spyra One! More than just a toy. You’d think that a few tweaks here and a few improvements there would be an easy way to make a profit off of a product that hasn’t seen innovation in decades, and you’d be right! But Sebastian Walter and his team took it a step further with the Spyra One. The biggest innovation is the pump integrated into the water gun; their campaign videos show users placing the gun into the water and the pump refills 25 shots worth of water in about 14 seconds. They’ve also included a digital readout that tells users how many shots are left before refilling is required. Sebastian and his team have done more than tweak a product for a profit, they have redesigned a toy with the passion and innovation of people who love what they are doing. Learn more about their story on this fascinating episode! Spreading the word. When was the last time that you shared something that you were passionate about on social media? How about with a friend? When you find something that you love, your natural inclination is to share it with people in your social circle! The same is true when it comes to innovative products like Spyra One. Before they even launched on Kickstarter, Sebastian Walter and his team worked hard to spread the word about their new and innovative water gun. Once they got the product in front of people and in their hands, the excitement caught on quick. Leveraging this excitement, Sebastian continued to stoke the flames until the product launched, resulting in a $60,000 funding goal fulfilled in about 25 minutes. What can you learn from Sebastian’s powerful story? Be real! Don’t you hate it when you are sold one story but come to find out the real truth? Then why market like that? While every startup entrepreneur works hard to put their best foot forward, there is real value in leading with transparency and authenticity! The days of polished and perfect are quickly fading - it’s time to look for ways to tell your brand’s story in a way that really connects with the public. Sebastian Walter is convinced that his product was able to succeed on Kickstarter because the product was engaging and they told the story in a humble and authentic way. Hear more of Sebastian's story and why it’s so important to lead with authenticity by listening to this episode! Key Takeaways
[1:05] Sebastian Walter joins the podcast to talk about his product, Spyra One. [3:45] What was the design process like for the Spyra One? [5:10] Spreading the word and ramping up excitement.
Remember the golden days of water gun hysteria? Back in the 90’s, it was every kid's goal to wear their parents down until they eventually caved in and bought them the best water gun on the market. From the super soaker craze to water balloon grenades, it seemed like every summer was an escalation of water weaponry. Where did all that fun and excitement go? Why are water guns so lame today? Sebastian Walter joins this episode to showcase his revolutionary water gun, Spyra One. In his conversation with Roy, Sebastian opens up about what led him to create the next generation of water guns, what the design process was like, how he engaged his backers, and much more! Don’t miss a minute of this fascinating episode featuring Sebastian and Spyra One!
Capitalizing on nostalgia. As millions of kids from the 80’s and 90’s become the dominant purchasing group in America, retailers are scrambling to appeal to their interests. Leveraging nostalgia is of the largest trends to capitalize on this target demographic. Taking one look at the box office will confirm this trend, the dominance of superhero films is just one example of the power of nostalgia. Sebastian Walter dove deep into the recesses of his childhood and found a key item that taps into the nostalgia trend and is ripe for disruption, water guns. Find out how Sebastian and his team are changing the face of the water gun market with their product, Spyra One!
More than just a toy. You’d think that a few tweaks here and a few improvements there would be an easy way to make a profit off of a product that hasn’t seen innovation in decades, and you’d be right! But Sebastian Walter and his team took it a step further with the Spyra One. The biggest innovation is the pump integrated into the water gun, their campaign videos show users placing the gun into the water and the pump refills 25 shots worth of water in about 14 seconds. They’ve also included a digital readout that tells users how many shots are left before refilling is required. Sebastian and his team have done more than tweak a product for a profit, they have redesigned a toy with the passion and innovation of people who love what they are doing. Learn more about their story on this fascinating episode!
Spreading the word. When was the last time that you shared something that you were passionate about on social media? How about with a friend? When you find something that you love, your natural inclination is to share it with people in your social circle! The same is true when it comes to innovative products like Spyra One. Before they even launched on Kickstarter, Sebastian Walter and his team worked hard to spread the word about their new and innovative water gun. Once they got the product in front of people and in their hands, the excitement caught on quick. Leveraging this excitement Sebastian continued to stoke the flames until the product launched, resulting in a $60,000 funding goal fulfilled in about 25 minutes. What can you learn from Sebastian’s powerful story?
Be real! Don’t you hate it when you are sold one story but come to find out the real truth? Then why market like that? While every startup entrepreneur works hard to put their best foot forward, there is real value in leading with transparency and authenticity! The days of polished and perfect are quickly fading, it’s time to look for ways to tell your brand’s story in a way that really connects with the public. Sebastian Walter is convinced that his product was able to succeed on Kickstarter because the product was engaging and they told the story in a humble and authentic way. Hear more of Sebastian's story and why it’s so important to lead with authenticity by listening to this episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Sebastian Walter joins the podcast to talk about his product, Spyra One. * [3:45] What was the design process like for the Spyra One? * [5:10] Spreading the word and ramping up excitement. * [8:00] Engaging the press and creating worthwhile stretch goals. * [10:00] Crowdfunding tips from Sebastian. * [12:00] Utilizing feedback from backers. * [14:00] The value of authenticity in marketing and engagement. Future plans? * [15:40] Sebastian enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. * [17:40] Why you should check out Spyra One.
Links * The 80/20 Principle * Elon Musk
Connect With Spyra * Spyra One * Spyra One on Twitter * Spyra One on Facebook
How do you make tie straps sexy? What is the appeal, what is the angle that you would use to bring them to the marketplace? Is there a compelling reason for the average buyer to look for an innovative tie down strap? Entrepreneur Mark Blackburn joins this episode to discuss his product, the WrapTie. In our conversation, Mark opens up about the rise of startups in Australia, which pre-campaign practices helped his product succeed, why it’s so important to connect with influencers, his view on the future of crowdfunding, and much more! Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to learn from Mark’s fascinating and seasoned perspective! What is WrapTie? Is there really a place in the tie strap industry for innovation and disruption? What type of product could bring an edge to such a niche market? Mark Blackburn and his business partner, Paul McNeill saw a way to address some of the common complaints that consumers have with the average tie strap. After developing a prototype that eliminated the frustrating aspect of having to deal with excess strap after tying down an item, Mark and Paul went searching for a platform to launch their product. Finally, the pair landed on utilizing the crowdfunding community to ignite the fire that would fuel the rise of their business. Learn more about the Mark and Paul’s journey by listening to this engaging episode! How crowdfunding in fueling startups in Australia. Why do certain regions and markets seem to cultivate more startups than others? Does it have to do with the government regulations in place or the cultural climate? According to Mark Blackburn, in Australia, it all came down to access. For too long, innovators and entrepreneurs in Australia have enjoyed limited access to platforms like Indiegoho and Kickstarter. There seems to be an uptick in innovation in Australia because more and more of these innovators who have been waiting in the wings finally have access to platforms that empower their creativity. Find out more about the startup scene in Australia from Mark’s perspective by listening to this episode! Connecting with influencers to promote your product. Did you know that one of the best ways to get your product exposure is by connecting with industry influencers? It’s true! While each situation will vary, Mark Blackburn and his team at WrapTie saw a greater return on their investment when they focused on getting key influencers on board rather than focusing on other methods. It wasn’t a perfect strategy by any means, Mark and his team had to struggle through trial and error like everyone else but at the end of the day, they’ve tracked close to 90 percent of their sales back to the reviews and endorsements of these key influencers. What can you learn from the WrapTie story? Use your connections and expand your network! What is your organization’s greatest asset right now? Do you have the most innovative minds in your field? Do you have a competitive edge over the competition? What if your greatest asset was not something you own but a connection you have? As Mark Blackburn and his team at WrapTime worked tirelessly to get their fledgling startup off the ground, they found that their relationships and connections were the greatest assets they had at their disposal. What connections do you have that you could leverage? Take a look at your sector of the market and look for ways to make connections with the right people who can get your product the spotlight that it deserves! Key Takeaways
[1:10] Mark Blackburn joins the podcast to talk about his product, WrapTie. [3:50] What has been fueling the rise of startups in Australia? [5:30] Mark talks about the preparation that helped his crowdfunded product succeed. [7:00] How connecting with influencers provided a good ROI. [9:00] From crowdfunding to running an ecommerce business and lessons learned. [11:30] Why it’s important to leverage connections. [12:30] Mark enters the Launch Round,
How do you make tie straps sexy? What is the appeal, what is the angle that you would use to bring them to the marketplace? Is there a compelling reason for the average buyer to look for an innovative tie down strap? Entrepreneur Mark Blackburn joins this episode to discuss his product, the WrapTie. In our conversation, Mark opens up about the rise of startups in Australia, which pre-campaign practices helped his product succeed, why it’s so important to connect with influencers, his view on the future of crowdfunding, and much more! Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to learn from Mark’s fascinating and seasoned perspective!
What is WrapTie? Is there really a place in the tie strap industry for innovation and disruption? What type of product could bring an edge to such a niche market? Mark Blackburn and his business partner, Paul McNeill saw a way to address some of the common complaints that consumers have with the average tie strap. After developing a prototype that eliminated the frustrating aspect of having to deal with excess strap after tying down an item, Mark and Paul went searching for a platform to launch their product. Finally, the pair landed on utilizing the crowdfunding community to ignite the fire that would fuel the rise of their business. Learn more about the Mark and Paul’s journey by listening to this engaging episode!
How crowdfunding in fueling startups in Australia. Why do certain regions and markets seem to cultivate more startups than others? Does it have to do with the government regulations in place or the cultural climate? According to Mark Blackburn, in Australia, it all came down to access. For too long, innovators and entrepreneurs in Australia have enjoyed limited access to platforms like IndieGoGo and Kickstarter. There seems to be an uptick in innovation in Australia because more and more of these innovators who have been waiting in the wings finally have access to platforms that empower their creativity. Find out more about the startup scene in Australia from Mark’s perspective by listening to this episode!
Connecting with influencers to promote your product. Did you know that one of the best ways to get your product exposure is by connecting with industry influencers? It’s true! While each situation will vary, Mark Blackburn and his team at WrapTie saw a greater return on their investment when they focused on getting key influencers on board rather than focusing on other methods. It wasn’t a perfect gambit by any means, Mark and his team had to struggle through trial and error like everyone else but at the end of the day, they’ve tracked close to 90 percent of their sales back to the reviews and endorsements of these key influencers. What can you learn from the WrapTie story?
Use your connections and expand your network! What is your organization’s greatest asset right now? Do you have the most innovative minds in your field? Do you have a competitive edge over the competition? What if your greatest asset was something you own but a connection you have? As Mark Blackburn and his team at WrapTime worked tirelessly to get their fledgling startup off the ground, they found that their relationships and connections were the greatest assets they had at their disposal. What connections do you have that you could leverage? Take a look at your sector of the market and look for ways to make connections with the right people who can get your product the spotlight that it deserves!
Key Takeaways * [1:10] Mark Blackburn joins the podcast to talk about his product, WrapTie. * [3:50] What has been fueling the rise of startups in Australia? * [5:30] Mark talks about the preparation that helped his crowdfunded product succeed. * [7:00] How connecting with influencers provided a good ROI. * [9:00] From crowdfunding to running an ecommerce business and lessons learned. * [11:30] Why it’s important to leverage connections. * [12:30] Mark enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. * [17:50] Why you should check out WrapTie.
Links * Richard Branson * The 4-Hour Workweek
Connect With WrapTie * Check out the WrapTie website * WrapTie on Facebook * WrapTie on Instagram
What are performance jeans? Are they just really soft jeans or is there more to it? Can you really rock climb, hike, practice yoga, and go on a date with performance jeans like Boulder Denim? On this episode, you’ll hear from Boulder Denim’s founders Bradley Spence and Taz Barrett. In our conversation, the guys explain how their second launch is different from their first campaign, what they’ve learned along the way, why they decided to take their product on the road, their plans for the future, and much more! Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn from the innovative minds behind Boulder Denim! Utilizing Kickstarter Live. Have you used Kickstarter Live? Have you seen any compelling uses of it in the crowdfunding community? If you are unfamiliar with Kickstarter Live, it’s a tool for streaming livevideo from your Kickstarter project page. When Brad and Taz launched the second version of their performance jeans, Boulder Denim 2.0, they went all out and hosted the launch at a retail store with free beer while streaming the event on Kickstarter Live. What can you learn from Brad and Taz’s approach? Hear more about their story on this fascinating episode! Why it’s important to listen to your backers. Did you know that some of the best ideas for crowdfunded products come from taking the time to listen to your backers? It’s true! Time and time again, great inventors and entrepreneurs have improved their products by embracing the input of their users! For Brad and Taz, this practice of leaning into the feedback of their backers led to expanding and improving their performance jeans for a wider audience. After launching another Kickstarter Live session and taking the time to hear from their backers, the guys decided that the time was right to introduce their women’s jogger. Don’t underestimate the value of listening to your community! Learn more from Brad and Taz’s perspective by listening to this informative episode! What are performance jeans? While traditional jeans are certainly casual and durable, the last thing people think of jeans for is working out or performing any activity that requires flexibility and movement. Here to challenge that thinking, Brad and Taz have developed the performance jean, Boulder Denim. Ethically sourced in their home country of Canada, Brad and Taz have worked hard to bring a product that is useful, comfortable, fashionable, and fun! Not only is their product casual and effective, their approach is too! Taking a look around their website and listening to their story, you really get the sense that the guys care about bringing high-quality performance jeans to the marketplace. Hear more about this innovative product by listening to this episode, you don’t want to miss it! Taking a product to the masses. It seems that more and more crowdfunded products are getting the rock band treatment and hitting the road for tours around the country. Is that really an effective way to bring attention and publicity to your product or is it a waste of time and resources? While they were in the middle of their first Kickstarter campaign, Brad and Taz joked about how much they’d need to raise to justify a tour of the US promoting Boulder Denim. What started as a pipedream, Brad and Taz were soon able to turn into a reality! With the help of their supplier turned partner, they secured enough funding to take Boulder Denim on a 14-month tour of the US demonstrating the appeal of their product along the way. Want to take your product on the road? Get more details about their journey by listening to this engaging episode! Key Takeaways
[1:05] Brad and Taz join the podcast to talk about their product, Boulder Denim. [3:45] The difference between the first Kickstarter campaign and the second run. [7:00] Launching at a retailer and utilizing Kickstarter Live. [8:30] How have the guys cultivated a robust connection with their community? [9:20] Lessons learned from a successful crowdf...
What are performance jeans? Are they just really soft jeans or is there more to it? Can you really rock climb, hike, practice yoga, and go on a date with performance jeans like Boulder Denim? On this episode, you’ll hear from Boulder Denim’s founders Bradley Spence and Taz Barrett. In our conversation, the guys explain how their second launch is different from their first campaign, when they’ve learned along the way, why they decided to take their product on the road, their plans for the future, and much more! Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn from the innovative minds behind Boulder Denim!
Utilizing Kickstarter Live. Have you utilized Kickstarter Live? Have you seen any compelling uses of it in the crowdfunding community? If you are unfamiliar with Kickstarter Live, it’s a tool for streaming video from your Kickstarter project page. When Brad and Taz launched the second version of their performance jeans, Boulder Denim 2.0, they went all out and hosted the launch at a retail store with free beer while streaming the event on Kickstarter Live. What can you learn from Brad and Taz’s approach? Hear more about their story on this fascinating episode!
Why it’s important to listen to your backers. Did you know that some of the best ideas for crowdfunded products come from taking the time to listen to your backers? It’s true! Time and time again, great inventors and entrepreneurs have improved their products by embracing the input of their users! For Brad and Taz, this practice of leaning into the feedback of their backers led to expanding and improving their performance jeans for a wider audience. After launching another Kickstarter Live session and taking the time to hear from their backers, the guys decided that the time was right to introduce their women’s jogger. Don’t underestimate the value of listening to your community! Learn more from Brad and Taz’s perspective by listening to this informative episode!
What are performance jeans? While traditional jeans are certainly casual and durable, the last thing people think of jeans for is working out or performing any activity that requires flexibility and movement. Here to challenge that thinking, Brad and Taz have developed the performance jean, Boulder Denim. Ethically sourced in their home country of Canada, Brad and Taz have worked hard to bring a product that is useful, comfortable, fashionable, and fun! Not only is their product causal and effective, their approach is too! Taking a look around their website and listening to their story, you really get the sense that the guys care about bringing high-quality performance jeans to the marketplace. Hear more about this innovative product by listening to this episode, you don’t want to miss it!
Taking a product to the masses. It seems that more and more crowdfunded products are getting the rock band treatment and hitting the road for tours around the country. Is that really an effective way to bring attention and publicity to your product or is it a waste of time and resources? While they were in the middle of their first Kickstarter campaign, Brad and Taz joked about how much they’d need to raise to justify a tour of the US promoting Boulder Denim. What started as a pipedream, Brad and Taz were soon able to turn into a reality! With the help of their supplier turned partner, they secured enough funding to take Boulder Denim on a 14-month tour of the US demonstrating the appeal of their product along the way. Will you take your product on the road? Get more details about their journey by listening to this engaging episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Brad and Taz join the podcast to talk about their product, Boulder Denim. * [3:45] The difference between the first Kickstarter campaign and the second run. * [7:00] Launching at a retailer and utilizing Kickstarter Live. * [8:30] How have the guys cultivated a robust connection with their community? * [9:20] Lessons learned from a successful crowdfunding campaign & touring the country. * [11:45] Where are the guys headed next? * [12:30] Brad enters the Launch Round, rapid-fire questions. * [14:00] Why you should check out Boulder Denim.
Links * Elon Musk * The Tipping Point
Connect With Boulder Denim * Boulder Denim’s Kickstarter Campaign * Boulder Denim’s website * Follow Boulder Denim on Facebook
How can successful leaders and innovators invest in the next generation by empowering entrepreneurs? On this episode, you’ll hear from serial entrepreneur Benjamin Arneberg. In his conversation with Roy, Ben opens up about his past crowdfunding success, how he’s utilized Amazon to grow his brand, tips he has for startup entrepreneurs, why he started Product Fuel, and so much more! If you want a peek inside the mind of a prolific business leader, you’ve come to the right place. Don’t miss a minute of this fascinating episode featuring Ben! How Amazon can help startups. The big question in many startup circles is, “What is next after crowdfunding?” Time and time again, the answer seems to be, Amazon. Is Amazon really a good platform to take your fledgling product? What makes Amazon a good option for startups? Innovator, Ben Arneberg is convinced that Amazon has the tools and audience that entrepreneurs like you are looking for. Ben has taken multiple crowdfunding projects to Amazon with impressive results! Learn more about Ben’s experience with Amazon and why it’s worth your time to investigate by listening to this engaging episode! Worthwhile pre-campaign work. What pre-campaign steps allow a crowdfunded product to get fully funded in the first four hours? Is there a magic formula that can guarantee this type of success? When Ben and his team launched Cold Brew On Tap, they experienced rapid success. Ben says that much of this success can be traced back to the successful campaign they ran previously. He also points to the work he and his team put in with building their audience through email lists and utilizing Facebook Messenger. Find out how you can benefit from using similar tactics as Ben expands on what led to his success and more on this informative episode! Utilizing Facebook Messenger to connect with your audience. If you’ve been around the crowdfunding community for very long, you know that one of the hot new topics is utilizing Facebook Messenger. Is it really as good as the rumors suggest? Can you expect a high ratio of open rates? While it may not be an option for everyone, Ben Arneberg and his team have found great success in investing in the use of Facebook Messenger. Instead of spending the time to figure it out themselves, Ben decided to connect with an outside team specializing in Facebook Messenger. The results that they saw were well worth the investment! From high open rates to audience engagement, Ben has become a firm believer in the new wave of utilizing Facebook Messenger to connect with your audience. What is Product Fuel? Are you looking for new ways to get your product out to the marketplace? Do you want to work outside of the usual parameters and try different platforms to get your product where it needs to be? Then you should check out what Ben Arneberg and his team are doing at Product Fuel! They are Amazon and crowdfunding experts who have the experience and knowledge to help products and brands get the exposure they need to build momentum and turn a profit. The folks at Product Fuel will be the first to tell you that they won’t guarantee success, but they can offer up their valuable insights and strategies that they have used to get impressive results. To hear more about Product Fuel and their awesome work of empowering entrepreneurs, make sure to listen to this episode! Key Takeaways
[1:10] Benjamin Arneberg joins the podcast to talk about his career in crowdfunding. [2:15] Ben talks about how he got started as an entrepreneur. [4:40] Why Amazon is a great platform for new products. [6:30] Ben opens up about his new product, Cold Brew On Tap. [8:00] What pre-campaign work has led to success? [9:30] Is it practical to utilize Facebook Messenger to connect with your audience? [11:20] Make sure you validate your product idea. [13:00] Tips for putting your product in the best position for success and lessons learned.
How can successful leaders and innovators invest in the next generation by empowering entrepreneurs? On this episode, you’ll hear from serial entrepreneur Benjamin Arneberg. In his conversation with Roy, Ben opens up about his past crowdfunding success, how he’s utilized Amazon to grow his brand, tips he has for startup entrepreneurs, why he started Product Fuel, and so much more! If you want a peek inside the mind of a prolific business leader, you’ve come to the right place. Don’t miss a minute of this fascinating episode featuring Ben!
How Amazon can help startups. The big question in many startup circles is, “What is next after crowdfunding?” Time and time again, the answer seems to be, Amazon. Is Amazon really a good platform to take your fledgling product? What makes Amazon a good option for startups? Innovator, Ben Arneberg is convinced that Amazon has the tools and audience that entrepreneurs like you are looking for. Ben has taken multiple crowdfunding projects to Amazon with impressive results! Learn more about Ben’s experience with Amazon and why it’s worth your time to investigate by listening to this engaging episode!
Worthwhile pre-campaign work. What pre-campaign steps allow a crowdfunded product to get fully funded in the first four hours? Is there a magic formula that can guarantee this type of success? When Ben and his team launched Cold Brew On Tap, they experienced rapid success. Ben says that much of this success can be traced back to the successful campaign they ran previously. He also points to the work he and his team put in with building their audience through email lists and utilizing Facebook Messenger. Find out how you can benefit from using similar tactics as Ben expands on what led to his success and more on this informative episode!
Utilizing Facebook Messenger to connect with your audience. If you’ve been around the crowdfunding community for very long, you know that one of the hot new topics is utilizing Facebook Messenger. Is it really as good as the rumors suggest? Can you expect a high ratio of open rates? While it may not be an option for everyone, Ben Arneberg and his team have found great success in investing in the use of Facebook Messenger. Instead of spending the time to figure it out themselves, Ben decided to connect with an outside team specializes in Facebook Messenger. The results that they saw were well worth the investment! From high open rates to audience engagement, Ben has become a firm believer in the new wave of utilizing Facebook Messenger to connect with your audience.
What is Product Fuel? Are you looking for new ways to get your product out to the marketplace? Do you want to work outside of the usual parameters and try different platforms to get your product where it needs to be? Then you should check out what Ben Arneberg and his team are doing at Product Fuel! They are Amazon and crowdfunding experts who have the experience and knowledge to help products and brands get the exposure they need to build momentum and turn a profit. The folks at Product Fuel will be the first to tell you that they won’t guarantee success, but they can offer up their valuable insights and strategies that they have used to get impressive results. To hear more about Product Fuel and their awesome work of empowering entrepreneurs, make sure to listen to this episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:10] Benjamin Arneberg joins the podcast to talk about his career in crowdfunding. * [2:15] Ben talks about how he got started as an entrepreneur. * [4:40] Why Amazon a great platform for new products. * [6:30] Ben opens up about his new product, Cold Brew On Tap. * [8:00] What pre-campaign work has led to success? * [9:30] Is it practical to utilize Facebook Messenger to connect with your audience? * [11:20] Make sure you validate your product idea. * [13:00] Tips for putting your product in the best position for success & lessons learned. * [15:20] What is Ben working on right now? * [17:00] Ben enters the Launch Round - rapid fire questions. * [19:50] Why you should check out Ben’s projects.
Links * Jeff Bezos * Steve Jobs * 80/20 Sales and Marketing * ManyChat
Connect With Benjamin Arneberg * Product Fuel * Cube Fit * Cold Brew On Tap
How can rebranding a company impact its reputation? What causes a company to move forward with the rebranding process? Kurt Swanson joins this episode to talk about the crowdfunded air conditioner, Kapsul, formerly known as Noria. In our conversation, Kurt opens up about the decision to rebrand his company, challenges they’ve faced over the last two years, what it was like taking Kapsul on the road, tips for inventors, and much more! You don’t want miss a minute of this fascinating episode featuring Kurt and innovative product, Kapsul! Why would a company go through the rebranding process? Let’s face it, rebranding a company isn’t the easiest process in the world. What would cause a business leader to start that process? How would it play out? For Kurt Swanson and his team at Noria, the decision came down to dealing with an international trademark issue. While they loved the name, Noria, it made sense for them to avoid the legal confrontation and start the rebranding process. In an effort to avoid the same branding issue again, Kurt and his team went through a lengthy and thorough process to come up with the Kapsul brand. Learn more from Kurt’s perspective by listening to this engaging episode! Getting your product in front of backers and the general public. What does it take to engage your audience and get them excited about your product? While telling a compelling story and using the medium of photography and video can be helpful, nothing beats getting your product into the hands of your customers. Having faced delays with product delivery, Kurt Swanson was eager to get his product in front of his backers and the general public. This eagerness led Kurt and his team to take Kapsul on the road to generate renewed interest and publicity for their innovative product. Their efforts paid off and the feedback was immensely helpful for Kurt and his team. What can you learn from Kurt’s journey? Community managers are worth their weight in gold! How will your brand engage its followers? Do you have a plan in place or do you hope to figure it out as you go? Don’t make the mistake that many brands later regret! If you haven’t learned from the many stories of brands that have come before, learn from Kurt’s story with Kapsul! One of the key decisions from early on that Kurt wishes he would have made is the decision to hire a community manager. Since hiring a community manager, Kurt and his team have been able to devote more time and resources to get their product into the hands of their backers. Learn more from Kurt and why he is so happy with his decision to bring on a community manager by listing to this informative episode! Setting the right expectations can make all the difference. One of the best ways to build trust in the crowdfunding community is to be upfront about the process and to maintain an open line of communication with your backers. Too often brands get sidetracked and off target when it comes to these important practices. Don’t fall into the same trap! If you want your crowdfunded product to succeed, make sure to communicate realistic expectations to your backers from day one. Do everything in your power to avoid overselling and under delivering! If more and more inventors take the time to carefully and accurately communicate what backers should expect with the whole crowdfunding process, the community will be better for it. Hear Kurt Swanston expand on his advice for inventors and much more on this episode! Key Takeaways
[1:05] Kurt Swanson joins the podcast [1:50] Why did Noria change its name to Kapsul? How did it go down? [5:30] Kurt gives an update on Kapsul since their first crowdfunding project 2 years ago. [7:50] What was it like taking Kapsul on the road? [9:20] How can inventors avoid product delivery delays? [12:00] Kurt talks about hiring a community manager. [13:30] Advice for an inventor considering a crowdfunding campaign.
How can rebranding a company impact its reputation? What causes a company to move forward with the rebranding process? Kurt Swanson joins this episode to talk about the crowdfunded air conditioner, Kapsul - formerly known as, Noria. In our conversation, Kurt opens up about the decision to rebrand his company, challenges they’ve faced over the last two years, what it was like taking Kapsul on the road, tips for inventors, and much more! You don’t want miss a minute of this fascinating episode featuring Kurt and innovative product, Kapsul!
Why would a company go through the rebranding process? Let’s face it, rebranding a company isn’t the easiest process in the world. What would cause a business leader to start that process? How would it play out? For Kurt Swanson and his team at Noria, the decision came down to dealing with an international trademark issue. While they loved the name, Noria, it made sense for them to avoid the legal confrontation and start the rebranding process. In an effort to avoid the same branding issue again, Kurt and his team went through a lengthy and thorough process to come up with the Kapsul brand. Learn more from Kurt’s perspective by listening to this engaging episode!
Getting your product in front of backers and the general public. What does it take to engage your audience and get them excited about your product? While telling a compelling story and using the medium of photography and video can be helpful, nothing beats getting your product into the hands of your customers. Having faced delays with product delivery, Kurt Swanson was eager to get his product in front of his backers and the general public. This eagerness led Kurt and his team to take Kapsul on the road to generate renewed interest and publicity for their innovative product. Their efforts paid off and the feedback was immensely helpful for Kurt and his team. What can you learn from Kurt’s journey?
Community managers are worth their weight in gold! How will your brand engage its followers? Do you have a plan in place or do you hope to figure it out as you go? Don’t make the mistake that many brands later regret! If you haven’t learned from the many stories of brands that have come before, learn from Kurt’s story with Kapsul! One of the key decisions from early on that Kurt wishes he would have made is the decision to hire a community manager. Since hiring a community manager, Kurt and his team have been able to devote more time and resources to get their product into the hands of their backers. Learn more from Kurt and why he is so happy with his decision to bring on a community manager by listing to this informative episode!
Setting the right expectations can make all the difference. One of the best ways to build trust in the crowdfunding community is to be upfront about the process and to maintain an open line of communication with your backers. Too often brands get sidetracked and off target when it comes to these important practices. Don’t fall into the same trap! If you want your crowdfunded product to succeed, make sure to communicate realistic expectations to your backers from day one. Do everything in your power to avoid overselling and under delivering! If more and more inventors take the time to carefully and accurately communicate what backers should expect with the whole crowdfunding process, the community will be better for it. Hear Kurt Swanston expand on his advice for inventors and much more on this episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Kurt Swanson joins the podcast to talk about * [1:50] Why did Noria change its name to Kapsul? How did it go down? * [5:30] Kurt gives an update on Kapsul since their first crowdfunding project 2 yrs ago. * [7:50] What was it like taking Kapsul on the road? * [9:20] How can inventors avoid product delivery delays? * [12:00] Kurt talks about hiring a community manager. * [13:30] Advice for an inventor considering a crowdfunding campaign. * [14:10] Kurt enters the Launch Round - rapid fire questions. * [16:20] Why you should check out Kapsul.
Links * AOTK episode featuring Sundots * Thomas Edison * Arthur C. Clarke * Michael Crichton * Against the Odds * TryCelery
Connect With Kapsul * Kapsul Air * Kapsul on Facebook * Kapsul on Twitter * AOTK episode #140
Let’s face it, there is no secret formula for creating popular products that the public will instantly fall in love with. However, John Fiorentino has tapped into something with his products that resonates with people. When pressed, John admits that he looks for products that he knows that he’ll love to use on a regular basis. He also enjoys taking his products into public spaces like parks for people to try so he can assess their reactions. The results John and his team have seen speak for themselves. Gravity Blankets and Moon Pods have become huge success stories that many entrepreneurs are scrambling to learn from. Hear more from the brain behind these successfully crowdfunded products by listening to this fascinating episode! Gathering a following. What does it take to set up a great product idea for long-term success? What steps can you take right now to best position your business for growth? For John Fiorentino, the answer was to create a following. In his words, John got to enjoy “acting like a crazy person” for six months while carrying around a selfie stick, documenting his journey of product discovery. This video journal and blogging experiment allowed John to connect with a good size audience and develop an email list. Later on, as he went to launch his first product, John was able to rely on this email list to prime the pump when it came to initial sales and word of mouth momentum. Learn more about John’s story and why it’s important to gather an early following by listening to this helpful episode! Addressing the topics of stress and comfort. As you go through the process of finding a product that will catch on with the public, consider addressing something that people are concerned about. Subjects like stress, health, posture, comfort, diet, and overall quality of life resonate with the public because we all want to live the best life possible. John and his team discovered the power of this message when they addressed the topics of stress and comfort with their two products, Gravity Blankets, and Moon Pods. What can you learn from John’s approach? How will your product or service resonate with a large audience? Hear more helpful insights from John’s story on this episode! People will market your product for you if they love it! Many inventors stress about how they will get their products in front of people, but what if that is the wrong thing to worry about? Imagine what good it would do if inventors could focus solely on creating amazing products without an eye on the marketing steps? According to John Fiorentino, that’s exactly what they should do! While it may be easier said than done, John has found that when you create a compelling and useful product, people will practically market it for you! This isn’t just a theory for John, he put it into practice with his latest product launch, Moon Pod. With this product, John and his team significantly decreased their marketing efforts to see if people would really spread the word - it worked! Learn more about the success of the Moon Pod by listening to this engaging episode! Too much success? What would you do if your product became too successful? Sounds like a great problem to have, right? Too often, many inventors and entrepreneurs don’t ask themselves this question when they take their product to crowdfunding platforms. As you prepare for your project, make sure to plan for success! Learn from the stories of leaders like John Fiorentino who had issues with supply chains and struggled to ensure that their product could get to backers. Put a plan in place now, before the worst case scenario can happen. Discover additional lessons and insights about scaling a popular product by listening to this episode featuring John! Key Takeaways
[1:05] John Fiorentino joins the podcast to talk about his inventions. [3:30] What went into the process of creating a Gravity Blanket? [5:30] Challenges faced with designing the Gravity Blanket.
Let’s face it, there is no secret formula for creating popular products that the public will instantly fall in love with. While there isn’t a secret formula, John Fiorentino has tapped into something with his products that resonates with people. When pressed, John admits that he looks for products that he knows that he’ll love to use on a regular basis. He also enjoys taking his products into public spaces like parks for people to try so he can assess their reactions. The results John and his team have seen, speak for themselves. Gravity Blankets and Moon Pods have become huge success stories that many leaders are scrambling to learn from. Hear more from the brain behind these successfully crowdfunded products by listening to this fascinating episode!
Gathering a following. What does it take to set up a great product idea for long-term success? What steps can you take right now to best position your business for growth? For John Fiorentino, the answer was to create a following. In his words, John got to enjoy “acting like a crazy person” for six months while carrying around a selfie stick, documenting his journey of product discovery. This video journal and blogging experiment allowed John to connect with a good size audience and develop an email list. Later on, as he went to launch his first product, John was able to rely on this email list to prime the pump when it came to initial sales and word of mouth momentum. Learn more about John’s story and why it’s important to gather an early following by listening to this helpful episode!
Addressing the topics of stress and comfort. As you go through the process of finding a product that will catch on with the public, consider addressing something that people are concerned about. Subjects like stress, health, posture, comfort, diet, and overall quality of life resonate with the public because we all want to live the best life possible. John and his team discovered the power of this message when they addressed the topics of stress and comfort with their two products, Gravity Blankets, and Moon Pods. What can you learn from John’s approach? How will your product or service resonate with a large audience? Hear more helpful insights from John’s story on this episode!
People will market your product for you if they love it! Many inventors stress about how they will get their products in front of people, what if that is the wrong thing to worry about? Imagine what good it would do if inventors could focus solely on creating amazing products without an eye on the marketing steps? According to John Fiorentino, that’s exactly what they should do! While it may be easier said than done, John has found that when you create a compelling and useful product, people will practically market it for you! This isn’t just a theory for John, he put it into practice with his latest product launch, Moon Pods. With this product, John and his team significantly decreased their marketing efforts to see if people would really spread the word, it worked! Learn more about the success of the Moon Pod by listening to this engaging episode!
Too much success? What would you do if your product became too successful? Sounds like a great problem to have, right? Too often, many inventors and entrepreneurs don’t ask themselves this question when they take their product to crowdfunding platforms. As you prepare your process, make sure to factor in this important topic! Learn from the stories of leaders like John Fiorentino who had issues with supply chains and struggled to ensure that their product could get to backers. Put a plan in place now, before the worst case scenario can happen! Discover additional lessons and insights about scaling a popular product by listening to this episode featuring John!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] John Fiorentino joins the podcast to talk about his inventions. * [3:30] What went into the process of creating a gravity blanket? * [5:30] Challenges faced with designing the gravity blanket. * [6:45] John talks about creating a following and marketing his new product idea. * [8:20] The difference between the gravity blanket campaign & the moon pod campaign. * [10:50] What has been the biggest surprise with the moon pod launch? * [14:00] Dealing with the issue of overfunding and scaling a popular product. * [17:00] Why you should make a product that people will love. * [20:00] What are John’s plans for the future? * [21:10] John enters the Launch Round; rapid-fire questions. * [25:00] Why you should check out John and his inventions.
Links * Scooter Braun * Benjamin Franklin * Leonardo da Vinci * The Elephant in the Brain
Connect With John Fiorentino * Gravity Blankets * Moon Pod * See what John is up to on Instagram
How can innovators like you engage in a new product development strategy that works? Is a successful strategy even possible or is all left up to chance? On this episode, you’ll hear from author and entrepreneur, Sean Michael Ragan. In our conversation, Sean opens up about his background, his four steps for new product development, how inventors can connect with a good company for product development, why crowdfunding is helpful for inventors, and much more! Don’t miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Sean! New product development steps you can use! Let’s face it, inventing, producing, scaling, marketing, and selling a product can be beyond intimidating. What if there was a way to cut through the complexity of new product development and embrace a streamlined approach? Sean Michael Ragan has developed a clear-cut method with his four steps of new product development.
Making one. Selling one. Making many. Selling many.
Innovators like you no longer have to start from square one! You don’t have to wonder where to start in the product development process. Make sure to listen to this episode as Sean breaks down each of the four steps, you don’t want to miss it! Finding a good company for product development. At some point along the way, inventors will need to connect with an outside company to develop and produce their product. What is the best way to find a solid company to develop your product? Sean Michael Ragan suggests that inventors look for a recommendation from their network. Sean also stresses how important it is to look at their portfolio of work to make sure that they can handle the type of work you are hiring them to do. Get more helpful insights from Sean’s perspective by listening to this engaging episode! Market testing tips. One of the most important aspects of new product development is market testing your product. In a perfect world, this step would involve large and numerous test groups and cost a significant amount of money, time, and resources. Practically speaking, most inventors can’t engage this step as thoroughly as they’d like to. Alternatively, inventors with limited resources should get their prototype into the hands of as many of their target demographic as possible and take the time to studiously consider their feedback and criticisms. For more information about market testing your invention, make sure to listen to this episode with Sean Michael Ragan! How crowdfunding supports innovation. What makes the crowdfunding platform so appealing to inventors? Why does the crowdfunding approach appeal to inventors in such a strong way? On this episode, Sean Michael Ragan shares why crowdfunding and inventing go hand in hand. At the end of the day, the huge boon that crowdfunding provides to the inventor community is creating an accessible channel that lowers the social and economic barriers to funding and media exposure. In light of the rise of crowdfunding platforms, inventors who would have never dreamed of inventing now have a solid shot! What additional insights can you learn from Sean’s perspective? Find out on this helpful episode! Key Takeaways
[1:05] Sean Michael Ragan joins the podcast. [1:45] Sean talks about his background. [2:50] 4 steps of product development. [5:00] How can inventors find a good company to work with for product development? [6:20] What are some good market testing tips? [8:00] Using your network and keeping it local is the best strategy. [9:00] The benefits of crowdfunding to the inventor community. [10:00] What is the future of inventing? Follow the math! [11:00] Sean enters the Launch Round. [12:30] Why you should check out Sean’s book!
Links
Nikola Tesla
Connect With Sean Michael Ragan
The Total Inventors Manual
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save,
How can innovators like you engage in a new product development strategy that works? Is a successful strategy even possible or is all left up to chance? On this episode, you’ll hear from author and entrepreneur, Sean Michael Ragan. In our conversation, Sean opens up about his background, his four steps for new product development, how inventors can connect with a good company for product development, why the crowdfunding platform is helpful for inventors, and much more! Don’t miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Sean!
New product development steps you can use! Let’s face it, inventing, producing, scaling, marketing, and selling a product can be beyond intimidating. What if there was a way to cut through the complexity of new product development and embrace a streamlined approach? Sean Michael Ragan has developed a clear-cut method with his four steps of new product development.
- Making one.
- Selling one.
- Making many.
- Selling many.
Innovators like you no longer have to start from square one! You don’t have to wonder where to start in the product development process. Make sure to listen to this episode as Sean breaks down each of the four steps, you don’t want to miss it!
Finding a good company for product development. At some point along the way, inventors will need to connect with an outside company to develop and produce their product. What is the best way to find a solid company to develop your product? Sean Michael Ragan suggests that inventors look for a recommendation from their network. The last thing you want to do is use a company that you found in an advertisement, it’s best to go with an organization that someone you know has worked with. Sean also stresses how important it is to look at their portfolio of work to make sure that they can handle the type of work you are hiring them to do. Get more helpful insights from Sean’s perspective by listening to this engaging episode!
Market testing tips. One of the most important aspects of new product development is market testing your product. In a perfect world, this step would involve large and numerous test groups and cost a significant amount of money, time, and resources. Practically speaking, most inventors can’t engage this step as thoroughly as they’d like to. Alternatively, inventors with limited resources should get their prototype into the hands of as many of their target demographic as possible and take the time to studiously consider their feedback and criticisms. For more information about market testing your invention, make sure to listen to this episode with Sean Michael Ragan!
How crowdfunding supports innovation. What makes the crowdfunding platform so appealing to inventors? Why does the crowdfunding approach appeal to inventors in such a strong way? On this episode, Sean Michael Ragan shares why crowdfunding and inventing go hand in hand. At the end of the day, the huge boon that crowdfunding provides to the inventor community is creating an accessible channel that lowers the social and economic barriers to funding and media exposure. In light of the rise of crowdfunding platforms, inventors who would have never dreamed of inventing, now have a solid shot! What additional insights can you learn from Sean’s perspective? Find out on this helpful episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Sean Michael Ragan joins the podcast. * [1:45] Sean talks about his background. * [2:50] 4 steps of product development. * [5:00] How can inventors find a good company to work with for product development? * [6:20] What are some good market testing tips? * [8:00] Using your network and keeping it local is the best strategy. * [9:00] The benefits of crowdfunding to the inventor community. * [10:00] What is the future of inventing? Follow the math! * [11:00] Sean enters the Launch Round. * [12:30] Why you should check out Sean’s book!
Links * Nikola Tesla
Connect With Sean Michael Ragan * The Total Inventors Manual
Imagine connecting with a global tribe of entrepreneurs and innovators, what would that look like? Would it be like every other networking event and conference out there or would it need to be a completely different experience? On this episode, you’ll hear from Fireside Conference founders Daniel Levine and Steven Pulver. In our conversation, Daniel and Steven open up about why they started Fireside Conference, how it helps business leaders connect in a meaningful way, why they love the global tribe they are building, and much more! Don’t miss a minute of this engaging episode with Daniel and Steven! Can you really build a global tribe? Is the concept of building a global tribe really practical? Will people who go to a conference stay connected when they leave? Daniel and Steven are working hard to build a community the likes of which the entrepreneurial community has rarely seen. Together, they envision a group of leaders with diverse backgrounds who are willing to leave all the trappings of their busy work environments behind to connect in a way that truly matters. According to the responses they’ve received, it seems that their idea has struck a chord! Learn more about Daniel and Steven’s journey by listening to this informative episode! Frugal marketing that pays off. What does your marketing strategy look like? Do you take a shotgun approach where you market through multiple channels to see what sticks or do you research for long periods of time and make a calculated effort? For Daniel and Steven, the answer is somewhere between these two strategies! They’ve found that marketing the Fireside Conference through multiple channels has led them to identify two channels that work really well, Facebook and Instagram. They’ve also carefully leveraged assets such as high-quality music, photos and videos to convey the look and feel of the Fireside experience they want leaders to come and enjoy. Get more details on Daniel and Steven’s marketing strategy for the Fireside Conference by listening to this helpful episode! The future of entrepreneurship is accessible. Where is the future of entrepreneurship trending? How has it changed over the last five to ten years? With the rise of the internet and social media communities, it seems that entrepreneurship is more accessible than ever before! Leaders like Steven Pulver not only agree with this assessment, they are looking for ways to create more avenues and platforms so the entrepreneurial bug can be caught by the next generation. Don’t buy the line that entrepreneurship is only for the well connected and the powerful! The future is bright and the opportunities are more available than ever before! Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box! It has been said that if you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done. What are you doing to push the envelope? How are you thinking outside of the box? What started as a dream to get out of the typical and sterile conference environment eventually blossomed into a robust and growing global tribe of entrepreneurs. Daniel and Steven are convinced that the possibilities are endless for leaders like you who are willing to put in the work. What are you waiting for? Learn from Daniel and Steven’s story and let it inspire you to go out there and make a difference! Key Takeaways
[1:05] Daniel Levine & Steven Pulver join the podcast. [2:00] Daniel and Steven talk about what inspired them to start the Fireside Conference. [5:50] What does it take to build a global tribe? [9:00] Is there really a Fireside song? [12:30] Daniel and Steve explain their marketing approach for Fireside. [16:00] What has been the craziest thing that has happened at Fireside? [20:30] Steven enters the Launch Round - rapid-fire questions. [23:45] Why you should check out the Fireside Conference.
Links
Jonathan Mann Ted Cole Steve Jobs Skin in the Game
Imagine connecting with a global tribe of entrepreneurs and innovators, what would that look like? Would it be like every other networking event and conference out there or would it need to be a completely different experience? On this episode, you’ll hear from Fireside Conference founders Daniel Levine and Steven Pulver. In our conversation, Daniel and Steven open up about why they started Fireside Conference, how it helps business leaders connect in a meaningful way, why they love the global tribe they are building, and much more! Don’t miss a minute of this engaging episode with Daniel and Steven!
Can you really build a global tribe? Is the concept of building a global tribe really practical? Will people who go to a conference stay connected when they leave? Daniel and Steven are working hard to build a community the likes of which the entrepreneurial community has rarely seen. Together, they envision a group of leaders with diverse backgrounds who are willing to leave all the trappings of their busy work environments behind to connect in a way that truly matters. According to the responses they’ve received, it seems that their idea has struck a chord! Learn more about Daniel and Steven’s journey by listening to this informative episode!
Frugal marketing that pays off. What does your marketing strategy look like? Do you take a shotgun approach where you market through multiple channels to see what sticks or do you research for long periods of time and make a calculated effort? For Daniel and Steven, the answer is somewhere between these two strategies! They’ve found that marketing the Fireside Conference through multiple channels has led them to identify two channels that work really well, Facebook and Instagram. They’ve also carefully leveraged their assets like high-quality music, photos, and videos to convey the look and feel of the Fireside experience they want leaders to come and enjoy. Get more details on Daniel and Steven’s marketing strategy for the Fireside Conference by listening to this helpful episode!
The future of entrepreneurship is accessible. Where is the future of entrepreneurship trending? How has it changed over the last five to ten years? With the rise of the internet and social media communities, it seems that the entrepreneurship is more accessible than ever before! Leaders like Steven Pulver not only agree with this assessment, they are looking for ways to create more avenues and platforms so the entrepreneurial bug can be caught by the next generation. Don’t buy the line that entrepreneurship is only for the well connected and the powerful! The future is bright and the opportunities are more available than ever before!
Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box! It has been said that if you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done. What are you doing to push the envelope? How are you thinking outside of the box? What started as a dream to get out of the typical and sterile conference environment eventually blossomed into a robust and growing global tribe of entrepreneurs. Daniel and Steven are convinced that the possibilities are endless for leaders like you who are willing to put in the work. What are you waiting for? Learn from Daniel and Steven’s story and let it inspire you to go out there and make a difference!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Daniel Levine & Steven Pulver join the podcast. * [2:00] Daniel and Steven talk about what inspired them to start the Fireside Conference. * [5:50] What does it take to build a global tribe? * [9:00] Is there really a Fireside song? * [12:30] Daniel and Steve explain their marketing approach for Fireside. * [16:00] What has been the craziest thing that has happened at Fireside? * [20:30] Steven enters the Launch Round - rapid-fire questions. * [23:45] Why you should check out the Fireside Conference.
Links * Jonathan Mann * Ted Cole * Steve Jobs * Skin in the Game * Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son
Connect With Fireside Conference * Check out the Fireside Conference website * Follow Fireside on Twitter * Connect with Fireside on Facebook
Let’s face it, buying new bedding isn’t sexy - even sustainable bedding can put you to sleep. That’s why Colin McIntosh and his team at Sheets & Giggles have developed a bedding brand with a personality. On this episode, you’ll hear from Colin as he opens up about how Sheets & Giggles got started, why they chose to take their products to the crowdfunding community, the intricacies of developing sustainable bedding, and so much more! You don't’ want to miss this great opportunity to learn from Colin and the amazing brand development work from Sheets & Giggles!
Can you really make sustainable bedding out of eucalyptus? Did you know that most of the materials you sleep on are not made out of sustainable materials? It’s true! Is there a way to create sustainable bedding? Find out on this episode with guest, Colin McIntosh! In his conversation with Roy, Colin explains how he and his team utilize eucalyptus in place of common materials like cotton to create sustainable bedding. Eucalyptus bedding uses 95% less water than cotton, 30% less energy, and ZERO pesticides. They're also naturally softer, more breathable, and more moisture-wicking. To hear more about the use of eucalyptus bedding and how it provides a sustainable solution, make sure to check out this fascinating episode!
What is a brand identity map? Do you ever get the feeling that most brands are dull and boring? When was the last time you encountered a brand that actually took a risk and showed a little personality? On this episode, you’ll hear from Colin McIntosh as he shares why his brand, Sheets & Giggles stands out from the average, boring brand. When he incorporated the brand in 2017, Colin sat down with his team and laid out a “Brand identity map.” This exercise allowed Colin and his team to create a fully thought out expression of their brand with a “Voice” that stood out from the typical noise that most brands put out. Learn more about Sheets & Giggles’ unique voice and brand identity map by listening to this episode!
Why take sustainable bedding to the crowdfunding community? What goes through an entrepreneur's mind when they consider using a crowdfunding platform like IndieGoGo to bring their product to market? According to Colin McIntosh, the decision to bring eucalyptus bedding to the crowdfunding community came simply because he was familiar with the process having launched a product on the platform with a previous startup. Colin also cites the lessons he learned in his first crowdfunding campaign as the reason why he felt better prepared to make a successful second run with a new product. Learn more from Colin’s valuable insights and lessons learned from taking Sheets & Giggles to IndieGoGo by listening to this informative episode!
How press coverage can make or break a campaign. If you haven’t figured it out by now, you should know that great press coverage can launch a crowdfunded campaign from relative obscurity to viral sensation. The question is, how do startups garner positive press coverage and utilize it to their advantage? Sheets & Giggles founder, Colin McIntosh says that it comes down to a leader knowing their strengths and weaknesses. Colin knew that he needed help getting his product noticed and exposed to the press in a way that would catch on with their storylines. That’s why he set out to connect with a solid outside agency who could help him make the right moves with the press. Learn more about Colin’s approach and how he’s led his brand by listening to this engaging episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Colin McIntosh joins the podcast to talk about Sheets & Giggles. * [1:45] What led Colin to start Sheets & Giggles? * [3:00] Why make bedding out of eucalyptus? * [4:45] What was the process like to create eucalyptus bedding? * [6:20] Challenges faced along the way. Why take the crowdfunding route? * [8:00] Colin talks about pre-campaign preparations. * [10:00] Why it’s helpful to create a brand identity map. * [12:10] Tips for garnering good press coverage and the most surprising aspect. * [16:20] Colin enters the Fulfillment Round. * [19:10] Why you should check out Sheets & Giggles.
Links * Elon Musk * Frankenstein * Go the F**k to Sleep * The Lean Startup
Connect With Sheets & Giggles * Check out the Sheets & Giggles IndieGoGo page * Sheets & Giggles website * Follow Sheets & Giggles on Twitter * Like Sheets & Giggles on Facebook
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
How would the crowdfunding community respond to a fitness product like a home gym? What does it take to create and market a product like that on a platform like Kickstarter? On this episode, you’ll hear from returning guest, Ron Lynch. In his conversation with Roy, Ron explains why Kickstarter is such a great platform, how he utilized video to promote his product, challenges he faced along the way, tips for those who want to crowdfund a fitness product, and much more! You don't’ want to miss a minute of this helpful episode featuring Ron!
What benefit does Kickstarter provide? What is it about Kickstarter that attracts business leaders and innovators like Ron Lynch? On this episode, you’ll hear from Ron as he explains why he trusts the Kickstarter platform and community with the launch of his products like the Rove Gym. For Ron and his team, the advantage of using Kickstarter rests on the ability to market test new and innovative products. Ron also cites the ability to have quick reactions from a broad range of prospective buyers as a great reason why Kickstarter stands out as a helpful platform for entertainers. To hear more of Ron’s perspective on Kickstarter’s unique advantages, make sure to check out this informative episode!
How Social Media “Stories” can help promote your product. Have you ever seen a brand utilize tools like Facebook and Instagram “Stories” to promote their products? As social media becomes increasingly lucrative for innovators and marketers to highlight their products, how can business leaders like you leverage these tools to your advantage? Using the “Stories” feature that Facebook and Instagram offer, Ron his team put together a “Highlight Reel” with graphics and video of the Rove Gym and paired it with a lead funnel add. The results were substantial and allowed Ron and his team to collect over 3,000 pre-launch emails. Get more info on this important topic by listening to this episode!
Make sure you know your audience! One of the common mistakes many entrepreneurs and startups make is not properly identifying their target audience. How can leaders like you avoid this common mistake? On this episode, you’ll hear from Ron Lynch as he explains how he and his team addressed this vital aspect of crowdfunding success. Due to the specific nature of the Kickstarter demographic, Ron and his team new that their product would connect with them right away. Ron also mentions that knowing who your target audience is, inside and out allows you create a customized creative approach for the crowd you are trying to reach. Discover more helpful insights from Ron’s perspective by listening to this episode!
Tips for sellers considering a health or fitness product. How can entrepreneurs who are looking at the fitness and health sector learn from Ron’s approach and replicate similar results? Is there a certain angle that Ron and his team used that will help this particular product type connect more than others? Ron suggests thinking through a couple of questions;
- Is the product truly innovative?
- Can you bring the product to crowdfunding with a price that leaves you enough margin?
- Is your target audience really on Kickstarter?
To hear Ron expand on these questions and provide further tips from his seasoned perspective, make sure to catch this engaging episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] I introduce my guest, Ron Lynch. * [1:50] Why is Kickstarter such a good platform to launch products? * [2:50] Utilizing Instagram and Facebook stories to highlight a product. * [4:20] Why the Rove Gym is a good fit for Kickstarter. * [5:40] Breaking the rules with a product video. * [7:15] Ron talks about audience targeting. * [8:40] Challenges that Ron and his team have run into along the way. * [10:10] Tips for future crowdfunded health and fitness products. * [11:45] Ron enters the Launch Round. * [13:10] What is the future of crowdfunding? * [14:55] Why you should connect with Ron.
Links * AOTK Episode #211 w/ Ron Lynch * George Lucas * Steven Spielberg * Poker Wizards
Connect With Ron Lynch * http://bigbabyagency.com/ * http://www.bonfireenterprises.com/ * Check out The Rove Gym on Kickstarter
What would it look like to go light and leave your smartphone behind? Is life without your smartphone even possible? What if someone needs to reach you in an emergency? There is a solution, the Light Phone! On this episode, you’ll hear from Light co-founder, Joe Hollier. In his conversation with Roy, Joe opens up about the first Light Phone, why they decided to launch the Light Phone 2, making the switch from crowdfunding on Kickstarter to Indiegogo, plans for the future, and much more! Developing a minimalist cell phone. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a more minimalist cell phone experience, leaving your smartphone behind? Where would you even start to develop a phone that embraces a “go light” mentality? On this episode, you’ll hear from entrepreneur and innovator Joe Hollier as he explains how he and his partner, Kaiwei Tang developed the Light Phone. At first, it all started with creating a cell phone that could do one thing, make and receive phone calls. From there, Joe and Kaiwei field tested their product with a select few users who had to take that great leap from smartphone users to Light Phone users. To hear how the whole development process played out, make sure to listen to this engaging episode! Why bring the “Go Light” movement to crowdfunding? What led Joe Hollier and his team at Light take the “Go Light” movement to the crowdfunding community? How is the crowdfunding community uniquely suited to test out an innovative product like the Light Phone? Due to the out of the box nature of the Light Phone, Joe and his team decided to take their product to the crowdfunding community because of their reputation for embracing cutting-edge ideas that push the envelope. Through crowdfunding, Light was able to secure enough funding to move forward with the first version of the Light Phone and felt confident enough in its success to return with a campaign for the Light Phone 2. Learn more on this exciting episode! How an active press campaign helped fan the flames. One of the best ways to get a crowdfunded campaign off of the ground is to invest your time and resources into press engagement. While it’s true that some products just happen to take off better than others, it seems that more often than not, campaigns that catch on do so because of good press coverage. Looking back, Joe and his team have identified their efforts with press engagement as one of the most important aspects of their success. Find out how Joe Hollier and his team engaged the press and helped them see the unique offering of the Light Phone by listening to this informative episode! Switching from Kickstarter to Indiegogo. How would it impact a crowdfunding campaign to switch from Kickstarter to Indiegogo between product versions? Which one provides the best results? Are there any drawbacks to making a change like that? On this episode, you’ll hear from Joe Hollier as he explains why he and his team at Light switched to Indiegogo for their second campaign with the Light Phone. Joe and his team opted for Indiegogo the second time around due to the support and resources that platform provides for startups. Joe also cites the way that Indiegogo organizes perks for backers as another reason why Light made the switch to use a different platform. Hear more about Joe’s experience working with Indiegogo over Kickstarter by listening to this helpful episode! Key Takeaways
[1:04] Joe Hollier joins the podcast to talk about his product, the Light Phone 2. [5:30] What was the process of developing the first Light Phone? [8:30] Why did Joe and his partner decide to go the crowdfunding route? [11:00] Making the switch from Kickstarter to IndieGoGo. [12:30] How connecting with the press has helped fan the flames. [13:30] Advice for future crowdfunders and surprises faced along the way. [15:00] Connecting with backers and incorporating their feedback. [16:00] Delivering on promises.
What would it look like to go light and leave your smartphone behind? Is life without your smartphone even possible? What if someone needs to reach you in an emergency? There is a solution, the Light Phone! On this episode, you’ll hear from Light co-founder, Joe Hollier. In his conversation with Roy, Joe opens up about the first Light Phone, why they decided to launch the Light Phone 2, making the switch from crowdfunding on Kickstarter to IndieGoGo, plans for the future, and much more! You don't’ want to miss this fascinating with Joe and the Light Phone!
Developing a minimalist cell phone. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a more minimalist cell phone experience, leaving your smartphone behind? Where would you even start to develop a phone that embraces a “Go light” mentality? On this episode, you’ll hear from entrepreneur and innovator Joe Hollier as he explains how he and his partner, Kaiwei Tang developed the Light Phone. At first, it all started with creating a cell phone that could do one thing, make and receive phone calls. From there, Joe and Kaiwei field tested their product with a select few users who had to take that great leap from smartphone users to Light Phone users. To hear how the whole development process played out, make sure to listen to this engaging episode!
Why bring the “Go Light” movement to crowdfunding? What led Joe Hollier and his team at Light take the “Go Light” movement to crowdfunding community? How is the crowdfunding community uniquely suited to test out an innovative product like the Light Phone? Due to the out of the box nature of the Light Phone, Joe and his team decided to take their product to the crowdfunding community because of their reputation for embracing cutting-edge ideas that push the envelope. Through crowdfunding, Light was able to secure enough funding to move forward with the first version of the Light Phone and felt confident in its success to return with a campaign for the Light Phone 2. Learn more on this exciting episode!
How an active press campaign helped fan the flames. One of the best ways to get a crowdfunded campaign off of the ground is to invest your time and resources into press engagement. While it’s true that some products just happen to take off better than others, it seems that more often than not, campaigns that catch on do so because of good press coverage. Looking back, Joe and his team have identified their efforts with press engagement as one of the most important aspects of their success. Find out how Joe Hollier and his team engaged the press and helped them see the unique offering of the Light Phone by listening to this informative episode!
Switching from Kickstarter to IndieGoGo. How would it impact a crowdfunding campaign to switch from Kickstarter to IndieGoGo between product versions? Which one provides the best results? Are there any drawbacks to making a change like that? On this episode, you’ll hear from Joe Hollier as he explains why he and his team at Light switched to IndieGoGo for their second campaign with the Light Phone. Joe and his team opted for IndieGoGo the second time around due to the support and resources that platform provides for startups. Joe also cites the way that IndieGoGo organizes perks for backers as another reason why Light made the switch to use a different platform. Hear more about Joe’s experience working with IndieGoGo over Kickstarter by listening to this helpful episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:04] Joe Hollier joins the podcast to talk about his product, the Light Phone 2. * [5:30] What was the process of developing the first Light Phone. * [8:30] Why did Joe and his partner decide to go the crowdfunding route? * [11:00] Making the switch from Kickstarter to IndieGoGo. * [12:30] How connecting with the press has helped fan the flames. * [13:30] Advice for future crowdfunders and surprises faced along the way. * [15:00] Connecting with backers and incorporating their feedback. * [16:00] Delivering on promises. * [17:30] Plans for future projects. * [18:30] Joe enters the Launch Round. * [20:30] Why you should check out the Light Phone.
Links * Steve Jobs * The Book by Alan Watts
Connect With Light * The Light Phone 2 IndieGoGo Campaign * The Light website * Light on Facebook * Light on Twitter
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
What does it take to disrupt the performance sunglasses market? Is there an innovative and revolutionary way to present performance sunglasses to consumers? What if there was a pair of sunglasses designed for lifelong use? On this episode, you’ll hear from founder and CEO of Revant Optics, Jason Bolt. In his conversation with Roy, Jason explains how Revant got started selling replacement sunglasses lenses, why they chose to base their business on the direct to consumer model, what they’ve learned from their successful crowdfunding campaign, and much more! You don’t want to miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Jason and Revant Optics!
Discovering the need for a sustainable solution. Have you ever destroyed a pair of sunglasses? Whether it’s from scratching them on a tree branch, dropping them from a rock climb, or just accidentally sitting on them, we’ve all been there. Chances are, your next step was to toss the ruined pair and go shopping for new sunglasses. What if there was a way to repair and reuse that same damaged pair of performance sunglasses over and over again, eliminating waste? That’s where Jason Bolt and his team at Revant Optics come in. They’ve committed themselves to disrupting the performance sunglasses market with their new product, Revant Sunglasses. These sunglasses may be the last pair you ever buy. Purpose-built right here in the USA out of the best materials available, Revant Eyewear is made for the long run and backed for a lifetime. To hear more about Revant Sunglasses, make sure to listen to this informative episode!
Learning from successful Kickstarter campaigns. You’ve heard it said that the best predictor of future events is past behavior, right? So wouldn’t it make sense for business leaders to study and learn from past results that they want to replicate? Surprisingly, many leaders and innovators fail to adhere to this simple truth! On this episode, you’ll hear from Jason Bolt as he explains how Revant Optics took the opportunity to learn from successful Kickstarter campaigns to learn from their process in the hopes of duplicating or exceeding their results! While it wasn’t always easy, Jason looks back at this decision to study, interview, and learn from innovators and entrepreneurs who went before him as one of the key aspects that led to Revant Optics’ positive and fruitful Kickstarter campaign. Learn more from Jason’s story by listening to this episode, you don’t want to miss it!
Finding the right marketing partner to help you tell your product’s story. What is it that causes some crowdfunded campaigns to succeed when others fail? While there are a lot of takes on this important question, a huge part of crowdfunding success comes down to telling your story the right way. On this episode, Jason Bolt shares why he and his team decided to connect with Enventys Partners to help with marketing their product. For Jason, it all came down to the strategy that the Enventys team rolled out and the great connection they were able to develop from day one. To hear Jason expand on his crowdfunding campaign and how they were able to tell the story of their unique performance sunglasses, make sure to listen to this episode!
Tips for future crowdfunded campaigns. It’s been said that preparation is half the battle and for the most part, this truth has resonated with many in the crowdfunding community. On this episode, Jason Bold reveals his tips for leaders and brands who hope to feature their product on Kickstarter. The biggest tip that Jason has for future crowdfunded campaigns is to focus on prep work as much as possible. This also includes honing in on specific messaging that communicates your products unique advantage. Jason is convinced that without thorough prep work and an articulated message most crowdfunded campaigns are doomed to failure. Learn more from Jason's seasoned insights and lessons by listening to this fascinating episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Jason Bolt joins the podcast to talk about Revant Sunglasses. * [3:00] Selling directly to consumer online. * [5:30] Why did Jason and his team decide to bring their sunglasses to Kickstarter? * [7:00] Learning from successful crowdfunding campaigns and crafting a story. * [9:00] Deciding on stretch goals that connect with backers. * [10:30] Embracing customer and backer feedback. * [11:30] Why did Jason and his team decide to connect with Enventys Partners? * [13:00] Tips for future crowdfunders. * [13:45] Jason enters the Launch Round. * [16:20] Why you should connect with Jason and Revant Optics.
Links * Gary Vaynerchuk * Traction
Connect With Revant Optics * Revant's Kickstarter Campaign * revantoptics.com * Revant Optics on Twitter * Revant Optics on Facebook
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
What does it take to successfully crowdfund pet products? How do you innovate and create a product that will connect with pet owners in a new way? On this episode, you’ll hear from Zel Crampton as he joins the podcast to talk about his product, the Revol Dog Crate. In his conversation with Roy, Zel touches on how the product was created, the work he went through to set his product up for success, tips for entrepreneurs who want to bring more pet products to the crowdfunding community, how to incorporate feedback from backers, and much more! You don’t want to miss a minute of this engaging episode with Zel!
Creating a pet product for the crowdfunding community. Have you ever looked at a product and thought, I can do this so much better? That’s especially what happened when Zel Crampton ran into difficulties and frustrations with the dog crate he bought for his new dog. Come to find out, Zel wasn’t alone! Many pet owners find themselves frustrated with the lack of options available for pet products like dog crates. This revelation launched Zel on the path toward creating the Revol Dog Crate. To hear more about Zel’s story and how he came to create a new an innovative pet product for the crowdfunding community, make sure to listen to this exciting episode!
Challenges faced with designing a new pet product. Creating a new product should be easy, right? As most innovators can tell you, that couldn’t be further from the truth! What makes the process so worthwhile? Can the challenges be overcome to create a product that people will purchase? On this episode, you’ll hear from Zel Crampton as he explains the challenges he faced when creating a new pet product. As difficult as it was, Zel was determined to find a way to bring a dog crate to market that was sturdy, easy to use, and affordable. It took a lot of research and a lot of patience to finally find the right combination of materials and features that eventually composed the Revol Dog Crate. What can you learn from Zel’s story? Find out on this episode!
Tips for startup and entrepreneurs looking to bring more pet products to the marketplace. What should you know if you want to bring an innovative pet product to the marketplace? Should you go with something that will have broad appeal or should you go with something that will connect with a passionate niche group? On this episode, Zel Crampton shares some helpful insights and tips for fellow innovators who want to develop a pet product for the crowdfunding community. Zel stresses the importance of projecting professionalism as much as possible throughout your pre-launch, launch, and post-launch phases. Too often business leaders get lax when it comes to crowdfunding projects, don’t make that mistake! Get more helpful tips from Zel by listening to this episode!
Why it’s important to incorporate feedback from backers. One of the worst things you can do as entrepreneur and innovator is to ignore feedback from your fans and consumers. What is your plan to incorporate feedback from your backers and supporters? Don’t leave to the last minute! Start now and have a plan in place that will impress and inspire confidence in your tribe! According to Zel Crampton, reaching out to your community is a helpful way to test and validate your plans for accessories and improvements to your products. Learn how Zel was able to leverage the feedback he got from backers to set his product up for continued success by listening to this helpful episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Zel Crampton joins the podcast to talk about his product, the Revol Dog Crate. * [2:30] Zel shares his background with engineering and how he got his product designed. * [5:30] Challenges faced with design. * [6:30] Why did Zel bring his product to the crowdfunding community? * [7:50] Tips for crowdfunding pet products and surprises faced along the way. * [10:00] Incorporating feedback from backers. * [11:30] Zel enters the Launch Round. * [12:45] Why you should check out Diggs.
Links * Elon Musk * The Art of the Deal
Connect With Diggs * www.diggs.pet * https://www.facebook.com/diggspet/ * https://www.instagram.com/diggspet
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
Wait, crowdfunding socks? Really? While it may sound crazy, you’ll soon find out that SoloSocks are an awesome idea that really deserves a chance to shine in the crowdfunding community. On this episode, you’ll hear from Adam Kuskner as he opens up about his journey with SoloSocks and what has led to their impressive success story. In our conversation, Adam touches on the production process for SoloSocks, why they have huge fans in London, how they were able to hit early campaign goals, tips for garnering good media coverage, and so much more! You don’t want to miss a minute of this fascinating episode featuring Adam!
What are SoloSocks? Have you ever struggled to find that elusive match to your sock? Of course, you have! It seems like that struggle to find a sock’s match is a pretty common experience we all can relate to. What is the answer? Is there a way to eliminate this frustrating experience once and for all? Adam Kuskner and his business partner, Alexander Morabbi set out to find a solution and ended up developing SoloSocks. A SoloSocks package contains 7×1 colorful single socks – not pairs.
All socks are different but designed to match. Because of this unique design, you don’t need to pair your socks anymore, you avoid stacking up socks missing a pair, and you won’t have to throw out a pair when one is damaged. To hear more about the innovative solution that SoloSocks brings to the marketplace, make sure to listen to this engaging episode!
Hitting early crowdfunding campaign goals. What does it take for crowdfunded campaigns to hit early campaign goals and create momentum with their product? Is there a particular method that works better than others? On this episode, you’ll hear from Adam Kuskner as he reveals the best practices that led to early campaign success with his product, SoloSocks. According to Adam, much of the early success for SoloSocks came from their great early bird deals for backers, their decision to spend money on ads early on, and their well thought out pre-campaign work. To hear Adam expand on each of these areas and provide more insights into the success of SoloSocks, make sure to listen to this episode!
Tips for getting good media coverage of your crowdfunded product. Why does it seem that some crowdfunded campaigns get more media attention than others? Is there a way entrepreneurs and brands and make the most of their efforts to attract positive media coverage? In our conversation, Adam Kuskner shared a few helpful tips for eliciting positive media coverage of your crowdfunded product. What worked well for Adam and his team at SoloSocks was their focus on highlight just one unique and relatable selling point that their product addresses for consumers. Don’t fall into the trap of listing out all of your products uses and advantages, hone in on one that makes it stand out to your potential backers and customers. Get more great tips and insights from Adam on this episode!
A vital component of success is knowing your audience. If you have any hope for sustained success as an entrepreneur or business, you’ve got to put in the work to get to know your target audience, inside and out. By doing your due diligence, you’ll find creative and unique ways to position your product. On this episode, you’ll hear from Adam Kuskner as he shares the lessons he has learned from leading several successful crowdfunded campaigns. The primary point that Adam stresses is the importance of knowing your audience and how they behave. This information led Adam and his team to utilize their resources in a strategic way that connected with their audience. To hear more from Adam and the valuable tips he has to share with business leaders like you, make sure to listen to this episode.
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Adam Kuskner joins the podcast to discuss his product, SoloSocks. * [3:00] Why is London such a huge fan of SoloSocks? What was the production process? * [6:00] Challenges that Adam and his team have faced along the way. * [8:00] How did SoloSocks hit early campaign goals? * [9:00] Tips for getting good media coverage. * [10:15] Why it’s important to know your audience and other lessons learned. * [13:00] Plans for the future. * [14:30] Adam enters the Launch Round. * [15:30] Why you should check out SoloSocks.
Links * Richard Branson
Connect With SoloSocks * SoloSocks Kickstarter Campaign * https://www.solosocks.dk/
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team
info@artofthekickstart.com
How can you take advantage of the insights and lessons learned an entrepreneur who’s enjoyed multiple campaigns of Kickstarter success? What if all of those tips and lessons were compiled into a book? Look no further! Special guest, Andrew Hagen joins the podcast to discuss his new book, “Kickstarter Success.” In our conversation, Andrew touches on his first Kickstarter campaign, what makes a product a good fit for crowdfunding, why it’s vital to connect with influencers, and much more! You don’t want to miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Andrew!
A product that will perform well with the crowdfunding community. Have you ever wondered what is it that makes some products more successful than others with the crowdfunding community? Take this opportunity to hear from Andrew Hagen as he opens up about his Kickstarter success and the common thread he has seen with products that go the distance. According to Andrew, it all comes down to the ease in which a seller and package and ship their product to their buyer. If a product causes packaging and shipping difficulties, it is less likely to gain momentum with the crowdfunding community. To hear more insights from Andrew and his experience with launching successful crowdfunding campaigns, make sure to listen to this episode!
Connecting with the right influencers can make all the difference! Once you’ve chosen the right product to bring to the crowdfunding community, you’ve got to figure out how to best position it for a successful campaign. What would be your first step? On this episode, you’ll hear from Andrew Hagen as he reveals the one practice that he points to his Kickstarter success. In Andrew’s experience, connecting with the right influencers and getting them to speak about your product can end up making a significant impact on the chances for your product's success. Andrew encourages entrepreneurs to go after the top five influencers in their space and work hard to get their support and adapt to their feedback. Learn more about this important step in the crowdfunding process by listening to this episode!
3 components of a successful crowdfunding campaign. If you had to boil it all down to three components that consistently lead to successful crowdfunding campaigns, what would you include? Would you choose innovation, product quality, marketing, or a different set of components? On this episode, successful entrepreneur Andrew Hagen shares the three components that he has identified as vital to a campaigns chances of success.
- Planning
- Preparation
- Research
To hear Andrew expand on each of these components and how he’s seen them play out in his crowdfunded campaigns and others, make sure to listen to this informative episode!
Advice for crowdfunding success. While you’ll be immensely better off for having read, “Kickstarter Success” what other advice does Andrew Hagen have for entrepreneurs looking to put their best foot forward with their upcoming crowdfunding campaign? On this episode, Andrew shares his advice that leaders like you can use to make the most of your pre-campaign efforts. While it may take some time, Andrew stresses the importance of thoroughly researching the platform that you’ll use to launch your product. Know your platform inside and out by interviewing and researching past campaigns to see what worked well and what led to failure. Learn more helpful tips from Andrew’s wealth of experience by listening to this engaging episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Andrew Hagen joins the podcast to discuss his book, “Kickstarter Success.” * [2:00] What was the first product Andrew launched? What did he learn? * [3:00] What makes a product a good fit for crowdfunding? * [4:30] Why connecting with influencers can make all the difference. * [5:30] Andrew talks about why he wrote his book and what he hopes people get out of it. * [6:30] The critical role of planning, preparation, and research. * [8:30] Getting the marketing aspect right. * [10:30] Advice for first-time crowdfunding entrepreneurs. * [11:20] Andrew enters the Launch Round. * [13:00] What does the future of crowdfunding look like? * [14:00] Why you should check out Andrew’s content.
Links * Kickstarter * IndieGoGo * Rich Dad Poor Dad * Elon Musk * The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck
Connect With Andrew Hagen * www.kickstartersuccess.com * Kickstarter Success
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team
info@artofthekickstart.com
What does it take to come up with an innovative approach to solve bedwetting? How can a simple product remove the stigma of bedwetting an insolvency? On this episode, Craig Hammond joins the podcast to discuss his product, Peejamas. In our conversation, Craig touches on the process of developing Peejamas, hurdles, and challenges he faced along the way, why he chose the crowdfunding route, the key to early crowdfunding success, and much more! You don’t want to miss a minute of this engaging and educational episode featuring Craig and Peejamas!
Developing a solution to bedwetting. What are some of the challenges in developing an apparel product for crowdfunding? Why go through all the difficulties to create such a unique product? On this episode, you’ll hear from Craig Hammond as he opens up about Peejamas and the amazing solution it brings to the marketplace. The reason why Craig developed Peejamas comes down to the simple and common frustration that most parents encounter while trying to potty train their children. Craig took that frustration and repurposed it into innovation and went to work creating Peejamas. To hear more about Craig’s story and how he developed this great solution to bedwetting, make sure to check out this engaging episode!
Taking a new product to the crowdfunding community. When an innovator comes up with a new product idea, what makes them take that idea to the crowdfunding community? Why has the crowdfunding route become such a draw for entrepreneurs and creatives? According to Craig Hammond, it all comes down to connecting with the right target audience and creating a valid sales channel. While the target audience that Craig is trying to reach with Peejamas doesn’t usually spend their time on Kickstarter, he saw it as an opportunity to display market validation, proof of concept, and fundraising goals with his innovative product. Learn more about the journey of Peejams with Craig on this episode!
Pre-campaign efforts that paid off. What can an entrepreneur do to set their crowdfunding campaign up for success before it even begins? Are there steps they can take to put their product in the best position for early success? On this episode, you’ll hear some tips and insights from Craig Hammond that allowed his product, Peejamas to find early success. Craig points to the fact that many of his friends and family helped his product reach its fundraising goal as the reason it was able to gain early momentum. While this group played an important role, they only made up 30% of his early backers, helping him get the product off of the ground but not funding it exclusively. To get more tips from Craig’s journey, don’t miss this episode!
Finding the right marketing partner. While entrepreneurs and innovators have a lot of internal motivation and a can-do attitude, the truth is many of them are ill-equipped when it comes to the marketing side of business. What does this mean for all the innovative types out there who want their product or idea to succeed but have no idea on how to successfully market it? That’s where a solid marketing partner can make all the difference! On this episode, you’ll hear from Craig Hammond as he explains the positive impact Eventus Partners has had on the success of his product, Peejams. You don’t want to miss this helpful episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Craig Hammond joins the podcast to discuss his product, Peejamas. * [3:00] Challenges and hurdles faced along the way. * [4:30] Why Kickstarter? Why crowdfunding? * [6:00] What has led to early fundraising success? * [8:30] Providing stretch goals that appeal to backers. * [10:30] Why Eventus has been a great partner. * [12:00] How has Peejamas been able to provide such quick shipping options? * [13:00] Why cross promotions can make a huge difference. * [14:00] Craig enters the Launch Round. * [15:30] How to connect with Craig and Peejamas.
Links * Richard Branson * Outliers * IndieGoGo * Shark Tank
Connect With Peejamas * Peejamas' Kickstarter Campaign
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
How do take a product like sheer tights and market them on a successful crowdfunding campaign? What is it that makes this type of product so unique that it creates a passionate following? On this episode, Natalie Catania joins the podcast to discuss Sheerly Genius’ Indestructible Sheer Tights. In our conversation, Natalie explains how the materials used really set these tights apart from the rest, why Sheerly Genius went the crowdfunding route, the biggest surprise from the campaign, why they decided to partner with Enventys Partners, and so much more! You don’t want to miss a minute of this eye-opening episode.
Bulletproof tights? What is one way to make sheer tights stand out? Make them bulletproof! Sheerly Genius has developed the world's first pair of indestructible sheers using their proprietary Sheertex yarn which has been developed from the same fiber used in bulletproof vests. While Sheertex tights were created with the same type of materials used in bulletproof vests, the end product is not in itself bulletproof. Imagine how versatile and useful these indestructible tights can be! Listen to this episode to hear from Natalie Catania as she goes into further detail about Sheetex tights and the story behind them!
The decision to bring sheer tights to the crowdfunding community. Why did Sheerly Genius decide to launch their Sheertex Indestructible Sheer Tights through crowdfunding? Wouldn’t it have been easier to market them with a more traditional model? On this episode, you’ll hear from Natalie Catania as she explains why Sheerly Genius went the crowdfunding route. Natalie points to her personal experience with successful crowdfunding campaigns as one of the reasons Sheerly Genius went the crowdfunding route. In addition, Natalie mentions that the passion and enthusiasm of the crowdfunding community made it a great place to introduce a new product to the marketplace. Hear more about this topic by listening to this engaging episode!
Leveraging social media to maximize product exposure. How can social media help a brand connect with consumers and ignite a passionate following? Is there one platform that works better than others? Which one provides the best return on investment when it comes to time, energy, and resources spent? In our conversation, Natalie Catania opens up about her perspective as Sheerly Genius’ community manager. According to Natalie, Facebook has proven itself as the most valuable social media platform due to the fact that they get more engagement and comments from fans than any other channel. Get more helpful insights from Natalie by listening to his exciting episode!
The decision to collaborate with Enventys Partners. How can startup entrepreneurs and brands make the most of their crowdfunding campaigns? Are their services out there that can help leaders and innovators go further by allowing them to focus on their strengths and minimize their weaknesses? On this episode, Natalie Catania touches on the reason why Sheerly Genius connect with Enventys Partners to help with their marketing efforts. At the end of the day, it came down to communication and commitment for the Sheerly Genius team. Because they were able to connect with and trust the Enventys team, the Sheerly Genius team felt confident that they’d be able to focus on all the other aspects of getting their sheer tights to market. Learn more about Sheerly Genius and their decision to connect with Enventys Partners on this informative episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:10] Natalie Catania joins the podcast to talk about Indestructible Sheer Tights. * [2:40] How did Sheerly Genius come up with the materials to use in their tights? * [4:30] Why was crowdfunding the right means to launch? * [5:55] Which online platform provides the most ROI? What is driving sales? * [7:20] The biggest surprise with this crowdfunding campaign and feedback from backers. * [8:50] Why did Sheerly Genius decide to partner with Enventys Partners? * [9:50] Natalie enters the Launch Round. * [11:30] How to connect with Sheerly Genius.
Links * Sara Blakely * Ready Player One
Connect With Sheerly Genius * https://sheerlygenius.com/ * https://www.facebook.com/sheerlygenius * https://www.instagram.com/sheerlygenius/ * IndieGoGo Campaign
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
What is Ministry of Supply? How have they been able to successful crowdfund several apparel projects? What lessons can you learn from their challenges and breakthroughs? On this episode, you’ll hear from Ministry of Supply’s President & Co-Founder, Gihan Amarasiriwardena. In our conversation, Gihan describes Ministry of Supply’s current project, why they decided to work with textiles, challenges faced along the way, how they’ve incorporated customer feedback, advice for innovators, and so much more! Discover the lessons and insights that you can come away with on this exciting episode featuring Gihan!
Feeding the desire to innovate. How does an innovative idea like a heated jacket get to the marketplace? What sort of company takes that experimental and out of the box approach? On this episode, you’ll hear about Ministry of Supply from their President and Co-Founder, Gihan Amarasiriwardena. Gihan has a personal thread of innovation that runs all the way back to his childhood experience as a Boy Scout. This desire to take risks and innovate shows up in his work with Ministry of Supply and their boldness to create products like the first intelligent heated jacket. Learn more about Gihan’s story and what Ministry of Supply is up to on this episode!
Valuing feedback from backers. What can an organization do to build trust with their consumers? How can they signal to their fans that they want to adapt their products due to the feedback they receive? At Ministry of Supply, it comes down to looking back at past campaigns and products to learn from customer feedback on what worked and what needed to be improved upon. They’ve clearly resonated with their supporters to the point where 3/4ths of their current backers are repeat backers from previous projects they’ve launched. Learn more about Ministry of Supply and how they are making an impact on the crowdfunding scene by listening to this episode!
Advice for innovators who want to work on apparel projects. While the apparel industry is difficult enough, why would someone want to bring that, at times temperamental industry into the challenges and pressures of crowdfunding? On this episode, Gihan Amarasiriwardena shares his advice for innovators and entrepreneurs who are looking to shake things up with an apparel project. While it wasn’t easy, Gihan points to the ability to interface with consumers and adapt their supply accordingly as a top advantage to crowdfunding an apparel project. Getting a strong sense of consumer demand can make or break a startup's chances for success. What additional advice does Gihan have for startups? Find out on this engaging episode!
How to garner good media coverage. What does it take to garner positive media coverage for crowdfunding projects? Is there a script to follow or does it all come down to blind luck? On this episode, you’ll hear from Ministry of Supply’s Gihan Amarasiriwardena as he goes over how they’ve been able to attract good media coverage on their crowdfunding campaign. Part of the reason why Ministry of Supply has been able to court positive media coverage is due to the fact that they are hitting on a trending topic, wearable technology. As much as an advantage that has been, Gihan stresses the importance of having several “Storylines” for your product or brand that you can lean on or highlight at any given time. Learn more about Ministry of Supply’s approach to media coverage on this informative episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:30] Gihan Amarasiriwardena joins the podcast to discuss Ministry of Supply’s heated jacket, Mercury. * [3:20] Gihan talks about his first crowdfunding campaign. * [4:40] How did Gihan get into textiles? What challenges has he run into? * [6:50] Lesson learned from several crowdfunding campaigns. * [8:30] Incorporating feedback from customers. * [10:20] Tips for creators looking for good media coverage. * [12:00] Advice for innovators interested in crowdfunding an apparel project. * [13:30] Gihan enters the Launch Round. * [15:20] How to connect with Gihan and Ministry of Supply.
Links * James Dyson * The Way Things Work
Connect With Ministry of Supply * Ministry of Supply: The First Intelligent Heated Jacket * https://ministryofsupply.com/ * https://twitter.com/ministrysupply * https://www.facebook.com/ministryofsupply
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
One of the most important aspects of a crowdfunding campaign is product marketing. What steps can you take to ensure that your product is in the best position for success? How can you play to your strengths and shore up your weaknesses? Kent Blazek joins the podcast to share about his crowdfunding campaign with Halospheres. In our conversation, Kent opens up about product development, product validation, his decision to partner with Enventys Partners for product marketing, the biggest surprises he’s encountered so far, and much more. You don’t want to miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Kent!
The process of developing a desktop toy. How do you develop a product that can provide endless entertainment for hardworking men and women in workplaces all over the world? That was the question that Kent Blazek set out to answer. Through sampling multiple versions, Kent landed on the current design for his desktop toy, Halospheres. While the process wasn’t easy, Kent says that all the challenges involved with finding the right materials were worth it to end up with a great product. What can you learn from Kent’s experience? Make sure to listen to this episode as he elaborates on his experience and lessons he’s learned along the way. Don’t miss it!
Using a crowdfunding campaign for product validation. Crowdfunding can help you validate a product idea that you want to bring to the marketplace. What is the best way to embark on a crowdfunding campaign to validate your product idea? On this episode, Kent Blazek shares his perspective and experience with taking his idea for a fun tabletop toy to the masses. Kent points to the potential for helpful customer feedback and testing a product without putting too much money at risk as the reason why he chose to go the crowdfunding route. Get more helpful insights from Kent on this important topic by listening to this informative episode!
How product marketing can make or break your chances for success. If you want to succeed in business, you’ve got to play to your strengths and shore up your weaknesses. How does this maxim apply to getting a product off of the ground in a crowdfunding campaign? On this episode, Kent Blazek explains why he partnered with Enventys Partners to take over the product marketing aspect of his campaign on Kickstarter. The reason why Kent went with Enventys over other marketing solutions is due to the breadth and depth of experience the Enventys team has with both product development and product marketing. Learn more about Kent’s experience on this episode!
Key advice for startup entrepreneurs. As a business leader, you want to take every opportunity you can to learn from leaders who have been down the same road. On this episode, Kent Blazek goes over some helpful insights from his experience launching his first crowdfunding campaign. Kent touches on the importance of launching your product in the appropriate season and utilizing an email list to drive traffic and interest. To hear more helpful tips and insights that Kent has to share, make sure to listen to this episode, you don’t want to miss it!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Kent Blazek joins the podcast to share about his product, Halospheres. * [2:30] What was the process like producing a desktop toy? What challenges came up? * [4:30] Kent talks about pre-campaign and product validation. * [5:30] How did Kent decide to partner with Enventys Partners? * [6:30] The biggest surprise so far for Kent. * [7:30] Kent describes Halospheres and talks about future projects. * [9:00] Advice for entrepreneurs looking to crowdfund their product. * [10:00] Kent enters the Launch Round. * [12:30] How to connect with Kent and Halospheres.
Links * Kickstarter * Elon Musk * A Brief History of Time * https://enventyspartners.com/
Connect With Halospheres * Halospheres Kickstarter Campaign * https://www.halospheres.com/
A year after their groundbreaking IndieGoGo campaign, Toy Block Tape creators Max Basler and Anine Kirsten join the podcast to give an update on their product. What did it take to scale up a product like toy block tape so quickly? What lessons did Max and Anine learn from their campaign? What advice do they have for startup entrepreneurs? Dive into this episode as Max and Anine generously share their time and insights so leaders like you can take your business to the next level of success. Don’t miss a minute of this engaging episode!
Facing the difficulty of rapidly scaling a product. One of the challenges of launching a crowdfunding campaign is dealing with the fact that you never know how quickly your product will take off. How can leaders who plan on launching their own crowdfunding campaign put themselves in the best possible position to succeed in this scenario? In Max and Anine’s case with their toy block tape product, they were able to capitalize on early media exposure and connect with Zuru, a large toy company to help with manufacturing. They both look to this fortunate event as the reason why they were able to ship their product on time as they had promised their backers. To hear more of their story and lessons you can take away from it, make sure to listen to this episode!
Being in the right place at the right time can make all the difference. Have you ever had one of those moments where you were in the right place at the right time? That’s what happened to Max and Anine with their product, toy block tape. While they were unsure how quickly their product would take off, they knew they had something that people would love. Looking back on that one aspect or moment that made all the difference, Max and Anine point to her trip to New York. In New York, Anine engaged in guerilla marketing and met with journalists who got to see the product first hand and realize it’s full potential. Make sure to listen to this episode as Max and Anine expand on this topic and much more!
Why it’s wise to offer simple perks on a crowdfunding campaign. As a business leader, you want to take every opportunity to set your brand up for success. One of the ways where many brands go astray is by trying to do too much too soon. On this episode, you’ll hear from Max and Anine as they explain how offering too complicated perks in their IndieGoGo campaign bogged them down at a crucial time. They both have arrived at the conclusion that the going forward, it’s best to offer perks that end up providing good value but remain simple in nature. What can you learn from Max and Anine’s experience? Find out on this informative episode, you don’t want to miss it!
Challenges presented by knockoff competitors. It’s every startup entrepreneurs worst nightmare, as soon as you go public with your product, you start seeing knockoff competitors pop up all over the place. What are you supposed to do when this happens? Is there anything you can do to prevent it? On this episode, Max and Anine share their experience with knockoff competitors and what they wish they’d have done differently. One thing you can do to prevent this from happening to you and your brand is to make sure you don’t go public before you’ve secured a patent. To hear more of their take on this important issue, make sure to listen to this episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:10] Max Basler and Anine Kirsten join the podcast and give an overview of their product, Mayka Toy Block Tape. * [3:00] What was the process like having to scale up so rapidly? * [4:30] Working with Zuru. * [6:00] What do Max and Anine attribute their crowdfunding success to? * [8:00] Taking in feedback from backers. * [10:00] How using Backer Kit helped and why crowdfunders should offer simple perks. * [12:30] Tips for a young company moving into product development. * [16:00] The difficulty of competing against knockoffs. * [21:00] Max enters the Launch Round. * [22:00] How to connect with Max and Anine.
Links * BackerKit * Elon Musk * 1984 * IndieGoGo * Gizmodo
Connect With Max and Nine * http://www.maykaworld.com/ * http://www.chromecherry.com/ * Nimuno Loops IndieGoGo Page
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
What does it take to develop and launch a consumable product? What are the unique challenges with an ingestible product? My guest today is innovator and entrepreneur, Chris Tolles. Chris co-founded Sundots with Emilia Javorsky MD, MPH a physician-scientist focused on developing new tools to improve health and well being. Sundots are the world’s first gummy for sun protection and provide an innovative solution to prevent sun damage to your skin. In our conversation, Chris touches on the intricate process of developing an ingestible product, challenges he and his team have faced along the way, how they identify their target audience, advice for startup entrepreneurs, and much more! You don’t want to miss a minute of this engaging and informative episode featuring Chris!
Developing an ingestible product. As if launching a new product wasn’t hard enough, try making it a consumable product! Far and away, there are more challenges, difficulties, and hurdles when it comes to producing and marketing an ingestible product like Sundots. On this episode, you’ll hear from Chris Tolles as he goes through the process of developing his product, Sundots. Much of the product development process centered around safety tests, procuring pure, quality ingredients, and passing ethical standards. Sundots are based on the active ingredient polypodium leucotomos, a fern extract from Ecuador backed by 30+ years of research for sun protective properties, including blinded human clinical trials done at Harvard. To hear more about the development process with Sundots, make sure to listen to this episode!
Pre-campaign efforts that led to early success. How does a profitable brand lay the groundwork for success and capitalize on it before and during a crowdfunding campaign? What lessons can you learn that you can apply to your startup? On this episode, you’ll hear from Chris Tolles as he shares how Sundots was able to stay in contact with their backers and early testers record and build on their feedback. For Chris and his team, ti came down to not only make sure that the product resonated with consumers but that the storytelling aspect made a connection as well. Learn more about Sundots and how they’ve been able to get a product off of the ground that speaks to consumers pain points on this exciting episode!
Why a subscription service is so attractive. As a business leader and entrepreneur, you are constantly on the lookout for ways to make your product stand out from the competition. What is the best way to accomplish this goal? On this episode, you’ll hear from innovator Chris Tolles as he explains how Sundots stands out with their subscription model. Because Chris and his team have worked so hard on creating a high-quality product, they wanted to find a way to make their awesome product part of everyday life for their consumers. This led Chris to market his product with a subscription service model where customers pay for a month, three months, six months, or a full year’s worth of products. Listen to this episode as Chris expands on this concept and how it helped Sundots stand out!
The key to success? Real benefits! Everyone wants to know that the “Key” is to launch a successful and thriving product. Is there a secret key strategy that will make one product sell better than others? Yes, but it’s not so secret, create products that resonate with people! One of the best ways to do this is by creating products that end up producing real benefits. While creating consumable products has their own set of challenges, a great way to midgate some of these challenges is by crafting an effective message about their benefits. On this episode, Chirs Tolles talks about the benefits of Sundots and how he and his team were able to communicate that message to their customers. You don’t want to miss this fascinating episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Chris Tolles joins the podcast and shares the backstory for Sundots. * [3:30] What was product development like for an ingestible product? * [5:45] The biggest challenge Chris and his team faced. * [7:00] Pre-campaign efforts Chris and his team used to set Sundots up for success. * [9:30] How did Chris niche down his target audience? * [12:00] Is it hard to gain consumer trust with a product that has medical claims? * [14:30] The biggest surprise so far. * [16:00] Chris’ advice for startup entrepreneurs. * [17:30] What’s the plan for the future of Sundots? * [19:00] Chris enters the Launch Round. * [20:15] How to connect with Sundots.
Links * IndieGoGo * Backit * How To Measure Your Life
Connect With Sundots * https://getsundots.com/ * https://twitter.com/getsundots * https://www.facebook.com/getsundots * https://twitter.com/chrismtolles * Info[at]sundots.com
What will it take to get your new startup off the ground? How can you take advantage of amazing resources like crowdfunding for product validation? My guest today is professional athlete and innovator, Nate Lawrie. In our conversation, Nate opens up about what led him to create a startup around foam rollers, how he got his product up and running, why he went to Romania to get his product manufactured, what it was like to appear on Shark Tank and much more. You don’t want to miss a minute of this exciting and informative episode! Using what you know can make a huge difference. Have you ever wondered where some of the most innovative and exciting new products on the market come from? Everyone has a different approach when it comes to product research but sometimes it can be as simple as improving upon something you use every day. This was precisely the case for Nate Lawrie as he came up with the idea of improving an everyday item in his life, foam rollers. While the development process wasn’t easy, Nate’s credibility really shines through as a powerful asset on his journey of building a stable and thriving brand. To hear more about Nate’s journey creating the Brazyn roller, make sure to listen to this episode! How crowdfunding can help you with product validation. When it comes to consumer products, it can be tough to gauge what level of interest the general public will have. This is the very reason why many startup entrepreneurs are looking to crowdfunding to help with product validation. On this episode, Nate Lawrie explains why he started a campaign on Kickstarter and how it helped him with his product validation process. Nate says that his experience with crowdfunding was largely positive because it provided the influx of cash he needed to offset production costs, and he was able to accurately gauge market demand for his product. Make sure to listen to this episode as Nate expands on this important topic and much more! Why travel to Romania for manufacturing? As a new startup entrepreneur, it may sound a little out of left field to hear that Nate Lawrie had his product manufactured in Romania. Usually, such a move is something that experienced and connected business leaders make. So what was it that led Nate to Romania for product manufacturing? As it turns out, it was a family connection. Nate’s wife is originally from the country of Romania and her father runs a manufacturing facility there. Like any good entrepreneur, Nate was able to use his network to successfully launch his product. What can you learn from his story? Find out on this episode! Is the Shark Tank experience really worth it? Imagine getting the opportunity for your brand to be featured on Shark Tank, sounds like a dream come true right? What would you do to get that opportunity? How do you think you’d fare? On this episode, Nate Lawrie provides his inside look at how the Shark Tank experience played out and offers some advice for entrepreneurs who may have hopes of appearing on the show. Nate says that the best part of the Shark Tank experience was getting his brand on such a massive platform. The nice boost in sales was positive as well. To hear more about Nate’s Shark Tank experience, make sure to listen to this episode! Key Takeaways
[1:05] Nate Lawrie joins the podcast and talks about why he loves using foam rollers. [4:00] What was the process of creating the Brazyn roller? [5:30] The biggest challenge during the development process. [7:30] Nate talks about finding supplies and materials for the Brazyn roller. [9:20] Why did Nate and his team choose the crowdfunding route? [12:30] What was Nate’s experience appearing on Shark Tank like? [16:30] Advice for entrepreneurs who want to appear on Shark Tank. [17:30] Nate enters the Launch Round. [20:00] What does the future of crowdfunding look like? [21:30] How to connect with Brazyn.
Links
Shark Tank Elon Musk Shoe Dog
What will it take to get your new startup off the ground? How can you take advantage of amazing resources like crowdfunding for product validation? My guest today is professional athlete and innovator, Nate Lawrie. In our conversation, Nate opens up about what led him to create a startup around foam rollers, how he got his product up and running, why he went to Romania to get his product manufactured, what it was like to appear on Shark Tank, and much more! You don’t want to miss a minute of this exciting and informative episode!
Using what you know can make a huge difference. Have you ever wondered where some of the most innovative and exciting new products on the marketplace come from? Everyone has a different approach when it comes to product research but sometimes it can be as simple as improving upon something you use every day. This was precisely the case for Nate Lawrie as he came up with the idea of improving an everyday item in his life, foam rollers. While the development process wasn’t easy, Nate’s credibility really shines through as a powerful asset on his journey of building a stable and thriving brand. To hear more about Nate’s journey with creating the Brazyn roller, make sure to listen to this episode!
How crowdfunding can help you with product validation. When it comes to consumer products, it can be tough to gauge what level of interest the general public will have. This is the very reason why many startup entrepreneurs are looking to crowdfunding for help with product validation. On this episode, Nate Lawrie explains why he started a campaign on Kickstarter and how it helped him with his product validation process. Nate says that his experience was crowdfunding was largely positive because it provided the influx of cash he needed to offset production costs and he was able to accurately gauge market demand for his product. Make sure to listen to this episode as Nate expands on this important topic and much more!
Why travel to Romania for manufacturing? As a new startup entrepreneur, it may sound a little out of left field to hear that Nate Lawrie had his product manufactured in Romania. Usually, such a move is something that experienced and connected business leaders make. So what was it that led Nate to Romania for product manufacturing? As it turns out, it was a family connection. Nate’s wife is originally from the country of Romania and her father runs a manufacturing facility there. Like any good entrepreneur, Nate was able to use his network to successfully launch his product. What can you learn from his story? Find out on this episode!
Is the Shark Tank experience really worth it? Imagine getting the opportunity for your brand to be featured on Shark Tank, sounds like a dream come true right? What would you do to get that opportunity? How do you think you’d fare? On this episode, Nate Lawrie provides his inside look at how the Shark Tank experience played out and offers some advice for entrepreneurs like you who may have hopes of appearing on the show one day. Nate says that the best part of the Shark Tank experience was getting his brand on such a massive platform and getting a nice boost in sales was positive as well. He encourages anyone who wants to appear on Shark Tank to really bring the energy and passion that can be felt and conveyed via television. To hear more about Nate’s Shark Tank experience, make sure to listen to this episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Nate Lawrie joins the podcast and talks about why he loves using foam rollers. * [4:00] What was the process like creating the Brazyn roller? * [5:30] The biggest challenge during the development process. * [7:30] Nate talks about finding supplies and materials for the Brazyn roller. * [9:20] Why did Nate and his team choose the crowdfunding route? * [12:30] What was Nate’s experience appearing on Shark Tank like? * [16:30] Advice for entrepreneurs who want to appear on Shark Tank. * [17:30] Nate enters the Launch Round. * [20:00] What does the future of crowdfunding look like? * [21:30] How to connect with Brazyn.
Links * Shark Tank * Elon Musk * Shoe Dog * IndieGoGo * KickStarter * Tim Ferriss on Hacking Kickstarter
Connect With Brazyn * https://brazynlife.com/ * https://twitter.com/natelawrie
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
It may sound obvious, but one of the most important aspects of getting a crowdsourced product off the ground is keeping your crowdfunding backers in the loop! Too many businesses fail to get off the ground because they neglect this vital step. Today we have returning guest, Philip Winter. Philip is the CEO and Co-Founder of Nebia, the Nebia shower launched on Kickstarter in August 2015 and raised over $3M in one month. In our conversation, Philip gives an update on how the Nebia show has fared since the campaign ended, why they focused early on keeping their crowdfunding backers in the loop, lessons they’ve learned along the way, and much more! You don’t want to miss a minute of this fascinating episode featuring Philip!
Why testing your product with as many people as possible is critical. If you want to set your new product up for success, it’s critical that you get it into the hands of as many people as possible before you ship it to customers. While this may seem like a no-brainer, Philip Winter has seen many sellers neglect this step and come to regret it. He and his team take a lot of pride in the fact that they were able to test their product and refine it before they sent it off to their crowdfunding backers. To hear more about this process and how Philip and his team funded and fulfilled a stellar product, the Nebia shower, make sure to listen to this episode!
If you want your product to take off, you’ve got to do your homework! Let’s face it, very few people have the patience to research and take the time to study what causes a product to succeed. Philip Winter and his team at Nebia decided to go against the grain and do the hard thing, they went to work interviewing and studying successful crowdfunding products. Walking away from all of their research, Philip and his team went to work building hype before the campaign, getting a good base of people who are willing to support the product early, and figuring out what makes for an attractive and engaging product video. Don’t miss this episode as Philip expands on this topic and much more!
Communicating with crowdfunding backers can make all the difference. Many successful crowdfunding campaigns aren't prepared for the success and the period that follows after a crowdfunding campaign ends. That’s why it is so important to take the time to learn from the startups that do it right and focus on communicating effectively with their crowdfunding backers every step of the way. Philip Winter and his team at Nebia went to work within the first few months after their campaign ended and dedicated themselves to giving their backers an update at the end of every month, this led to 22 updates in total. Find out how this strategy played a pivotal role in Nebia’s success by listening to this informative episode!
Why it’s helpful to raise capital before you start your crowdfunding campaign. One of the best ways to get your crowdfunding campaign off to a good start is by securing as much funding as possible before you start your campaign. As hard as that may be for many startup entrepreneurs, it can have a huge impact on the success rate of the campaign. On this episode, Philip Winter opens up about how he and his team at Nebia were able to reach out to friends and family for their initial funding before their successful campaign. Learn how this strategy impacted the way they were able to deliver to their crowdfunding backers and more on this episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:05] Philip Winter joins the podcast to give an update about the Nebia Shower. * [3:30] How did Philip and his team decide which features to include? * [5:30] Suggestions on getting your crowdfunding product funded quickly. * [7:00] Philip talks about Nebia’s campaign video and following up with backers. * [9:30] Tips for helping a crowdsourced campaign succeed. * [11:00] Lessons learned about packaging and shipping. * [14:00] How a startup entrepreneur can raise capital before a big campaign. * [16:30] Philip enters the Launch Round. * [18:30] What does the future of crowdfunding look like? * [19:30] How to connect with Nebia.
Links * Kickstarter * https://endeavor.org/ * Steve Jobs * Yvon Chouinard
Connect With Nebia * https://nebia.com/ * https://twitter.com/nebia * https://www.facebook.com/NebiaShower/
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
How important is consumer trust when you are launching a new product? While some organizations may overlook this factor, the ones that find early success often work hard at securing consumer trust. My guest today is business leader and serial entrepreneur, Nishant Kapoor. With over a decade of experience in ecommerce and startups in the UK, India and Hong Kong, Nishant thrives in helping entrepreneurs and businesses build long-term, direct-to-consumer relationships using ecommerce and digital marketing. In our conversation, we discuss his recent success in helping to roll out the Quilo Fan, why consumer trust is so important, how Quilo was able to get fully funded on Kickstarter, lessons learned along the way, and much more! You don’t want to miss a minute of this engaging episode! What it takes to secure consumer trust. One of the most important aspects of securing consumer trust is to deliver your product in the right timing. As many businesses have found out, this truth is often easier said than done. For Nishant Kapoor and his team at Quilo, delay wasn’t an option. They worked hard to get the Quilo Fan shipped and in the hands of their buyers as quickly as possible because their success depended on it. They knew that if the fan arrived in the winter or cooler months, their customers wouldn’t have the chance to use it and enjoy its amazing benefits. As difficult as the effort may have been to get the product into the hands of buyers so quickly, the result ended up paying huge dividends in consumer trust and positive word of mouth. To hear more about the role of consumer trust in Quilo’s story, make sure to listen to this episode! How to get fully funded on Kickstarter. What does it take to get a campaign fully funded on Kickstarter? Is it just dumb luck or are there strategic steps innovators and businesses can take to get their product in the best position to succeed? According to Nishant Kapoor, one of the most important things they did at Quilo was to reach out to influencers and bloggers asking them to promote their campaign, no matter the audience size. This strategy seemed to work out for Nishant and his team, they were able to get massive exposure and put out a quality product at just the right time to earn consumer trust. Make sure to listen to this episode as Nishant expands on this topic and more! The value of focusing on branding and audience early on. What are some of the common mistakes made by many innovators who are looking to bring a new tech product to the marketplace? While there may be many common mistakes with creating the product and testing it, Nishant Kapoor says that most mistakes are made when it comes to branding and considering who the target audience will be. In our conversation, Nishant was kind enough to open up about how Quilo was able to hone in on their target audience and execute a streamlined and focused branding approach. The idea of identifying and marketing to a target audience seems so simple but Nishant is convinced that too many innovators miss this critical step. Learn more from Nishant’s expert perspective on this informative episode! How scouring Amazon reviews can help you create an innovative product. Did you know that one of the best ways to research and identify a great product that will succeed in the marketplace is by scouring Amazon reviews? It’s true! The best part about this practice is that it doesn’t cost you a dime, you just have to be willing to put in the time and effort to conduct the research. Where else can innovators and entrepreneurs go to get honest and critical feedback on a wide range of products and categories? On this episode, you’ll hear from Nishant Kapoor as he shares how the team at Quilo was able to mine Amazon reviews on similar fans and use that info to create a product that has wide appeal. You don’t want to miss this inspiring and engaging episode! Key Takeaways
[1:10] Nishant Kapoor tells the story of Quilo Fan and how i...
How important is consumer trust when you are launching a new product? While some organizations may overlook this factor, the ones that find early success often work hard at securing consumer trust. My guest today is business leader and serial entrepreneur, Nishant Kapoor. With over a decade of experience in ecommerce and startups in the UK, India and Hong Kong, Nishant thrives in helping entrepreneurs and businesses build long-term, direct-to-consumer relationships using ecommerce and digital marketing. In our conversation, we discuss his recent success in helping to roll out the Quilo Fan, why consumer trust is so important, how Quilo was able to get fully funded on Kickstarter, lessons learned along the way, and much more! You don’t want to miss a minute of this engaging episode!
What it takes to secure consumer trust. One of the most important aspects of securing consumer trust is to deliver your product in the right timing. As many businesses have found out, this truth is often easier said than done. For Nishant Kapoor and his team at Quilo, delay wasn’t an option. They worked hard to get the Quilo Fan shipped and in the hands of their buyers as quickly as possible because their success depended on it. They knew that if the fan arrived in the winter or cooler months, their customers wouldn’t have the chance to use it and enjoy its amazing benefits. As difficult as the effort may have been to get the product into the hands of buyers so quickly, the result ended up paying huge dividends in consumer trust and positive word of mouth. To hear more about the role of consumer trust in Quilo’s story, make sure to listen to this episode!
How to get fully funded on Kickstarter. What does it take to get a campaign fully funded on Kickstarter? Is it just dumb luck or are there strategic steps innovators and businesses can take to get their product in the best position to succeed? According to Nishant Kapoor, one of the most important things they did at Quilo was to reach out to influencers and bloggers asking them to promote their campaign, no matter the audience size. This strategy seemed to work out for Nishant and his team, they were able to get massive exposure and put out a quality product at just the right time to earn consumer trust. Make sure to listen to this episode as Nishant expands on this topic and more!
The value of focusing on branding and audience early on. What are some of the common mistakes made by many innovators who are looking to bring a new tech product to the marketplace? While there may be many common mistakes with creating the product and testing it, Nishant Kapoor says that most mistakes are made when it comes to branding and considering who the target audience will be. In our conversation, Nishant was kind enough to open up about how Quilo was able to hone in on their target audience and execute a streamlined and focused branding approach. The idea of identifying and marketing to a target audience seems so simple but Nishant is convinced that too many innovators miss this critical step. Learn more from Nishant’s expert perspective on this informative episode!
How scouring Amazon reviews can help you create an innovative product. Did you know that one of the best ways to research and identify a great product that will succeed in the marketplace is by scouring Amazon reviews? It’s true! The best part about this practice is that it doesn’t cost you a dime, you just have to be willing to put in the time and effort to conduct the research. Where else can innovators and entrepreneurs go to get honest and critical feedback on a wide range of products and categories? On this episode, you’ll hear from Nishant Kapoor as he shares how the team at Quilo were able to mine Amazon reviews on similar fans and use that info to create a product that has wide appeal. You don’t want to miss this inspiring and engaging episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:10] Nishant Kapoor tells the story of Quilo Fan and how it started. * [4:00] Challenges encountered when developing the Quilo Fan. * [6:00] What enabled Quilo to get their campaign fully funded on Kickstarter? * [7:30] The benefit of earning consumer trust early on. * [10:00] Shipping tips from Nishant. * [11:30] Lessons learned from launching a successful crowdfunding campaign. * [14:00] Why it’s important to think about your audience and branding early on. * [16:30] Nishant enters the Launch Round. * [19:00] How to connect with Quilo.
Links * Kickstarter * IndieGoGo * 37 Signals * Basecamp * Derek Sivers * The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding
Connect With Quilo * https://quilohome.com/
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
Can you imagine the complexities and challenges of rebranding a failed crowdfunding campaign? What does it look like to bring forth success from the ashes of failure? My guest today is entrepreneur and business leader, John Lauten. John has been tasked, along with a stellar leadership team, to revive and rebrand the failed crowdfunding campaign of Skully Inc. Now they are known as Skully Technologies, and they are moving forward with a mission to fulfill the orders of the defunct Skully Inc. This is not an easy task - John and his team have had their fair share of challenges along the way, as you can imagine. Hear all about the Skully story and how they are working hard at reviving this campaign for augmented reality motorcycle helmets on this exciting episode! The “Make It Right” Campaign How would you go about rebranding a failed crowdfunding campaign? Where would you start? Would you start giving out refunds to people who had given their money in good faith or is there a better option? This was the question that John Lauten and his team had to wrestle with as they took on the challenge of reviving the Skully Inc. brand. In our conversation, John and I discussed how they made a massive public relations push with their “Make It Right” campaign to honor the pre-orders made by the Indiegogo backers of the original Skully Inc. Even though they are not required to do so, the newly-rebranded Skully Technologies is committed to building up what they call “Skully Nation,” the community of Skully helmet enthusiasts. What can you learn from the “Make It Right” campaign? Learn more on this episode! Earning goodwill and changing the narrative. You can tell a lot about a person or organization when they are faced with making a decision that will benefit themselves or others. While many businesses wouldn’t have given a second thought about fulfilling orders they weren’t required to, Skully Technologies took a different route. On this episode, you’ll hear from John Lauten as he goes over why he and his team made the choice to honor pre-orders made during an Indiegogo campaign by the defunct Skully Inc. brand, and how this decision was received by the media and their tech industry peers. Rebranding and reviving a tarnished name isn’t the easiest road to travel, but for John and his team, it seems the payoff has been worth the challenge. If the product is truly innovative and great, people will show up. Business leaders across the globe are constantly looking for ways to build a loyal following. What is the secret sauce that keeps people loyal to a brand like Apple? At the end of the day, it all comes down to the quality of the product. On this episode, John Lauten describes why Skully followers are so excited about the Skully helmets and why that enthusiasm follows their brand even after a failed crowdfunding campaign. As John looks back at his efforts at rebranding the Skully image, he highlights the fact that if the product is innovative and great, people will continue to follow the brand. Discover additional insights and lessons from John’s experience with rebranding Skully on this engaging episode! Investors and leaders who understand the technology can make all the difference. One of the biggest takeaways from the story of Skully Technologies is that the brand was rescued by leaders and investors who understand technology. While that may seem like a small point, the truth is, too often businesses and brands are beholden to investors or leaders who are only concerned with the end results. On this episode, John Lauten opens up and shares how Ivan Contreras and Rafael Contreras caught the vision that Skully Inc. had ignited, and why they moved quickly to continue its groundbreaking momentum. Hear all about Skully Technologies and how it fits into Ivan and Rafael’s larger goal of investing in technology and innovation on this episode! Key Takeaways
[1:10] John Lauten shares his background and the story behind Skul...
Can you imagine the complexities and challenges of rebranding a failed crowdfunding campaign? What does it look like to bring forth success from the ashes of failure? My guest today is entrepreneur and business leader, John Lauten. John has been tasked along with a stellar leadership team to revive and rebrand the failed crowdfunding campaign of Skully Inc. Now they are known as Skully Technologies and they are moving forward with a mission to fulfill the orders of the defunct Skully Inc. This is not an easy task, John and his team have had their fair share of challenges along the way, as you can imagine. Hear all about the Skully story and how they are working hard at reviving this great idea of augmented reality motorcycle helmets on this exciting episode!
The “Make It Right” Campaign How would you go about rebranding a failed crowdfunding campaign? Where would you start? Would you start giving out refunds to people who had given their money in good faith or is there a better option? This was the question that John Lauten and his team had to wrestle with as they took on the challenge of reviving the Skully Inc. brand. In our conversation, John and I discussed how they made a massive public relations push with their “Make It Right” campaign to honor the pre-orders made by the IndieGoGo backers of the original Skully Inc. Even though they are not required to do so, the newly rebranded Skully Technologies is committed to building up what they call “Skully Nation,” the community of Skully helmet enthusiasts. What can you learn from the “Make It Right” campaign? Learn more on this episode!
Earning goodwill and changing the narrative. You can tell a lot about a person or organization when they are faced with making a decision that will benefit themselves or others. While many businesses wouldn’t have given a second thought about fulfilling orders they weren’t required to, Skully Technologies took a different route. On this episode, you’ll hear from John Lauten as he goes over why he and his team made the choice to honor pre-orders made by the defunct Skully Inc. brand and how this decision was received by the media and their tech industry peers. Rebranding and reviving a tarnished name isn’t the easiest road to travel but for John and his team, it seems the payoff has been worth the challenge.
If the product is truly innovative and great, people will show up. Business leaders the world over are constantly looking for ways to build a loyal following. What is the secret sauce that keeps people loyal to a brand like Apple? At the end of the day, it all comes down to the quality of the product. On this episode, John Lauten describes why Skully followers are so excited about the Skully helmets and why that enthusiasm follows their brand even after a failed crowdfunding campaign. As John looks back at his efforts at rebranding the Skully image, he highlights the fact that if the product is innovative and great, people will continue to follow the brand. Discover additional insights and lessons from John’s experience with rebranding Skully on this engaging episode!
Investors and leaders who understand the technology can make all the difference. One of the biggest takeaways from the story of Skully Technologies is that the brand was rescued by leaders and investors who understand technology. While that may seem like a small point, the truth is, too often businesses and brands are beholden to investors or leaders who are only concerned with the end results. On this episode, John Lauten opens up and shares how Ivan Contreras and Rafael Contreras caught the vision of what Skully Inc. had ignited and why they moved quickly to continue its groundbreaking momentum. Hear all about Skully Technologies and how it fits into Ivan and Rafael’s larger picture of investing in technology and innovation on this episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:10] John Lauten shares his background and the story behind Skully Inc. * [4:30] Rebranding the Skully name. * [6:30] Dealing with fulfilling pre-orders and moving forward with new orders. * [8:00] The benefits and drawbacks of using crowdfunding. * [9:30] Surprises faced with the “Make It Right” campaign. * [11:00] Great products can be rescued from negative press. * [12:30] John enters the Launch Round.
Links * IndieGoGo * Steve Jobs Biography
Connect With Skully Technologies * www.SkullyTechnologies.com * Torrot * GasGas
What is the state of invention funding as we speed ahead into the digital age and beyond? Is there a new way for funding the great ideas that could change the course of the next 100 years? My guest today is Reid Creager, an entrepreneur, writer, and student of inventions and innovators. In our conversation, we explore how crowdfunding has impacted the inventing industry, the unique advantage of crowdfunding an invention, tips for creating a new product, the inventor’s best first step, and much more! I can’t wait for you to learn from Reid’s fascinating perspective.
What is the best first step for any aspiring inventor? If you find yourself considering to take a step toward inventing a product, what would be your first step? Do you start with testing your idea with an audience? What about drawing up plans for invention funding? According to Reid Creager, before you get too far down the road, it’s important to conduct a patent search. Too often, well-intentioned inventors get started with an idea that has already been patented. Don’t waste your time and energy unnecessarily, heed the advice of invention experts and do a patent search! Reid also mentions that it is highly recommended to have a patent attorney perform a patent search on their end to cover all of your bases. Get more helpful insights into the world of inventions from Reid on this episode!
Tips for creating a new product. What does it take to bring a new and innovative product to the marketplace? What are some of the best practices that will set your product or idea up for success right out of the gate? Reid Creager wants to help prospective innovators get all the tips they need to hit the ground running. In our conversation, Reid provides several tips innovators can use as they consider testing the waters with a new invention.
- Does your invention fill a function or provide a service that people care about?
- Consult people whose opinions you can trust, don’t just rely on friends and family!
- What are the chances that your product will get knocked off by others?
- Have you counted the cost? Are you prepared for the massive expense of inventing?
Reid brings up some very helpful angles for prospective investors to consider before they venture too far down the road. Listen to this episode as Reid expands on these tips and much more!
The unique advantage of crowdfunding an invention. There are so many great options available in the marketplace for invention funding, but which one is the best one for inventors to consider? Reid Creager says that it really depends on the individual and their priorities. While going the route of licensing a product, partnering with angel investors, or connecting with venture capitalists are all good options, Reid is a huge fan of exploring the crowdfunding route for invention funding. The two primary benefits to crowdfunding that Reid sees is the ability to monetize the invention without a lot of money up front and the ability to get an early indication to how the public will respond to the invention. Discover more unique advantages to crowdfunding an invention on this engaging episode featuring Reid!
Inventing is not for wimps! What is the biggest lesson you can learn from years of interacting with amazing innovators and inventors? Reid Creager says that his biggest takeaway from interviewing inventors over the years is that inventing is not for wimps! He says that he was surprised early on as he was getting acquainted with the history of inventors that Mark Twain owned several patents. In fact, Twain went bankrupt because he was so obsessed with inventing that it consumed all of his time and resources. Beyond securing invention funding and dealing with the jealousy and criticism of others, the biggest lesson is that inventing is demanding. You have to count the cost both resource wise and the personal toll. Learn more from Reid’s unique perspective on inventing by listening to this episode!
Key Takeaways * [1:10] Reid Creager’s background and how he got involved with inventing. * [3:20] What sparked Reid’s interest in inventing and innovation? * [4:30] Why a patent search is the inventor’s best first step. * [5:30] Tips for creating a new product. * [7:00] The unique advantage of crowdfunding an invention. * [9:30] Reid’s favorite crowdfunding story. * [11:00] Has the rise of crowdfunding changed the inventing industry? * [12:30] Inventing is not for wimps! * [14:30] What inspired Reid to be an entrepreneur? * [17:00] Reid favorite invention. * [18:30] What does the future of crowdfunding look like?
Links * Sporting News * The Detroit Free Press * Detroit Tigers * Pulitzer Prize * Kickstarter * Indiegogo * Mark Twain * Earl Madman Muntz * Back to the Future
Connect With Reid Creager * https://www.inventorsdigest.com/
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here.
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
There are lots of folks out there handing out crowdfunding tips like candy on Halloween. But how many of them really know what they're talking about? My guest today is Derek Miller, a guy who is one of the Kickstarter success stories who has earned the right to coach others on how to be successful in crowdfunding. The tips he gives for developing a successful crowdfunding campaign on this episode are worth their weight in gold. We talked about pre-campaign essentials, how to build trust during the campaign, and the best investments you can make with limited funds to ensure your campaign is as successful as possible. You won't want to miss this conversation.
Want a crowdfunding tip that truly helps? Here it is: Decide exactly who your audience is going to be - an agency? Companies? Niche hobbyists? Before you go too far into your planning for a crowdfunding campaign you need to know exactly who your ideal customers are going to be. Your product or creative endeavor may be a great thing, but who is really going to buy it? You can't guess at that, you need to know for certain. In this conversation, Derek Miller explains how there could be many different audiences for your campaign and why you need to do the homework required to figure out who the best audience is and optimize everything to get their attention. That's a crowdfunding tip that is truly helpful and will set you up for success.
The most important thing a creator should do before launching a crowdfunding campaign When I asked Derek Miller for his number one tip for crowdfunding success he said that every campaign Creator needs to do one thing before they even think about setting up a crowdfunding campaign. Talk to your fans and audience. A lot. Make sure you have asked every question you can think of, then go back and ask more questions. You need to know exactly what the pain points are of the audience you were trying to market to so that you can cover all the bases and address the issues you haven't even thought of. That will enable you to test your product long before you put it on Kickstarter and optimize it in ways that really meet the needs of your audience. Derek has lots of great crowdfunding tips like this that he shares on this episode, so make sure you listen.
Derek’s top crowdfunding tip: Don’t waste your money on things proven not to work. Stick with basics like building an email list There are many practical things you can do to make your crowdfunding campaign successful, but if you only had one thing to focus on, what should it be? Derek Miller says one of the most important things you can do is to capture the email addresses of all the people who are interested in what you have to promote so that you can directly communicate with them about your progress, the launch of your campaign, and everything that comes after that. Having a captive audience that is very interested in what you have to sell is the most vital thing to the success of any product launch, whether on crowdfunding or typical marketing channels. You don't want to miss any of the crowdfunding tips that Derek has to share, so make time to listen to this episode.
The future of crowdfunding success will be dependent on one word: Trust. Work hard to establish a professional and trustworthy image before starting a campaign Derek Miller believes that the crowdfunding space is becoming more and more crowded, which in turn requires that campaigns be more professional and clear about the level of integrity behind their campaigns. In a word, it's about trust. The campaigns that are successful on Kickstarter and Indiegogo in the future will be the ones that effectively communicate trust to their audience. If you hope to be successful with your crowdfunding campaign, Derek Miller is a great resource for you to learn from and he shares many of his own lessons learned, including the mistakes in the successes, on this episode.
Key Takeaways * [1:08] Derek MIller, crowdfunder extraordinaire and why crowdfunding has been the thing he’s used * [2:46] Why Derek is writing the book he wishes he had when he was crowdfunding * [4:49] The biggest benefits crowdfunding offers to creators and artists * [6:09] The most important pre-campaign steps to ensure you’re successful * [7:37] Stats from Derek’s campaigns and how he was able to tap his email lists * [9:46] The impact of the new Facebook algorithms on their community approach * [11:03] Tips for crowdfunding campaigns that need more publicity * [12:05] Mailchimp: The best investment when you have limited funds * [13:16] Where most unsuccessful crowdfunders go wrong * [14:28] Why Derek thinks crowdfunding has become much more professional * [15:32] Derek’s biggest piece of advice for those wanting to start a crowdfunding campaign * [18:43] Why Derek believes that focusing on trust is going to be the way to succeed long-term
Links * Kickstarter * Elon Musk * BOOK: Never Split The Difference * Dude Bro Party Massacre 3 * Kung Fury
Connect With Derek Miller * https://sixfigurecrowdfunding.com/ - Derek’s site * Cyanide and Happiness * Joking Hazard
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here.
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
Many creatives who decide to go the crowdfunding route in order to jumpstart their project underestimate one thing more than anything else: crowdfunding management. What does it entail? It's the things that go on behind the scenes or should happen in every campaign that enables products to be created in a quality and timely fashion, fulfilled without problems, and shipped without a hitch. Most creatives don't know anything about organizing those kinds of details, which is why CrowdOx was created. This conversation features Chandler Copenhaver, a key player on the CrowdOx team who walks us through what the CrowdOx system does to help creatives get a handle on their crowdfunding management and successfully complete successful campaigns.
Fulfilling orders from your crowdfunding campaign is an overwhelming experience for many creators Okay, you have successfully funded your first crowdfunding campaign. Now the real work begins. How are you going to organize all of the backer information, compute the unique shipping costs on each order, organize and distribute the rewards, and ensure that nobody falls through the cracks? It takes a lot more than an Excel spreadsheet to make that happen. The team at CrowdOx has created a software solution that integrates seamlessly with both Kickstarter and Indiegogo so that you can pull together all your data and easily see the status on every pledge and fulfillment issue. Chandler Copenhaver is my guest on this episode of Art of the Kickstart to explain how CrowdOx can help you create an incredible experience for the wonderful people who back to your crowdfunding campaign.
If you have a successful campaign you’re going to need help with your crowdfunding management in order to keep your backers happy One of the complaints often heard about crowdfunding campaigns is that sometimes backers never receive what they expected. Other times they receive it, but much later than was promised. The reason for these kinds of glitches is simple: dealing with the details of fulfilling thousands of orders is not an easy task, especially if the person in charge of the crowdfunding campaign is not naturally an administratively oriented person. CrowdOx is a supplement to any crowdfunding campaign that takes the confusion and frustration out of the crowdfunding management process. Find out how you can keep your backers happy by fulfilling every order on time, on this episode of Art of the Kickstart.
What if you could easily offer your campaign backers add-on products or upsells? CrowdOx handles it seamlessly One of the coolest things Chandler Copenhaver described during this conversation was CrowdOx’s ability to offer supplementary products to backers during the product fulfillment process. Oftentimes, greater profit margins can be realized through add-on products than is possible through the primary product that backers supported. But it's not just about the profit, those backers receive a bonus that enables them to use the product more effectively, with greater ease, or in ways they didn't think possible. Find out how CrowdOx can help you offer your campaign backers add-on products or upsells by listening to this episode.
No creator wants to spend time figuring out the specifics of crowdfunding management, like shipping costs. That’s why CrowdOx was created Shipping cost can be one of the most confusing aspects of managing any crowdfunding campaign simply because the variables are almost limitless. Imagine the different things you have to consider when shipping a product to South Africa as compared to shipping it to Dallas Texas and you'll get a feel for what I'm talking about. The CrowdOx System integrates with Indiegogo and Kickstarter to enable you to take the pain and hassle out of those kinds of shipping issues. You can get accurate estimated cost of shipping and fulfill your orders without a problem simply but using the tools they offer. You don't want to miss hearing the details about this incredible software. A handful of our successful clients have used the CrowdOx system to great success, so I'm confident you'll be impressed with what they have to offer.
Key Takeaways * [1:09] How Crowdox was developed from a point of need of its creators * [3:42] When is the best time to work out to CrowdOx for support? * [8:30] Why CrowdOx is a wonderful solution for larger crowdfunding campaigns * [11:10] CrowdOx can be used on both Kickstarter and Indiegogo to integrate all orders * [13:45] The complicated costs of shipping and how CrowdOx can help * [15:53] Advice Chandler gives to those who want to do a crowdfunding project * [20:40] Chandler’s view of the future of crowdfunding
Links * Indiegogo * Kickstarter * https://www.pebble.com/ - the Pebble Watch * Marcus Lemonis * BOOK: Linchpin
Connect With Chandler Copenhaven of CrowdOx * www.CrowdOx.com - overcoming the challenge of managing crowdfunding orders * Chandler(at)CrowdOx.com
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here.
Whenever I think about someone who can teach the intricacies and best practices required for good SEO, nobody comes to mind faster than Rand Fishkin. I had the incredible opportunity to chat with him after he gave a talk at a conference I was attending recently - this episode is my recording of that conversation. In it, you'll find a wealth of information as Rand outlines the top tips you should apply for your SEO efforts in 2018. I also asked him about his experience scaling his company (MOZ) from nothing to over 120 employees and he revealed that the human component of scaling was the hardest part. In his usual style, Rand delivers actionable advice that anyone can apply today. Don't miss this conversation.
Rand Fishkin says there are 3 reasons SEO has rapidly changed in the last 5 to 10 years and gives advice about how to deal with it If you've been paying attention, you've noticed that the best practices for SEO have changed dramatically over the last five to ten years. Rand Fishkin says there are three primary reasons for that. It has to do with Google taking over the SEO Market and consequently becoming the dominant force to determine what good SEO practices should be, along with the way the marketing world, in general, has grown up over that time frame. These are intriguing concepts to explore and ones that Rand explains, along with one more, in this conversation.
One of the biggest challenges around scale is the human interaction involved and the tendency toward tribalism. How do you keep team members unified? It's not easy to grow a company, but it's even harder to grow it in a way that keeps the team cohesive and working toward the same goals. That's what Rand Fishkin explains about the difficulties of scaling MOZ from a startup that consisted of him and his mother to a company of over 120 employees. There are all kinds of dynamics that arise as the team expands, including tribalism, which Rand defines and highlights as one of the biggest challenges he faced as his company continued to grow. There are a handful of lessons you can learn from the stories Rand shares on this episode, so make the time to listen.
SEO for 2018 is shifting away from being predominantly keyword driven and more toward intention driven Though keywords are still important when it comes to SEO in 2018 The reality is that Google is attempting to make its algorithms more and more intention driven. What does that mean for best practices for SEO? It means that those doing SEO for their websites need to keep in mind that word selections, the crafting of web titles, and even the formatting of the content on the page needs to be done in a way that tries to discern the intention of the person searching and what would cause them to land on the pages you are designing. It's sort of like trying to figure out someone's motive without talking to them, but Rand says it is the way SEO in 2018 is headed. You can hear his explanation in this conversation, so I encourage you to take the 21 minutes required to hear it.
Rand Fishkin says If you only have $1000 for marketing, focus on the convergence of these 3 things Most startups struggle when it comes to marketing simply because they have a limited budget that has to be divvied up among many priorities, all of which feel crucial to the growth of the business. Rand Fishkin says that marketing is one of the priorities that has to stay near the top of the list, but it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg at the beginning. In our conversation, Rand reveals the importance of 3 marketing decisions that founders or leadership teams can make that will enable them to make the most out of their limited marketing dollars. To give you a preview, here they are in bullet point form.
- Focus on an area where you have passion and interest (video, visuals, audio).
- Choose an area where you can provide unique value that nobody else is providing.
- Find a place where your audience or their influencers are.
Key Takeaways * [1:09] The reason Rand is known as the “face of SEO” in Roy’s view * [2:03] 3 forces that has driven rapid changes in SEO * [6:21] Rand’s journey with MOZ and the challenge of scaling * [10:26] The top SEO tips for 2018: Get out your pad, Rand has 10 * [14:30] What startups can do with a $1000 marketing budget * [15:45] Here is why startups need to focus on SEO * [16:55] One of Rand’s favorite entrepreneurs: Jessica Mah * [20:26] Rand’s biggest fear: He won’t be able to build another successful company
Links * MOZ * Rand’s Slideshare on Why Startups Suck At Marketing * eShares * Buffer * Robot Turtles - Rand supported the campaign * Indinero - founded by Jessia Ma * Y-Combinator * BOOK: The Billionaire Who Wasn’t * BOOK: Catch 22
Connect With Rand Fishkin * www.Moz.com * On Twitter * On Facebook
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here.
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
My guest on this episode, Steve Blank says he very well could have been chosen "least likely to succeed" by his New York City High School classmates. Yet, his story is one of incredible success including leadership of 8 high tech companies, co-founding a business from his living room, heading two startups, and serving as a consultant and educator. His book, "Four Steps To The Epiphany" has been referred to by many as the beginning of the Lean Startup movement. In this conversation, Steve and I talk about what it means to be an entrepreneur, how Lean Startup methodology and crowdfunding are similar and different, and why it's important to build your business on facts, not beliefs.
Many companies are confusing crowdfunding with learning - and it’s a horrible mistake Lean Startup methodology is based on the premise that a company doesn't have to have its products or services refined perfectly before making them available to customers or clients. Steve Blank says that many lean entrepreneurs who are using crowdfunding as their means to generate revenue are trying the same approach, iterating as they go - and it's a mistake. Steve says crowdfunding requires that most of your learning already be done so that you can provide a finished product to those who pledge support to your campaign. The Lean Startup approach, on the other hand, is built to facilitate learning all along the way. Steve says the confusion between the two has caused many to fail at their crowdfunding attempts and has some advice for how you can ensure it doesn't happen to you.
Failure often comes from confusing a religious activity (I believe) with the facts customers reveal to you Most entrepreneurs are powerfully motivated by their belief in the product they are creating. Belief is a wonderful thing, some might even say essential. But Steve blank asserts that belief is not enough to carry you all the way to success. You've got to be open to hearing the facts as they are revealed once your customers begin using and experiencing the product or service that you provide. Those facts are what give you the kind of information needed to make your offering truly beneficial to those who use it. All the belief in the world can't get you to that. Find out how Steve councils startup founders and their teams to make the best use of the feedback they receive from customers, on this episode of Art of the Kickstart.
Any failure you experience in business can be redeemed if you know how to do one thing with it - learn When I asked Steve what he thinks about the benefits of failure he was quick to say that failure sucks. It's never fun to fail when you have put so much energy and thought behind a product or new approach to a problem in the market. But he says that failure is not the end of the story if you are willing to learn what it has to teach you. Failure lessons are the most valuable lessons any entrepreneur can receive and it takes an honest, humble person to look at them objectively and actually learn from them. This conversation is packed with insights like that - from a guy who has become synonymous with business success. Be sure you take the time to listen.
Key Takeaways * [1:09] Who is Steve Blank? * [4:07] How Lean Startup methodology relates to crowdfunding * [6:26] Why entrepreneurship is not a job, but rather a calling * [8:20] How startup failures can be redeemed - through learning * [10:53] Navigating the chaos between the “search” and “growth” phases of a company * [12:43] Entrepreneurship is a team sport and how the fact impacts success
Links * BOOK: The Lean Startup * The Lean Startup Movement * Uber * BOOK: The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen
Connect With Steve Blank * Steve’s website: https://steveblank.com/ * On Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code
ATOKK16 for 20% off! Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here.
Connect With the Art Of The Kickstart team * info@artofthekickstart.com
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Ran Cory, campaign manager for the Yeehaw Wand. Check it out to learn more about finding your target audience before launching a Kickstarter project, how much time to spend preparing for your project and much more! Yeehaw Wand - Easily create any object out of thin air
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How much time to devote to preparing for your Kickstarter campaign launch How to get great press coverage for your campaign launch Why your crowdfunding campaign needs to be newsworthy How to determine your ideal target audience for a Kickstarter campaign How seasonality and time of year, especially Black Friday and the holiday shopping season, can affect a crowdfunding campaign Why A/B testing your crowdfunding video is important Why it’s critical to find your audience before launching your crowdfunding campaign
Links
Yeehaw Wand on Kickstarter http://us.yeehaw3d.com/profile
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a $100,000,000 for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Ran Cory. Ran is the campaign manager for the Yeehaw Wand. Ran, thank you so much for being on the show today.
Ran Cory:
My pleasure.
Roy Morejon:
So this is a really cool innovation that you’ve been able to run the project on. So the Yeehaw Wand can easily create an object basically out of thin air. Can you talk to our audience about where this creation was inspired from?
Ran Cory:
So, it all began with the first campaign. We did a special campaign, a 3D printer for kids, and we got a lot of emails from people that say, “We love the 3D printer, but we don’t know how to get 3D objects, and all the different software’s too complicated. We really need to be able to do a good 3D object and then print it.”
So with the help of the founder of [inaudible 00:02:15], what we created is a special wand, and that really helps people create any object that they want, anything that they just think of, and create it in 3D. They can visualize it and we work around them, like they can play with it and see it in different places because they can use their phone’s camera and visualize the scanned object. And then if they want they can just 3D print it on a 3D printer or just send it to a company.
For this exciting episode of Art of the Kickstart, we’ve lined up a very special giveaway! But first, tune in to hear from the creators of the game Watch Ya’ Mouth about launching a game on Kickstarter, protecting your intellectual property, selling your product through Amazon Launchpad and much more. Watch Ya' Mouth - The Hilarious Mouthguard Party Game
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What it looks like to develop a minimum viable product How long it takes to set up a Kickstarter project Why the timing of a Kickstarter campaign is important How giving backers a chance to help influence the final product can help your campaign How to handle inquiries from potential partners during your Kickstarter campaign How to use Kickstarter to test your product and grow your fan base Why speed to market matters when trying to protect yourself against counterfeits and knockoffs How to use Amazon Launchpad after a successful Kickstarter campaign
Links
Watch Ya’ Mouth on Kickstarter wymgame.com Amazon Launchpad How to Win Friends and Influence People
Connect With Watch Ya’ Mouth
Watch Ya’ Mouth on Facebook Watch Ya’ Mouth on Twitter Watch Ya’ Mouth on Instagram Watch Ya’ Mouth on YouTube
Giveaway This giveaway has closed. Congrats to our winners!
In honor of the holiday season, we have an exciting giveaway lined up for you!
Want to win your own Watch Ya’ Mouth game and NSFW expansion pack? Give us your email address below to sign up for our newsletter and enter for a chance to win! Want bonus entries? Head over to our Facebook page and tell us what card you’d like to see added to the next expansion pack! We’ll be randomly selecting five email addresses and five Facebook comments to win a prize! Deadline to enter is Monday, January 1 at 11:59pm EST. Official contest rules, terms and conditions can be found here.
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Enter to win a Watch Ya Mouth! NSFW Expansion Pack: Email Address
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Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding agency in the world. We have helped start ups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your start up to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you pri...
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Cathy Cao about Vinci 2.0, a project that has raised over half a million dollars on Kickstarter so far. Tune in to hear more about how to make the most of your pre-launch marketing efforts, how to get great press coverage and much more. Vinci 2.0 - The World's First Standalone Smart Wireless Headphones
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to use your pre-launch period to build momentum and ensure you fully fund on launch day Why email marketing is so important the day you launch your Kickstarter project How to use samples to get press coverage How to create a compelling Kickstarter video How to test your campaign messaging before launching a crowdfunding project How much time to spend preparing for a Kickstarter project How to use backer feedback during your Kickstarter campaign
Links
Vinci 2.0 on Kickstarter Vinci on Kickstarter The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Connect With Vinci 2.0
Vinci Smart Hearable on Facebook @VINCIHearable on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients, since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster.
The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am honored to be joined with Cathy Cao, with Vinci 2.0. Cathy, thank you so much for joining us today.
Cathy Cao:
Thank you for having me, Roy, pleasure to be here.
Roy Morejon:
You guys just launched your second Kickstarter campaign for the Vinci 2.0, the world’s first standalone, smart, wireless headphones. Tell our audience where all of this started.
Cathy Cao:
Yes, so to start, let me give you a little bit of background about the company. We actually started in September of 2014, and our goal was really to create a much better, much easier, more convenient listening experience for users, who currently have trouble, for example, when they’re running out in the park. When they’re connecting with their phones and their headsets, they’re using wires and Bluetooth. They’re losing Bluetooth connectivity. It becomes quite a hassle, as well, when you’re running, and you have to look down at your phone for some music streaming services and for certain apps, and then finally pressing the song you want.
It’s a lot of things to deal with, especially when you’re on the go, and so what we wanted to create was this completely standalon...
For this special episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with John Vaskis, Head of Hardware, Technology and Design at Indiegogo. Tune in to hear John’s best tips for Indiegogo creators, including how to set a funding goal, how to set up Indiegogo perks and what to do to ensure your project’s success. Key Takeaways
What types of products raise the most money on Indiegogo How creators should choose between fixed funding and flexible funding on Indiegogo What a campaign creator should consider when setting their funding goal What pre-campaign marketing strategies hardware campaign creators should be using What information should be included on an Indiegogo campaign page How to make a great Indiegogo campaign video How Indiegogo campaign creators can use GIFs on their campaign page Why high-quality images are an important part of a successful Indiegogo campaign How many rewards a successful Indiegogo campaign typically has How to use secret perks on Indiegogo How to design your Indiegogo perks to entice potential backers How to use Indiegogo’s referral system How to use email marketing to make your crowdfunding campaign more successful How important it is for crowdfunding creators to get press coverage How to get your project featured in the Indiegogo newsletter The metrics Indiegogo considers when ranking projects What the top Indiegogo campaigns have in common John’s best advice for Indiegogo project creators
Links
Indiegogo.com Meet the Pilot: Smart Earpiece Language Translator Console Wars by Blake Harris
Connect With Indiegogo and John Vaskis
@JohnVaskis on Twitter Indiegogo on Facebook @Indiegogo on Twitter @Indiegogo on Instagram Indiegogo on YouTube Indiegogo on LinkedIn
If you liked this episode, don’t forget to leave us a review in iTunes, Stitcher or anywhere else you listen to podcasts! Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here.
For this exciting episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Vincent LoTempio, an intellectual property attorney who has worked with many exciting clients, including the inventor of the Selfie Stick. Tune in to learn more about different types of intellectual property, how inventors and crowdfunders can protect their intellectual property and much more. Key Takeaways
The difference between a utility patent, a design patent, a trademark and a copyright Why an inventor should file for a patent or trademark When an inventor or crowdfunder should file for a patent application How project creators can protect their crowdfunding campaigns from knock offs Why provisional patent applications are important for crowdfunders
Links
LoTempioLaw.com Benefits of IP Registration Yahoo Patent Case Against Facebook The Force by Don Winslow
Connect With Vincent LoTempio
Vincent@LoTempiolaw.com
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turn-key product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Vincent LoTempio. Vincent, thank you so much for joining us.
Vincent LoTempio:
Well, thank you for having me. I really enjoy this kind of thing.
Roy Morejon:
So, Vincent, you are an expert on intellectual property law, and you have a key focus on patent and trademark laws. Obviously this is super helpful to all of our entrepreneurs, our businesses, our start-ups, our creators, understanding copyright and all of these other things. I definitely want to give an opportunity for you to tell our audience a bit more about your background and how you got into patent and trademark law.
Vincent LoTempio:
I’m not your typical patent attorney. I started working for district attorney in [inaudible 00:01:51] County and at about 35 years old I went back to school and got a degree in chemistry, because you need to have a science background to take the patent BAR. I’m almost 58 years old, and I started practicing intellectual property when I was 40 in about 2000. I just didn’t want to be the person who was defending all these criminals I was putting in jail. I wanted to change myself. I basically did my own start-up, I recreated who I was. I went back to school, I got my degree in chemistry, and I started doing intellectual property law.
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Kathrin Hamm of SOMNOS. Check out how this weighted blanket came to be, how Hamm's team built up a community around their product before launching, how they've made their product better with the help of their Kickstarter backers and so much more. SOMNOS Weighted Comforter for Natural Deep Sleep
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What to expect when you decide to design a new product Why building a community before you launch on Kickstarter is critical Why it’s important to have a working prototype before launching a product with crowdfunding How to get a big return from Facebook ads for your crowdfunding project How to use Kickstarter backer feedback to make your project better How to make sure you’re prepared for a crowdfunding campaign How to find the Kickstarter agency that’s best for you
Links
SOMNOS on Kickstarter Acumen Sleep Smarter: 21 Essential Strategies to Sleep Your Way to A Better Body, Better Health, and Bigger Success by Shawn Stevenson Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh
Connect With SOMNOS
SOMNOS on Facebook @somnossleep on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyers guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m am joined with Kathrin Hamm with the Somnos Weighted Comforter. Kathrin, thank you so much for joining us today.
Kathrin Hamm:
Thanks for having me, Roy.
Roy Morejon:
All right. So I love this technology personally. Having these therapeutic weighted comforters, I think the one that you guys have created is obviously beautiful in design but obviously helps refresh and recharge you, so I know this is your first campaign. You had mentioned to me, Kathrin, that you’ve been listening to Art of the Kickstart for months which is wonderful to hear, in preparation for your campaign, so let’s talk to our listeners about where did this product idea start. What inspired you to create Somnos?
Kathrin Hamm:
So, yeah. I think the original idea was really that I wanted to have exactly that product for myself. So over the last four years, I’ve been traveling to 26 different countries and I moved to four different countries while I was working for the World Bank. So,
In this week’s episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Ricardo Bottome and Frankie Najera, creators of the Treepod. Check it out to hear more about why they love crowdfunding and what they learned after running two Kickstarter campaigns. TreePod: A Spacious Hanging Retreat
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why Kickstarter is a great option for launching a new product How to make sure your product photography sells your product What to keep in mind if you’re running your second or third Kickstarter campaign How to prepare for a Kickstarter Live Why planning your Kickstarter project well in advance is so critical to its success
Links
TreePod on Indiegogo TreePod on Kickstarter TreePod’s First Kickstarter Campaign The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey by Ken Blanchard, William Oncken Jr. and Hal Burrows
Connect With TreePod
TreePod on Facebook @mytreepod on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010.
Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts.
Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Ricardo Bottome and Frankie Najera with TreePod. Gentleman, thank you so much for joining us today.
Ricardo Bottome:
Thank you for having us.
Frankie Najera:
Nice to meet you.
Roy Morejon:
Alright, so you guys just crowdfunded TreePod, the combination of a luxury cabana with the portability and suspension of a hammock, for ultimate relaxation. I must say that everyone in our office wants one of these products. I know it just recently finished on Kickstarter. Now we’re over on Indiegogo InDemand; raised over $300,000 for this campaign. You guys were fully funded in 48 hours.
Let’s talk about this product idea. Where did it all start? What inspired you to create TreePod?
Ricardo Bottome:
So, a few years ago, my brother was … We were at the beach, family meeting and he just said, out of the blue, “It would be cool if you do a hanging tree house for kids.” He goes [inaudible 00:02:17] developing product for many years [inaudible 00:02:22]. So I came back home with the idea. We did our first Kickstarter two years ago and it was the original TreePod, designed for kids. Trendy colors, smaller, not as practical as the new one. Now, we kept thinking how to make the product appealing to a wider audience and more mature. And,
This week on Art of the Kickstart we spoke to Ron Lynch of Big Baby Agency about his work with BackStrong, a Kickstarter campaign for a desk chair that fixes your posture. Tune in to learn more about how they’ve raised over $200,000 in just over a month, with more than 3 weeks remaining on their campaign! Hint: it involves celebrities from Justin Bieber to Paula Abdul to Chelsea Handler. The BackStrong Chair Fixes How You Sit. Let it do the work.
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why Kickstarter is a great marketing tool Why it’s important to focus on benefits when marketing a product on Kickstarter How to use celebrity influencers in a Kickstarter campaign Why focus groups and testing are important before launching a product How to set your Kickstarter campaign up for success before it launches
Links
BackStrong on Kickstarter Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy by Martin Lindstrom and Paco Underhill Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz and Janet Mills Books by Zig Ziglar Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus BigBabyAgency.com
Connect With BackStrong
@BackstrongChair on Twitter BackStrong on Facebook
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here.
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top, full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition to the Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined by Ron Lynch with the BackStrong Campaign. Ron, thanks so much for joining us today.
Ron Lynch:
Thank you. I appreciate being here.
Roy Morejon:
The BackStrong Chair, it’s taking Kickstarter by storm or by back. Let’s talk a little bit about crowdfunding in general. You guys launched this campaign. What do you think has been the biggest benefit of launching this product on Kickstarter?
Ron Lynch:
Well, I’ve done a couple of Kickstarters, this isn’t my first one, and one of the things that became clear to me early on was that Kickstarter was, in my opinion secondarily for fundraising, but primarily for marketing, so I utilize it as a research tool and a development tool while we’re starting and launching a business. It really gives you the opportunity to find your metrics and discover your metrics in a pretty orga...
This week on Art of the Kickstart we spoke to Glen Gunawan about Sonic Soak, a portable ultrasonic cleaning tool! Learn more about how he invented a tool that can clean nearly anything, and how he’s raised over $400,000 on Indiegogo with more than three weeks left to go! Sonic Soak: The Ultimate Ultrasonic Cleaning Tool
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to decide if crowdfunding is the best way to launch your project How to decide what features to include when you develop a product How to determine your target market How to create a great crowdfunding video How public relations and paid advertising can make a big difference for your campaign How to get great feedback from your backers during an Indiegogo campaign How to choose the right crowdfunding marketing agency
Links
Sonic Soak on Indiegogo sonicsoak.com Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science by Charles Wheelan
Connect With Sonic Soak
Sonic Soak on Facebook @sonicsoak on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, and inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment, by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Glen Gunawan, with the Sonic Soak. Glen, thank you so much for being on the show today.
Glen Gunawan:
Thank you so much for having me Roy. Real excited to be here and talk with you.
Roy Morejon:
Yeah. I’m excited to talk about this product. We’ve been working together for some time on it, and this ultimate ultrasonic cleaning tool is the number one project on Indiegogo right now. I’d love for you to just give our audience a little bit of the background and what inspired Sonic Soak to come to fruition.
Glen Gunawan:
Yeah. I actually used to be a management consultant, so I did a ton of traveling back and forth when I was more corporate. A big issue for me, especially when I had longer business trips, was always actually having to deal with all my clothes that I could never really afford to pay for dry cleaning. I mean, I just couldn’t justify paying 10 bucks per shirt to dry clean at the hotel or something. I wouldn’t really have time to like find a nice like laundromat or something to clean my clothes with.
I got to talking with a few friends about what the problem looks like, and we started kind of seeing if there were any options out there.
This week we’re back with Part 2 of our interview with Julio Terra of Kickstarter! Check it out to learn more about how to set up great Kickstarter rewards, what to do if your funding slows, how to become a Project We Love and much more. And if you missed part 1, find it here. Key Takeaways
How to optimize Kickstarter rewards Innovative ideas for Kickstarter rewards What a Kickstarter creator should do if their funding has slowed down How to handle cross promotions with other project creators How to become a Kickstarter Project We Love Why it’s critical to plan your campaign well in advance of launching
Links
Kickstarter MOON - the most accurate lunar globe Designing Interactions by Bill Moggridge
Connect with Kickstarter
@Kickstarter on Twitter Kickstarter on Facebook @Kickstarter on Instagram Kickstarter on Tumblr Kickstarter on Pinterest Kickstarter on YouTube
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow.
BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster.
The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome back to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. This week I’m back with Julio Terra. Director of Technology and Design at Kickstarter. He has many more great insights and tips to offer us so lets get on with the show.
Let’s talk about rewards now, we always get this question when we’re talking to creators in terms of how many rewards should a campaign creator offer. Whether that be initially when the campaign launches and at the end when all of their early birds or what have you are sold out. Any insights there?
Julio Terra:
Yeah, I mean I think our insights there is there isn’t a clear number that we can say, it’s X number of rewards is the right number of rewards. I think what we do recommend is one, for creators to be wary of doing too many choices, giving people too many different choices when that’s not warranted. What we find is that sometimes creators feel like it’s really important to provide a lot of different options in an unwarranted way and that can actually negatively confuse people. If there’s too many different options that they have to chose from, that can actually get in the way.
One of the things that we see, is sometimes with people wanting to do the early bird rewards, and early bird rewards can be a great strategy, is sometimes nowadays we see creators start doing multiple different...
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Erica Rosen, Director of Marketing for BioLite Energy. Tune in to learn more about how they put their own spin on the BioLite FirePit campaign and raised over $2 million on Kickstarter. BioLite FirePit: See Fire, Not Smoke
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Kickstarter Live can help you connect with your backers How to successfully demo your product at an event Why stretch goals can be dangerous and how to avoid common stretch goal problems Why a high-quality video is key to a successful Kickstarter campaign How to make sure your PR outreach is effective How to earn your Kickstarter community’s trust Why it’s important to have multiple working prototypes - and samples for journalists, if possible - before launching a Kickstarter campaign How to tell your Kickstarter campaign’s story
Links
BioLite on Kickstarter Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke BioLiteEnergy.com
Connect With BioLite
BioLite on Facebook @biolitestove on Twitter @biolite on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full-service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping your print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am excited to be joined with Erica Rosen with the BioLite campaign. Erica, thank you so much for joining us today.
Erica Rosen:
Thank you for having me here.
Roy Morejon:
So you are officially the Director of Marketing over at BioLite. You’ve been there half of a decade now, which is awesome. You guys have an active campaign which is absolutely crushing it. I think currently over 1.8 million raised. You guys are trending well over two million right now. This is your third campaign that you’ve now launched on Kickstarter. Tell our audience all about where kind of this project started and how you guys got involved with Kickstarter.
Erica Rosen:
Definitely. So BioLite, just as a quick background, we make personal scale energy products for outdoor lovers and also families living in energy poverty across India and sub-Saharan Africa. So we’ve been in the business of making stoves, lights and solar panels for close to half a decade, as you mentioned. We’ve been working with Kickstarter since 2012 with the launch of our base camp stove.
One of the reasons that we love Kickstarter so much is it’s an...
We’re back with another exciting episode this week! We spoke with Andrew Capener and Drew Hollenback about their Kickstarter project for the Seasons blanket. Tune in to hear more about what they’ve learned from running multiple campaigns, where to put in the most effort to make sure your project is successful and much more! Seasons Blanket. Waterproof. Comfortable. Built to Last.
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why it’s important to partner with the right people for your Kickstarter campaign How cross promotions can help you raise more money How to become an influencer in your Kickstarter category Why “putting in the work” is key to a successful campaign How to build a community around your product Where to focus your pre-campaign efforts
Links
Seasons on Kickstarter https://seasonsmfg.com/ Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOK20 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of The Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of The Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster.
The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyers guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of The Kickstart. Today I am joined by two participants, Andrew Capener and Drew Hollenback with the Seasons Blanket campaign. Andrew, Drew, thank you so much for joining us today.
Andrew Capener:
Thanks for having us.
Drew Hollenback:
Yeah, thanks a lot.
Roy Morejon:
All right. So you guys have created this killer durable blanket for everyday use, you know. Not your momma’s quilt. Right? Or not your grandma’s quilt. However, you want to call ma. Love the product. Let’s talk to our audience about the backstory. How did you two guys get together here?
Andrew Capener:
Yeah. Let’s see. So Drew and I have just been good friends and business partners for a long time now. The cool thing about our relationship is Drew’s in Idaho, kind of up in the mountains, and I’m down here at the beach in southern California. So we have these two different backgrounds. We’ve talked a lot about doing some sort of an adventure blanket of sorts for a while. So as we were talking about what that might entail, I think, we’ve brought pretty interesting background stories to the table where I had certain requirements for the blanket that I want, and he had a certain set of requirements as well on his end. So yeah. Something that we had envisioned just a one stop blanke...
For this special episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Julio Terra, Director of Technology and Design at Kickstarter. Check it out to hear from him about how you can make sure your Kickstarter campaign is a success! Key Takeaways
What types of products raise the most money on Kickstarter What million-dollar Kickstarter campaigns do right Why Kickstarter funding is all-or-nothing What to consider when setting a Kickstarter funding goal What creators should do if they can’t complete a fully-funded Kickstarter project What information to include on a Kickstarter page How to make a better Kickstarter video What types of photography and visual assets creators need for a successful Kickstarter campaign
Links
Kickstarter
Connect with Kickstarter
@Kickstarter on Twitter Kickstarter on Facebook @Kickstarter on Instagram Kickstarter on Tumblr Kickstarter on Pinterest Kickstarter on YouTube
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations, and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today’s a special edition of our podcast because we have the Director of Design and Technology from Kickstarter, Julio Terra, joining us on the podcast. Julio, thank you so much for being a guest on the podcast today.
Julio Terra:
It’s my pleasure to be here, Roy. Thanks for the invitation.
Roy Morejon:
Oh, it’s always gonna be extended to you guys. So, what I would love to know for our audience is straight from your mouth, give our audience a brief description of Kickstarter and what it’s all about.
Julio Terra:
Great. Well, Kickstarter is a platform to help bring creative projects to life. We talk about this in a broad sense because we embrace everything, of course, from startups who are bringing to life technology products, design products, all the way to writers who are bringing to life a new book, or a filmmaker that wants to make a new documentary, a game designer. All of the things that these different types of products have in common is that they are creative projects. It’s somebody bringing something new to life to share with the world.
The other thing that’s really important to us is we are focused on providing a platform where people can run campaigns where the incentive for a backer to support a creator is because they w...
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we talked to Adam Clark of Kicktraq, a site that offers analytics and other tools for Kickstarter project creators and backers. Tune in to learn more about how Kicktraq measures campaign metrics, and how their tools can help you make your campaign a success or find a cool new project to back. Key Takeaways
How to use Kicktraq to research similar Kickstarter projects before launching your own The difference between Kicktraq’s Trends and Projections, as well as how these different algorithms work What funding trends Kicktraq sees across all Kickstarter campaigns How Kicktraq’s Hot List compares to Kickstarter’s project-ranking system What Kickstarter campaign creators can do to improve their chances of success
Links
Kicktraq Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss Patreon Art of the Kickstart Survey
Connect with Kicktraq
Kicktraq on Facebook @Kicktraq on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart. Your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped start ups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your start up to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyers’ guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Adam Clark, founder of Kicktraq. Adam, thank you so much for joining us.
Adam Clark:
Thanks for having me.
Roy Morejon:
All right so Kicktraq’s been around since I believe April of 2012, kind of around where we were finishing Command Partners was finishing their first rewards based crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Give our audience a brief description or overview of Kicktraq and what the backstory is there.
Adam Clark:
So Kicktraq is an analytics tool where we monitor Kickstarter campaigns for things that are happening on their projects. So how much they’re getting per day, how many [inaudible 00:01:49] they’re getting per day, which rewards are trending, and then we also collate any news and aggregate updates for the projects kind of all in one place so you can hopefully correlate things like when specific news sources write about a project, how much impact did it have on the project, those type of things.
Roy Morejon:
So are you ever going to go into a Indiegogo integration of data?
Adam Clark:
Possibly. We’ve talked to them a little bit, although especially given my specific passions and the board games base, that’s sort of what drove the initial creation of Kicktraq.
Note: This week’s podcast features Gadget Flow. Submit your Kickstarter or Indiegogo project to The Gadget Flow today using code atok20 and save 20%.
For this week’s episode of the podcast, we spoke with Evan Varsamis, creator of the Gadget Flow, about how he built the Gadget Flow from the ground up and how the platform can help crowdfunding creators and backers alike. Tune in to check out this exciting episode from one of our sponsors! Key Takeaways
How to grow a business organically How to submit a project to The Gadget Flow How The Gadget Flow can help Kickstarter and Indiegogo creators How The Gadget Flow can help Kickstarter project backers How to launch and scale a new business What to look for when hiring and adding to your team How to use Slack to build company culture How to ensure your customers are recommending your product or service to others How to use growth hacking strategies to grow your business Why pre-launch is key to a successful crowdfunding campaign
Links
Gadget Flow Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul by Howard Schultz
Connect with the Gadget Flow
Gadget Flow on Facebook @gadgetflow on Instagram @Gadget Flow on Twitter Gadget Flow on Pinterest
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service, turnkey product development, and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined with Evan Varsamis with The Gadget Flow. Evan, thank you so much for joining us.
Evan Varsamis:
Thanks for having me.
Roy Morejon:
All right. Evan, you guys have experienced some explosive growth. I know, back in October, we posted on artofthekickstart.com a blog post about The Gadget Flow, and I think we had had some stats around six and a half million visits a month and more than 55,000 daily email subscribers. I know you guys have been growing fast. Where are you guys at currently?
Evan Varsamis:
We’re at about 10 million visits per month. We reach about 25 million people in total in combination with our apps, both for iOS and Android, and we’re sitting at 165,000 email subscribers.
Roy Morejon:
Dude, how have you been growing it so fast?
Evan Varsamis:
Well, honestly, it’s been a great journey so far. Most of the growth was organic so far.
This week on Art of the Kickstart, Eddie Lee of Podo Labs is back to tell us all about his latest Kickstarter project. Tune in to hear what he’s learned after running four successful crowdfunding campaigns, and what tips he has to offer to others hoping to fund their own consumer electronics product. BELLE - A Powerful Bluetooth Speaker and Wireless Hub
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What to expect to be different when you’re running your second, third or fourth campaign How to manage a crowdfunding campaign without losing focus on your existing customers How to use Facebook for consumer research How to get press coverage from the best online media outlets How to adequately prepare for a Kickstarter campaign How to make sure you truly understand your value proposition
Links
Belle on Kickstarter Podo Labs Mailshake Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
Connect with Podo Labs
Podo on Facebook @PodoLabs on Twitter @PodoLabs on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined again with Eddie Lee. Eddie, thank you so much for joining us again.
Eddie Lee:
Roy, it’s a pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me again.
Roy Morejon:
Hey, it’s my pleasure. All right. You guys just kicked off your fourth campaign for Podo Labs, Belle. Please tell our audience all about the product and how this idea came to fruition.
Eddie Lee:
Yeah, so Belle is a Bluetooth speaker, and of course, there’s a thousand out there. What makes this special is that it’s a really premium Bluetooth speaker with two unique features. One, it can connect more Bluetooth speakers to it of any brands, and two, it can also function as a dedicated subwoofer with the lowest bass response of any portable speaker.
How it came about was … we were looking for speakers for the office or for ourselves that had really good volume and base, which are … typically, web Bluetooth battery-powered speakers are not good at. And we found that there was nothing really suitable, so what we did was we made something ourselves. This speaker solves the volume problem by being able to connect up to six speakers to combine them all, and then, the bass is … by doing so,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Damien Henning, creator of the Shape Flexer Sunhat. Give it a listen to learn more about how to successfully launch a product on Kickstarter without any previous experience or connections. Shape Flexer: The world's first shape-able sunhat
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to get started when you are launching your first product How to find manufacturers for your product What it looks like to go to Asia and work with manufacturers How to decide if Kickstarter is a good fit for your product How to use your Facebook friends to help gather support for your Kickstarter campaign How to maintain momentum during a 60-day Kickstarter campaign
Links
Shape Flexer Sunhat on Kickstarter Shape Flexer Sunhat on Indiegogo Thunderclap Enventys Partners Joy Tucker Hustle and Flow
Connect with Shape Flexer Sunhat
Shape Flexer on Facebook
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Damien Henning with Shapeshifter. Damien, thank you so much for joining us today.
Damien Henning:
Hey Roy, it’s my pleasure. Thanks a lot for having me.
Roy Morejon:
We just concluded our Kickstarter campaign working together on this one and Shapeshifter being the world’s first shapeable stiff brimmed sun hat. Please tell our audience where this idea started. What’s the back story here?
Damien Henning:
It goes back to my first time I bought a sun hat on one of my first trips abroad back in late 2001. I went to Australia and I was sick of globbing sunscreen on my face all the time and it was so hot and humid there that it would just sweat off the second you put it on. I thought I’m just going to try a sun hat and see how that works. When I bought it it looked great, it didn’t look great but it looked good, the brim looked nice and stiff, it looked like a fedora, I looked like Indiana Jones or Paul Hogan from “Crocodile Dundee.” I was like, “Alright, now I’m a proper Aussie bushman.”
Unfortunately after a little bit of time and surprisingly little time with humidity there and then I washed it a couple times by hand, the shape just started to turn to mush. The stitching was still fine, there was nothing really structurally wrong with ...
Note: This week’s guest on the podcast is the co-founder of Crowd Invest Summit, a conference our host, Roy Morejon, will be attending as a member of a panel September 6 and 7. If you’d like to attend this conference in LA, register here using code RoyMorejon30 for a 30% discount on regular tickets.
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Josef Holm, founder and CEO of Krowdster and co-founder of Crowd Invest Summit. Tune in to learn more about how to make sure your Kickstarter or Indiegogo project hits its funding goal quickly. Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to build an audience on social media before launching a Kickstarter campaign How to use Facebook Ads to promote your Kickstarter campaign Why it’s important to start marketing a crowdfunding project well before you launch How to get results with Facebook Ads How to use a landing page to collect email addresses before you launch your campaign How to stick out amongst all the campaigns launched in Kickstarter and Indiegogo each day
Links
Krowdster #AskGaryVee: One Entrepreneur's Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness by Gary Vaynerchuk Crowd Invest Summit The Profit
Connect with Josef Holm & Krowdster
josef@krowdster.co @josefholm on Twitter Josef Holm on Facebook Josef Holm on LinkedIn @Krowdster on Twitter Krowdster on Facebook
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped start-ups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your start-up to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am honored to be joined with Josef Holm. Josef, thanks so much for being on the show today.
Josef Holm:
Thank you for having me, Roy. It’s my pleasure to be on.
Roy Morejon:
So Josef, you’ve been in the crowdfunding industry almost as long as I have. What’s the backstory? How did you get started in crowdfunding?
Josef Holm:
I got started in crowdfunding right after I got into YouTube, and we decided to launch our crowdfunding platform for YouTube creators called TubeStart, and that went really well for a while. The one thing I learned there, and that was like four and a half, almost five years ago, is that the bigger problem and bigger opportunity in this market is to help people to actually build an audience and reach an audience and do all the online marketing: the press releases,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Antonia Saint Dunbar, creator of Antonia Saint New York, a company that makes beautiful, classic heels and flats that feel like sneakers. Tune in and hear more about how to launch a fashion company on Kickstarter and raise over 1.8 million dollars! High-Tech Heels & Flats that Feel Like Sneakers Inside
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to build a great team for your crowdfunding project How to provide a highly-customized product on Kickstarter How to make the most out of a Kickstarter Live Stream What to know before you launch a fashion project on Kickstarter How to communicate about your product effectively
Links
Antonia Saint New York on Kickstarter By Invitation Only: How We Built Gilt and Changed the Way Millions Shop by Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson The Glitter Plan: How We Started Juicy Couture for $200 and Turned It into a Global Brand by Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose by Tony Hsieh www.antoniasaintny.com
Connect with Antonia Saint New York
Antonia Saint NY on Facebook @AntoniaSaintNY on Twitter @antoniasaintny on Instagram
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full-service, turnkey product development and crowd funding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyers guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts.
Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Antonia Saint Dunbar, the co-founder and creator of the Antonia Saint NY. Antonia, thank you so much for joining us today.
Antonia Saint Dunbar:
Thank you for having me, I’m excited to be here.
Roy Morejon:
So Antonia, you are the co-founder, creator of multiple companies. What is the backstory here
Antonia Saint Dunbar:
Yeah, so the backstory. I think we would have to start with looking at the world through the eyes of being my father’s daughter, really. He was an industrial designer, worked for GM, a chief of design for 30 years. And he was always pointing out design flaws to me. Like, “This chair doesn’t work so well,” or “Look at how that bottle could have been designed differently.” And even taught in his retirement a industrial design class at Center for Creative Studies in Detroit. So I just had this kind of perspective that was unique.
And so back in 2010 when two co-founders of my company other people might know of, it’s called THINX. We actually make period-proof underwear for women. When we were up late at night talking about how women’s underwear sucks and the problems that we face there, it was my father’s DNA that turned alive inside of me and I was just like, “You’re right, it does suck and how could we make it better.” And somehow I just took the lead on creating that product and the seed of the idea that my co-founders had presented me with. A stain-resistant underwear was the idea. And I just built around that and made a product that was anti-microbial and moisture wicking and leak-proof where we needed it and absorbent where we needed it.
This week on Art of the Kickstart, we spoke to Narek Vardanyan, founder of The Crowdfunding Formula and campaign manager for the Volterman smart wallet. Tune in to hear from Narek about what to consider before launching a crowdfunding campaign, how to choose between launching on Kickstarter and Indiegogo and much more! Volterman - World’s Most Powerful Smart Wallet
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What benefits crowdfunding creators get from launching products on Kickstarter or Indiegogo What a campaign creator should consider before launching a crowdfunding campaign How to decide between Kickstarter and Indiegogo Why email subscribers are a critical part of a crowdfunding campaign How the crowdfunding industry is transforming
Links
thecrowdfundingformula.com Volterman on Indiegogo 57 Secrets of Crowdfunding
Connect with Narek & Volterman
The Crowdfunding Formula on Facebook Volterman Smart Wallet on Facebook @VoltermanWallet on Twitter @voltermansmartwallet on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here.
This week on Art of the Kickstart, we have a slightly different type of interview! We spoke with Shawnee Kilgore, a musician whose Kickstarter project gave her the opportunity to work with screenwriter and director Joss Whedon. Tune in to hear more about why Kickstarter is a good fit for musicians, how to prepare to launch an album on Kickstarter and much more! A Long and Precious Road: Shawnee's New Full Length Album!
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why Kickstarter is a good fit for musicians How long it takes to prepare for a music project on Kickstarter How to tell your friends and family about your Kickstarter project in a personal way Why it’s important to be authentic throughout your entire Kickstarter campaign
Links
A Long and Precious Road on Kickstarter The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
Shawnee Kilgore and Joss Whedon - Back to Eden (Official Music Video)
Connect with Shawnee Kilgore
Shawnee Kilgore on Facebook @ShawneeKilgore on Twitter @shawneekilgore on Instagram Shawnee Kilgore on YouTube
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development in crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped start ups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help you take your start up to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Backer Kit and the Gadget Flow. Backer Kit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyers guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts.
Now, let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Shawnee Kilgore. Shawnee, thank you so much for joining us on the podcast today.
Shawnee Kilgore:
Thank you for having me, Roy.
Roy Morejon:
Back in March of 2014, which seems ages ago in the universe of crowdfunding, you launched a campaign for an album, A Long and Precious Road. Let’s talk about where it all began for you.
Shawnee Kilgore:
Well, yeah, it was time to make a new album and it just really wasn’t going to happen unless I was able to do that campaign and get that funding. It was kind of the only way to make it happen. That’s what I did.
Roy Morejon:
How did you get introduced to crowdfunding or Kickstarter?
Shawnee Kilgore:
Well, I had a lot of musician friends. I had seen a lot of people do it. I had backed a lot of projects for other people. So, it was a pretty familiar thing at that time. Definitely just a natural, of course, that’s what’s going to happen. But yeah, a lot of friends and musicians gone before me.
Roy Morejon:
What do you think it takes to make an album or a music project a good fit for the Kickstarter community; because typically they’re lower funding rais...
We joined up with Adrian Solgaard for a second time to talk about his latest Kickstarter campaign! Tune in to learn more about running multiple campaigns, how to build trust with your backers and how to make sure your project is newsworthy. Lifepack Hustle: Solar + Anti-theft backpack & shoulder bag
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How second or third Kickstarter campaigns are different than the first How many repeat backers to expect if you run a second or third crowdfunding campaign How to decide if the market is too saturated for your product How to determine the market size of those who will buy your product How to build trust among your backers How to ensure that your Kickstarter project is newsworthy How to manage feedback and stay engaged with your backers Why it’s important that your Kickstarter project has a story Why you should only launch one product per Kickstarter campaign
Links
Lifepack Hustle on Kickstarter Lifepack on Kickstarter Interlock on Kickstarter
Connect with Lifepack
Lifepack on Facebook @lifepack_bags on Instagram @Solgaard Design on Pinterest @lifepack_bags on Twitter SolgaardDesign on YouTube
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to the ‘Art of the Kickstart’ your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full service turn-key product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We’ve helped start ups raise over a $100 million for our clients, since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your start up to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment, automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by the one and only Adrian Solgaard. Adrian, thank you again for being on our show.
Adrian Solgaard:
Thanks for having me, it’s great to be back.
Roy Morejon:
All right, so we first recorded our only live episode at CES back in January of this year, episode 173 for all of our listeners. You have now launched your third successful Kickstarter campaign, we’ve worked with you on all three of these. Right now you’ve launched the Lifepack Hustle. So let’s talk about how you’ve gone about running a company now in terms of launching your third campaign and managing all of these things together because now you’ve truly built a brand around all these products.
Adrian Solgaard:
Well it’s the … the first campaign that I launched I put my other business on hold which was a marketing agency, I put all my duties on that on hold while I focused a 100% on running the campaign for InterLock and then I did the same thing with launching the last Lifepack and now I’m actually running an active ...
This week on Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Mary Lowe Bailey of BackerKit. Tune into this episode to learn more about how to keep momentum up after a crowdfunding campaign ends and why frequent, transparent communication with your backers post-campaign is crucial. Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What BackerKit can do to help project creators after their campaign ends How to keep a campaign going after your Kickstarter or Indiegogo project ends How to streamline your data as you work toward fulfilling Kickstarter or Indiegogo orders How to handle backers’ inquiries after your crowdfunding campaign ends Why it’s important to be transparent about shipping to your backers Why communicating with your backers frequently is critical
Links
backerkit.com Deep Madness by Dimension Games
Connect with BackerKit
BackerKit on Facebook @BackerKit on Twitter @BackerKit on Instagram greetings@backerkit.com
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service, turn key product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating their operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another addition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am honored to be joined by Mary Lowe with BackerKit. Mary Lowe, thank you so much for being on the podcast today.
Mary Lowe:
Yeah, thanks for having me, Roy.
Roy:
So you are part of the creator outreach team dealing with all of these thousands and thousands of creators that are putting together crowdfunding campaigns, Kickstarters, Indiegogos. You’ve worked with thousands of makers and creators across all these different industries to help bring these projects to life. So if you would, give our audience a little bit of your background, and then a brief description of BackerKit as well.
Mary Lowe:
So basically I work for BackerKit, which is built on the backbone of Kickstarter and Indiegogo. We work with projects that have successfully funded. Basically where we step in is post campaign once they’ve received their funds. They have this really enthusiastic community of backers that want these products and in the process a lot of things come up like people move or people change addresses, they get new credit cards, stuff like that. We basically handle all of that type of stuff and fulfillment details, but it’s like really interesting, so each project we work with has an extremely unique timeline, and I guess delivery in terms of … They have all ...
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with brothers Pete and Mark Ackerman, creators of the Chameleon pack, a backpack that transforms into an ultra-light chair. Tune in to learn more about how the Ackermans were inspired by nature, what challenges they’ve encountered and what advice they have to offer to others crowdfunding a product for the outdoors. The Chameleon Pack: The Most Versatile Backpack in the World
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What design challenges to expect when you are creating a new product Why Kickstarter is a great place to launch a new product Why you need an audience before launching a Kickstarter campaign What kind of feedback you can expect to get from backers Why having a campaign plan and timeline before you launch is important
Links
The Chameleon Pack on Kickstarter The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
Connect with Trailform
Trailform on Facebook @trailform on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m joined by brothers Pete and Mark Ackerman. Gentleman, thank you so much for joining me on Art of the Kickstart this morning.
Pete Ackerman:
Happy to be here Roy, thank you.
Mark Ackerman:
It’s our pleasure, man.
Roy Morejon:
All right, so let’s get started. You guys have an active Kickstarter campaign right now, the Chameleon Pack. This is a genius backpack that turns into a chair. You guys are not only forging new trails out in the industry and out in the wilderness, but also in terms of product design and development. Let’s tell our audience all about the backstory here. Where does this all begin?
Pete Ackerman:
I’ll take that Roy. I guess the short version of it really is, I’ve got an interesting career that allows me basically a three hour lunch break every day. As you probably know, here in Utah, the mountains are just in our backyard, and so it becomes pretty normal to take advantage of that long break and get back up in the mountains and the canyons. Do a lot of hiking, do a lot of hammocking. My brother and I, we work together, Chris, who’s not with us right now. We just love to be able to get up out in the wilderness. It’s funny, as most people know, when you’re on the trail, especially with hammocks and stuff, you’re kind of limited to …
You have to have two trees that are the right distance in order to get as comfortable as you want to get. As we sat there over time, we just talked about how sweet it would be to have the ability to post up wherever we want and eat our lunch and hang out. Sometimes the best views don’t have the rocks and the trees and the things you want to be able to chill for a while. One day I came home, I had a day pack, and I had one of those ultra light chairs, and started playing around, and came up with this concept of trying to be able to, essentially carry your load and take your load off wherever you want to go. From there, we designed the Chameleon Pack, and it’s been awesome. We’re super excited to see what happens and where this thing goes.
Roy Morejon:
This is the first product that you guys have ever brought to market,
For this week’s episode of Art of the Kickstart we spoke with Kinsey Cronin, Director of Business Development at StartEngine. Learn more about how StartEngine is making it easier than ever to raise funds or invest through equity crowdfunding. Key Takeaways
How StartEngine is streamlining equity crowdfunding How Regulation Crowdfunding has made it even easier for companies to raise funds through equity crowdfunding Why your biggest equity crowdfunding challenge may be finding time to manage a campaign How the StartEngine Index is tracking equity crowdfunding industry trends What current equity crowdfunding trends StartEngine is seeing
Links
StartEngine How Remarkable Women Lead
Connect with StartEngine
StartEngine on Facebook @StartEngineLA on Twitter StartEngine on LinkedIn @startenginela on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full-service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyers’ guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined with Kinsey Cronin, the Director of Business Development at StartEngine. Kinsey, thank you so much for joining us.
Kinsey Cronin:
Happy to be here.
Roy Morejon:
Let’s talk a little bit about StartEngine. Can you tell me a little bit about how you got involved with StartEngine and what StartEngine is doing these days?
Kinsey Cronin:
Sure. StartEngine is an equity crowdfunding platform. It’s a funding portal under regulation crowdfunding and an intermediary under regulation A+, and I’m using the word regulation because we are helping companies raise capital in return for investment in the company. It’s not a rewards-based campaign platform.
Roy Morejon:
How are you guys going about streamlining the investment process for startups looking to do equity crowdfunding?
Kinsey Cronin:
It’s actually really easy for investors to find and invest in companies on our platform. Actually, yesterday, I met somebody who has invested in three campaigns on our platform, and he did not own a computer, has never owned a computer. He’s done the entire thing from his phone. In his case, he learned about the first one from an advertisement. Now he gets our emails about once a week with a list of everything we have on the platform, and he just clicks and it doesn’t take much for an investor to participate.
For this week’s episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Patrick and Margarita Vacanti, two entrepreneurs who put a literal twist on the typical wine glass by adding a spiral that catches sediment to bring out red wine’s best flavors. Tune in to learn more about how they designed these glasses, how they used Kickstarter Live to their advantage and much more. The Spirale™ Wine Glass
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to collect useful feedback about your product before launching it on Kickstarter How to handle product design challenges How doing a livestream on Kickstarter can give your campaign a boost Why it’s important to stay authentic on Kickstarter Why launching a project on Kickstarter takes serious commitment
Links
The Spirale™ Wine Glass on Kickstarter https://vacanti.com/ A Handmaid’s Tale Never Pay Retail for College
Connect with Vacanti
Vacanti Wine Glasses on Facebook @VacantiGlass on Twitter @vacantiwineglasses on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped start-ups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010.
Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your start-up to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyers’ guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts.
Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy:
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am being joined with Margarita and Patrick Vacanti. Thank you so much for joining us
Margarita:
You’re welcome.
Patrick:
Thank you Roy.
Roy:
So, we have created the Vacanti Wine Glass, please tell our audience all about this unique product.
Margarita:
I can just take that one Pat. So the Vacanti Wine Glass, the unique thing about the Spirale Wine Glass is it really changes the way you experience red wines because as many people experience with red wine you can end up with that sediment at the end of your last glass that gives you the bitter run up.
And what’s really unique about the Spirale is that we have a corkscrew feature in the bottom of the bowl that enables the sediment to settle down into that and because of the way it’s uniquely shaped, when you tilt the glass you don’t get the sediment.
Sediment is something that you find in fine wines or in regular bottles. When we first encountered it, it was just a Thursday night at home enjoying a bottle of red wine, and we tend to open a bottle, pour, and enjoy, and don’t really think too much about whether or not there is going to be sediment. So, it was a situation where it was just a casual evening togeth...
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Vin Clancy, experienced entrepreneur, growth hacker, speaker and successful crowdfunding creator. Tune in to learn more about how to make Facebook work for you, different strategies for growing your audience and much more! Key Takeaways
How Facebook groups can help you reach more people What growth hacking is and how it can help build an audience How a Facebook group can be better than a blog How to decide if building a community through a Facebook group is the right choice for your business When cold emailing is the best way to build an audience How to use viral campaigns to build an audience
Links
vinclancy.com Traffic and Copy Facebook Group Vin’s Kickstarter Campaign QueueAt The 48 Laws of Power
Connect with Vin
@vincentdignan on Twitter @successallday on Instagram
A Special Offer from Vin If you enjoyed this interview with Vin Clancy, you can get "The ONE secret to getting your posts seen on Facebook (+ 26 secret hacks of the Facebook algorithm)” ebook for free here: Http://growthclub.us/Facebooksecrets
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You’ll find out why posting times are very over-rated as a metric, as well as the lazy thing you do about 50% of the time which kills your reach.
Note: Everything is correct at the time of writing this (last week) - the Facebook algorithm changes often, so use these tactics while they're still fresh.
In addition, anyone who signs up to receive the ebook will get Vin’s “How To Do a Successful Kickstarter” webinar (normally $99) for free if they email cris@vinclancy.com with the subject line "Kickstarter plz" and the email they used to sign up for the Facebook secrets eBook. Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turn key product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010.
Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyers guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now lets get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart, today I’m joined by Vin Clancy. Vin, thank you so much for joining us.
Vin Clancy:
It is my pleasure in the deepest recesses of my heart to be here.
Roy Morejon:
Well, I know our audience is certainly going to enjoy this one. Let’s talk about where your marketing background started fr...
This week on Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Jeff Sheldon of Ugmonk, creator of Gather, a minimal, modular desk organizer. Tune in to learn more about how he funded in just 47 minutes and what he did leading up to his Kickstarter campaign for it to become such a success. Gather: The minimal, modular organizer that cuts clutter
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why it’s important to have a loyal, captive audience well in advance of launching a Kickstarter project How to let your product evolve to create something your audience will love How to decide if Kickstarter is the right approach for your product How to manage backer feedback on Kickstarter How to get the #1 spot on Product Hunt What to know about industrial design when designing a product for Kickstarter Why your Kickstarter video needs to be good
Links
Gather on Kickstarter Ugmonk.com/gather Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown The Purple Cow by Seth Godin
Connect with Ugmonk
@ugmonk on Instagram @ugmonk on Twitter Ugmonk on Facebook
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped start ups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your start up to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Backer Kit and the Gadget Flow. Backer Kit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyers’ guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Jeff Sheldon of Ugmonk. Jeff, thank you so much for joining us on the show today.
Jeff Sheldon:
Sure. Thanks for having me on.
Roy Morejon:
So Jeff, you have created a product called Gather, the minimal modular organizer that cuts clutter. Please tell our audience all about your awesome product and the backstory on creating this killer product.
Jeff Sheldon:
Yeah. Well, it’s been a long process to get to this point, but the response to the Kickstarter so far has been blowing all my expectations away. Gather is basically a desk organizer that’s completely customizable and made from premium materials, something that actually looks nice when its sitting on your desk as opposed to being an eyesore or being some cheap kind of office organizer. And I designed it for myself through … over the course of the last three years, kind of on and off working on prototypes and refining it and getting to the point where it’s finally ready for production. Then, when I launched it, there was obviously my audience and then a lot of people outside of even the Ugmonk audience that are backing it and enjoyi...
This week on Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Patrick Hohmann of Werenbach, and learned more about his Kickstarter campaign for a collection of watches made from original rocket material. Tune in to learn more about creating a new watch, why your pre-launch campaign is important and why you need a team to support your crowdfunding efforts. Watches built from spaceborne rockets.
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to modify your product to make it feasible to offer on Kickstarter How long it takes to plan for a crowdfunding campaign Why you need a good team working on your Kickstarter campaign Why the pre-launch part of a Kickstarter project is so important How a sense of urgency and limited quantities can help your crowdfunding project
Links
Werenbach on Kickstarter https://werenbach.ch/
Connect with Werenbach
Werenbach on Facebook @werenbach on Instagram @Werenbach on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service, turn key product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients, since 2010.
Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startups to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment, by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts.
Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another addition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by Patrick Hohmann, with the Werenbach.
Patrick, thank you so much for joining us.
Patrick Hohmann:
Yes, thank you for inviting me to the interview.
Roy Morejon:
So, you have created something truly unique. You have created a watch that is built from a space-borne rocket. And not just any rocket, this has come from the mother of all space rockets. Please, tell our audience what the back story is and how this all began.
Patrick Hohmann:
That’s a big story. Well, I mean, it is exactly what you said. I use real space rockets to create watches, and for this I traveled to Kazakhstan, to collect the debris from the first stages of the rocket, which fall back into the city. And then I take this material, I bring it back to Switzerland, and I cut it into pieces to fit into a watch as a dial. [crosstalk 00:02:15] That places a real piece of space rocket on your wrist.
Roy Morejon:
Yeah, it’s truly beautifully crafted and obviously a lot has gone into this. In terms of when you’re creating these watches, I mean, where did this idea come from? What’s the backstory there?
Patrick Hohmann:
That was really, some inspiration. I was always fascinated by owning a speed monster and I didn’t want to pay so much money for ...
This week on Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Dave Winkler and Ed Cummings about how they built a better water bottle and launched it on Kickstarter. Tune in to learn more about designing a new Internet of Things product, using Kickstarter backer feedback to improve your product and much more! AquaGenie: The World's Smartest Water Bottle
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to combine form and function when deciding what features to include in a product How to know if crowdfunding is a good fit for you How to facilitate feedback from your Kickstarter backers How to build up a community or audience around your product
Links
AquaGenie on Kickstarter theaquagenie.com Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore
Connect with AquaGenie
AquaGenie on Facebook @theaquagenie on Twitter @theaquagenie on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010.
Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and The Gadget Flow.
BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster.
The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts.
Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined by Dave Winkler and Ed Cummings with AquaGenie. Dave and Ed, thank you so much for joining me.
Ed Cummings:
Great to be here.
Dave Winkler:
Thanks, Roy. Thanks for having us on.
Roy Morejon:
All right. So you guys launched a campaign recently, the AquaGenie, the world’s smartest water bottle. Tell our audience where it all starts. What’s the backstory here?
Dave Winkler:
Sure. So this starts actually a few years ago, when me and one of my co-founders were sitting around talking and trying to understand how we can get in better shape, how we can get in better health. And we dug into the research around it, because we’re kind of technical sciency guys and we thought, let’s understand what the factors are. And it turns out that water and hydration is a huge component in many aspects of health. And so we thought, well this is good, this is something we can tackle. We set out to design a product around solving that problem. It started with us wanting to feel better about us, but then we realized that it had many applications to many other things.
Ed Cummings:
In fact, what we really found when we looked into it, is that a majority of American people don’t drink enough water period, whether it’s for weight loss or just mental acuity,
Seva Mouler and the team behind the Solar Wallet set out to take an object most people use everyday - the wallet - and update it for the 21st century. Tune in to learn more about how to design a product and launch it on Kickstarter. World's 1st smart wallet with solar + USB charge & tracking
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to use choose the best features for your product How to decide if Kickstarter is the right choice for your product Why Facebook Ads are so critical to a Kickstarter projects’ success Why it’s important to really understand the Kickstarter platform before you launch How to get design feedback before you launch on Kickstarter
Links
Solar Wallet on Kickstarter Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing by Roger Dooley Equity Crowdfunding Through Indiegogo LuccaBozzi.com
Connect with Solar Wallet
Lucca Bozzi on Facebook @lucca_bozzi on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top, full service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyers guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined with Seva Mouler with the Solar Wallet. Seva, thank you so much for joining us.
Seva Mouler:
Thanks for having me, Roy.
Roy Morejon:
You have created the world’s first smart wallet with USB and solar charge. Tell us, where did this all begin? What’s the backstory here?
Seva Mouler:
Well, about a year ago I was in China and I was completely shocked by how many people had battery banks in their hands walking around. Just about everybody just had a huge power bank in their hands walking around, to the bars, on a taxi, wherever, and I realized that time is going to come soon. What’s happening now is as phones become more capable, obviously, processors become more efficient, but the … Basically, kind of how Moore’s Law works is, the gist of it I would say is the phones and the devices are getting thinner, but the progress of the battery is just not keeping up with that. It’s a huge problem.
Obviously, energy’s a huge problem, so people are going to start carrying around, just like China now, a bunch of batteries, a bunch of external batteries, which a lot of people are already, but I don’t think that the US has caught up just yet. I realized that hey, what’s a way to kind of integrate having a battery,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Paul and Julian of Ace Marks about what they’ve learned from running two successful Kickstarter campaigns - including one that raised over $1.2 million. Listen to learn more about how to create the perfect crowdfunding video and how to handle backer comments and feedback, along with their top advice for other fashion and shoe campaigns hoping to break that million-dollar mark. Handcrafted Dress Shoes Reinvented for the Modern Gentleman
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to use crowdfunding to narrow down your product line’s focus How long it takes to prepare for a successful crowdfunding product How to make the perfect Kickstarter video How to reach those who have never backed a crowdfunding project before Why transparency is key to a successful crowdfunding campaign How to respond to Kickstarter comments and handle backer feedback How to use Kickstarter to create a global community surrounding your product How to decide what to offer as Kickstarter stretch goals
Links
Ace Marks on Kickstarter Ace Marks on Indiegogo acemarks.com The Alchemist
Connect with Ace Marks
Ace Marks on Facebook @acemarks on Twitter @acemarksshoes on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Backer Kit and The Gadget Flow. Backer Kit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am excited because I am joined by Paul and Julian with Ace Marks. Paul, Julian, thank you so much for joining us on Art of the Kickstart.
Paul:
Thanks for having us Roy.
Julian:
Yeah, thank you. Pleasure.
Roy Morejon:
You guys just crushed your second campaign, raised over 1.2 million dollars for your killer Italian hand-crafted dress shoes. Please tell our audience where this all began. What’s the backstory?
Paul:
Sure. I’ve actually been making shoes for a very long time. My family’s been in the business for about 30 or so years right now. Luxury shoes is kind of what we’ve always done. A few years ago I decided to move away from our traditional wholesale model and go into men’s shoes because I saw that there was a real lack in the market in terms of quality and value for what you’re getting at especially that two to $300 price point.
I chose to go the direct to consumer model.
This week on Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Adnan Butt, creator of the Titanium Series Knives. Learn more about how Kickstarter can help to launch a new product and how to build a successful product! Titanium - Placing value in your hands
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why Kickstarter can be a great way to launch a new product line What types of feedback to expect to hear from backers How to prepare for a crowdfunding project
Links
Titanium Series Knives on Kickstarter Titanium Series Knives on Indiegogo http://www.sternsteiger.com/
Connect with Titanium Series Knives
@Sternsteiger on Twitter Sternsteiger Stahlwaren GmbH on Facebook
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top, full-service, turn-key product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world.
We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Backer Kit and The Gadget Flow. Backer Kit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyers guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts.
Now let’s get on with the show.
Roy Morejon:
… Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by Adnan with Titanium Knives. Adnan, thank you so much for joining us on Art of the Kickstart.
Adnan Butt:
Thank you so much.
Roy Morejon:
Alright, so we recently just finished your inaugural Kickstarter campaign, raised almost $200,000 American, over 2000 percent funded, now the campaign just shifted to Indiegogo InDemand. Please give our audience a little bit of background about the product and the company itself.
Adnan Butt:
Ah, yes, it has been an amazing campaign so far, and we have been very much thankful to our backers. [inaudible 00:01:51] And we have been very much … It’s been a tremendous response for the products, for the brand and for all the stuff that we are presenting.
Actually the products as you see from the name of Titanium Knives, it’s a very unique knife. We are … we present this special product because it’s different than others.
Its uniqueness because of the titanium quality and the product itself [inaudible 00:02:31] We are into this [inaudible 00:02:32] but in a very short time, we have achieved a lot. The brand itself, the company, Sternsteiger, and the persons [inaudible 00:02:43] So we have been doing … It’s been a very different [inaudible 00:02:51]
So this particular product, the second gen of the Titanium Knives, is actually … Was just a breakthrough.
Basically, the first generation of the Titan, we had developed a product, but [inaudible 00:03:26] We were thinking that it must be more better.
Roy Morejon:
Beautiful.
So, I know that the Sternsteiger brand is very young, ambitious, and obviously fast-growing. You know, what I found unique was the fact that you guys are manufacturing these products in the City of Blades, in Germany, Solingen. What’s the story there?
Adnan Butt:
Well it’s a very traditional city. It’s traditional people. Mostly in Europe, especially in Germany, are more traditional to their brands as well. So, at the start of [inaudible 00:05:32]
We’ve been trying very hard. We’ve been doing it in a more traditional and modern way to present the brand with these products. So the people are amazed by the products and then they like...
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Mandu Dragos of Dagadam Watches. Learn more about how he designed the product, how he found manufacturers and how he found so much success on Kickstarter Dagadam Watch - Think Beyond
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How a product can change throughout the design process How long it takes to design a smart watch What to expect when you travel to China to find manufacturers How to decide if crowdfunding is right for your project Why patience is key to a successful crowdfunding campaign
Links
Dagadam Watch on Kickstarter http://dagadam.com/ Steve Jobs by Walker Isaacson
Connect with Dagadam
Dagadam on Facebook @dagadamtech on Instagram @DagadamTech on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art Of The Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped start ups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010.
Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your start up to the next level with crowdfunding. Art Of The Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Backer Kit and The Gadget Flow. Backer Kit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster.
The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now lets get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art Of The Kickstart. Today I am joined by Mandu Dragos with the Dagadam Watch. Mandu, thank you so much for joining us today.
Mandu Dragos :
Hello Roy, thank you so much for having me here.
Roy Morejon:
So I love this technology, you guys have created the world’s first round, functional, curved touch bezel smart watch with an AI-based system notification center. Compatible obviously with both Android and IOS. So you guys have an active Kickstarter campaign that we’re working on. Raised over a 100K, got a few hundred backers on it. Please tell our audience, where does this product start? What’s the backstory?
Mandu Dragos :
Yeah so, first of all I want to tell all of the guys who listen to us that I’m not a native English speaker so maybe I will have some mistakes, forgive me for that.
The backstory is, we started three years ago and we didn’t think anything like is out today, was only the app was an app like the notification center. And you receive all the things that you are, are important for you. So for example, you have a CNN app or something like, I don’t know, maybe other news app. You like very much the technology stuff but not other things. The application would sent you notifications with the technology ones in the top.
So the mainly was to learn your behavior on social media and on the internet. And from that start, we was thinking to make it a little bit achievable. So we started thinking to do like a phone.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we speak with Joel Paglione of Levitating X. Learn more about designing a beautiful product and how to use your Kickstarter page to create a successful campaign! LEVITATING X: Levitate Everything
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to use past Kickstarter campaigns as inspiration for new products How to enlist Kickstarter backers to help make your product better What to focus on when writing your Kickstarter page What to keep in mind as you’re designing a product How to create a winning campaign
Links
Levitating X on Kickstarter http://levitatingx.com/ Four-Hour Work Week
Connect with Levitating X
Levitating X on Facebook @levitatingx on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit and the Gadget Flow. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by Joel Paglione with the Levitating X. Joel, thank you so much for joining us today.
Joel Paglione:
Hey Roy, thanks for having me, I appreciate it.
Roy Morejon:
You launched a Kickstarter campaign a few weeks ago. You and I met in person at the International Home and Houseware Show in your hometown of Chicago. Let’s talk about the campaign and where everything started for you. What’s the backstory on Levitating X?
Joel Paglione:
Sure, yeah. I grew up in Canada. I went to engineering school, finished my MBA and really my journey in entrepreneurship started back in 2008 when I started working for a defense contractor who recruited me to Chicago. We were building MRAPs and armored vehicles for the US military and other militaries of our allies around the world. During the wartimes a lot of our team we were working on some of the most important military programs out there in terms of Afghan war, Iraq war and really changed the face of that war with this vehicle that a lot of our team had a firsthand in designing, including me, which was the MRAP. It was an armored vehicle with a V-shaped hull that would diffuse the energy of an IED or an underground mine under the vehicle. Previous armored vehicles had a flat hull, so when you ran over an IED it would be detrimental to the vehicle and to the soldiers and war fighters that were inside.
Whereas, our V-shaped hull would diffuse the energy and tip the vehicle over,
For this week’s episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Anine Kirsten of Nimuno Loops. Tune in to learn more about preparing for an Indiegogo campaign, what happens when your campaign goes viral and how to handle massive amounts of backer feedback. Nimuno Loops - The Toy Block Tape
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What types of challenges to expect as you’re getting ready for a crowdfunding campaign How to decide if crowdfunding is the right choice for you What happens when your crowdfunding project goes viral on Reddit How to get your Indiegogo project covered by the top media outlets How to handle immense amounts of Indiegogo backer feedback How to best set up your Indiegogo perks
Links
Nimuno on Indiegogo Toy Fair
Connect with Nimuno Loops
Nimuno Loops on Twitter Nimuno Loops on Facebook
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons, and pledge upgrades, or begin accepting preorders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2,000 projects and 4 million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit backerkit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am honored to be joined by Anine Kirsten, with Nimuno Loops. Anine, thank you so much for joining us today.
Anine Kirsten:
Hi.
Roy Morejon:
This is an awesome, awesome crowdfunding campaign. Really honored to be speaking with you. I know you and your partner, Max, are professional industrial designers, based down in Cape Town. You came up with this product, basically got it on the homepage of Reddit, which is the internet’s traffic, if you will. Campaign has raised over $1.3 million. Super, super successful. Let’s talk about this project, let’s have a little bit of fun with our audience and talk about, where does this all start besides you being a kid and playing with Legos?
Anine Kirsten:
A buddy of mine actually came up with the seed that planted all of this in New York. We were walking around, and he was like, “Why is nobody making tape for toy bricks?” I was like, “Holy moly, that’s a great idea.” Then took the idea back to Cape Town with me,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Mike Filbey of ButcherBox, a campaign for a subscription meat service that raised over $200,000 in 2015. Tune in to learn more about how to ensure your first day on Kickstarter is successful, how to get the best ROI out of your Kickstarter marketing and much more. ButcherBox: Open your door to healthy, 100% grass-fed beef
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to use Kickstarter to test the market How to use LinkedIn to find people to back your project on day 1 What it looks like to have a successful first day on Kickstarter How to decide between Kickstarter and Indiegogo How to stay focused when running a crowdfunding campaign How to determine pricing for rewards What marketing tactics can get you the biggest ROI How to launch a subscription service out of a Kickstarter campaign
Links
ButcherBox.com ButcherBox on Kickstarter Traction by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Connect with ButcherBox
ButcherBox on Facebook @butcher_box on Instagram @butcherbox on Twitter ButcherBox on Pinterest
Note: Use code Kickstart for $20 off! Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons, and pledge upgrades or begin accepting preorders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2,000 projects and four million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit backerkit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome projects. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by Mike Filbey with The ButcherBox. Mike, thank you so much for joining us.
Mike Filbey:
Thanks for having me, Roy.
Roy Morejon:
You guys crowdfunded a subscription-based, grass-fed beef delivery system last fall of 2015, overfunded your goal hundreds of percent, raised over $200,000. Tell our audience what the product’s all about and why you guys used crowdfunding.
Mike Filbey:
ButcherBox ships 100% grass-fed beef, organic chicken and pork in the mail. All the products are free of antibiotics and hormones, shipped right to your door nationally. We used Kickstarter because we wanted to not give away a bunch of equity,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we speak to Josh Yank of Yank Technologies, creator of the MotherBox wireless charger. Learn more about the process of creating a new tech product, his advice for launching on Indiegogo and much more. The MotherBox - TRUE Wireless Charging
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to determine what features to include in a new tech product How to handle a communication bottleneck within your team How to decide if crowdfunding is the best way to launch your product How to prepare for a crowdfunding campaign How a crowdfunding project can help you make deals with other businesses How press coverage can impact your campaign What to expect when you launch a crowdfunding project
Links
MotherBox on Indiegogo www.yanktechnologies.com
Connect with MotherBox
Yank Technologies on Instagram Yank Technologies on Facebook Yank Technologies on Twitter Yank Technologies on LinkedIn Yank Technologies on YouTube
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons and pledge upgrades, or begin accepting pre-orders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2,000 projects and four million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit backerkit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyers’ guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined by Josh Yank with The MotherBox. Josh, thank you so much for joining us.
Josh Yank:
Thank you very much for having me.
Roy Morejon:
Josh, you are a self-taught electrical and software engineer, and you’ve launched this product that is truly wireless charging. Please tell our audience all about The MotherBox.
Josh Yank:
Yeah. I also work with a very fantastic team, really capable of doing this. We developed the first product that really wirelessly charges your device. There’s no contact required. It’s truly wireless. You can just move your devices within the proximity of the product and it charges.
We view technology today as a really sexy Ferrari that’s really low on gas. It’s beautiful and amazing but really limited to its true potential, what it really could be.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we speak to Jacob Flood of Mindset Headphones. Learn more about his time as part of the HAX accelerator, why he took his project to Kickstarter and what you can learn from his crowdfunding project. Mindset: smart headphones that improve your concentration
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to decide if a project is a good fit for Kickstarter How to prepare for a crowdfunding campaign What it’s like to be a part of the HAX Accelerator How to build a community around your product What to expect when you launch on Kickstarter
Links
Mindset Headphones on Kickstarter http://www.thinkmindset.com/ HAX Tools of Titans The Fountainhead
Connect with Mindset
@Mindsetoftheday on Twitter Mindset Headphones on Facebook
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcriptRoy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons, and pledge upgrades, or begin accepting pre-orders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2,000 projects and 4 million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit backerkit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by Jacob Flood, with the Mindset project. Jacob, thank you so much for joining us.
Jacob Flood:
Hey Roy, thanks for having me.
Roy Morejon:
All right, so Mindset. You guys are killing it right now on Kickstarter with your active campaign, the smart headphones that improve your concentration. I know our audience is going to be really excited to hear about this. I know we’re all super distracted every single day in our office environment or work environments. Where does this all begin, what’s the back story?
Jacob Flood:
Thanks for the compliments. Campaign’s going pretty good so far. Back story for myself would be I spent about two years in university and researched, essentially, cognitive habits. Stuff that you could do and change in the way that you work in order to be more productive. That means fitness for improving cognition, nutrition elements, smart drugs you can take, some psychology tricks that you can apply to the way you organize your work in order to be more productive.
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Jake Fisher of Crowdfund Research. Tune in to learn more about the benefits of equity crowdfunding and what to look for in a campaign before you invest. Key Takeaways
What to look for in an equity crowdfunding project before investing The biggest benefits equity crowdfunding offers to entrepreneurs What makes a project a good fit for equity crowdfunding What companies should do before launching an equity crowdfunding project How equity crowdfunding has changed over the past several years
Links
Crowdfund Research JOBS Act Y Combinator Venture Deals by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson
Connect with Crowdfund Research
@ResearchCf on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons, and pledge upgrades or begin accepting pre-orders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2,000 projects and 4 million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on our Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit backerkit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more visit thegadgetflow.com. Let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by Jake Fisher with Crowdfund Research. Jake, thank you so much for joining us.
Jake Fisher:
Thank you for having me, Roy.
Roy Morejon:
All right. Jake, so we’re going to take a little turn on this episode of Art of the Kickstart and talk about equity crowdfunding. I know a lot of our audience has been looking into it. It’s getting more publicity, more press here locally, especially in the United States. Talk to us a little bit about what Crowdfund Research is.
Jake Fisher:
Crowdfund Research is a site that me and a few colleagues, a combination of venture capitalists, angels, startup lawyers, we kind of came together and saw the opportunity in equity crowdfunding as it kind of has emerged over the last handful of months, ever since the JOBS effect went into place. We were seeing issues with crowdfunding and we were seeing opportunities with crowdfunding. As always, there’s always ways of doing things better and we were looking for how we can help and make crowdfunding better not only for startups, but for investors as well. We kind of focused on the investor side of lookin...
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Kasper Petersen of Labfresh, a new line of odor-, stain- and wrinkle-repellent shirts. Tune in to learn more about launching a new product and how to create a successful Kickstarter project. LABFRESH - Odor, Stain & Wrinkle Repellent Cotton Shirt
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to handle pricing challenges How launching with crowdfunding can help you acquire venture capital How using Kickstarter Live can help you get more pledges What type of content to offer when livestreaming on Kickstarter How to create a good Kickstarter video
Links
Labfresh on Kickstarter http://www.labfresh.eu/ Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
Connect with LabFresh
Labfresh on Facebook @Labfreshh on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by Backerkit, Backerkit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment, by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons and pledge upgrades or begin accepting pre orders, Backerkit makes it simple.
Over 2,000 projects and 4 million backers have used Backerkit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try Backerkit? Visit Backerkit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top, full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world.
We have helped raised over 70 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your start up to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome projects. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyers guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more visit the Gadgetflow.com, now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart! Today I am joined by Kasper Peterson with the LABFRESH.
Kasper, thanks for joining us
Kasper Petersen:
Thanks for inviting me Roy.
Roy Morejon:
Okay, so LABFRESH, this was a very successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter in odor and stain-repellent cotton shirt. Kasper, give us the story.
Kasper Petersen:
Yeah, the story is that; like a lot of other men I was in a previous job forced to wear a shirt and a tie and a suit everyday, and I ended up working, not in Denmark where I’m from, where its very cold and you don’t sweat that much but I ended up working in the middle east in Africa and Asia. So I was very much used to always having a second shirt in my backpack … then during my previous start up we stumbled upon some very smart scientists in Paris, who was working on this technology and we thought that we wanted to use our commercial acumen to bring it to the market.
Roy Morejon:
So this technology, this INDUO, tell our audience what that’s all about.
Kasper Petersen:
This week on Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Eddie Lee of Podo Labs about his latest Kickstarter project, Jack. Listen in to hear what he’s learned from running multiple Kickstarter campaigns, including the benefits of launching on Kickstarter and how to make your Kickstarter project successful. Make Any Headphones Wireless - Jack by Podo Labs
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What to do when you’re new to marketing and retail Benefits of working with a hardware accelerator How to decide if a new product idea is a good fit for your company How to take advantage of Kickstarter’s features to help your campaign fund How to manage expectations on Kickstarter
Links
Jack on Kickstarter http://podolabs.com/ http://highway1.io/ The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Connect with Jack
Podo on Facebook @PodoLabs on Twitter @podolabs on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons and pledge upgrades, or begin accepting preorders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2,000 projects and four million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit backerkit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more visit thegadgetflow.com. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am honored to be joined by Edmond Lee with Podo Labs. Edmond, thank you so much for joining us.
Eddie Lee:
Thanks for having me here Roy.
Roy Morejon:
You guys are serial Kickstarters, you guys kicked butt with your first campaign, doubled it on your second campaign. Now you guys are active and back at it again with your third campaign, which is probably going to be your most successful to date. Please tell our audience all about Podo Labs and where it all got started.
Eddie Lee:
Yeah. Podo Labs was founded by three guys out of the University of California, Berkeley. Our first product was a camera. The three of us, we’re really good friends, we’d be hanging out and we can never be in the same picture together, the three of us, somebody will be left out. If we did get a picture together on Jay’s DSLR, we have to wait till we go home, connect to a computer, it’s a pain in the butt.
We invented the first product,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interview Randy Hollister of Growler Chill! Tune in to learn more about how he was inspired to create a household countertap, how he built up an email list and what advice he has for future crowdfunders. GROWLER CHILL: Keeps 3 Growlers Cold, Fresh & On Tap at Home
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to use events, festivals and expos to build up your email list What to do before you launch in order to hit your goal on the first day How to use focus groups to build a great product How to partner with other businesses to promote your Kickstarter project How to reach large numbers of potential backers How to use Kickstarter backer feedback
Links
Growler Chill on Kickstarter https://www.growlerchill.com/ Cigar City Brewing The Lean Startup The Wright Brothers
Connect with Growler Chill
Growler Chill on Facebook @GrowlerChill on Twitter @growlerchill on Instagram Growler Chill on LinkedIn
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, clic Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons, and pledge upgrades, or begin accepting pre-orders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2,000 projects and 4 million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit backerkit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over 70 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more visit thegadgetflow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Randy Hollister, with the Growler Chill. Randy, thank you so much for joining us today.
Randy Hollister:
Hey, it’s a pleasure to be here, thank you.
Roy Morejon:
All right. This Growler Chill is kind of the current trending topic on Kickstarter. You guys have created this household counter trap for growlers. Now, I know our community is a lot of beer drinkers out there, so please tell our audience where did this start and what’s the back story on this product?
Randy Hollister:
Well the whole idea is it’s a product that’ll keep three craft beer growlers cold, fresh and on tap right on your countertop. It started, I have a millennial age son who was looking for something like a kegerator, but for growlers. Couldn’t find it. Called me up one day … Well, a year ago, Father’s Day, and said, “Hey dad,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Ranjith Babu and Akshita Iyer of Inirv. Learn more about how there were inspired to create the Inirv React, what they’ve learned about product development, how to Kickstart a product and much more. Inirv React: Make Your Home Smarter and Safer
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What to do when you have a basic prototype and need a final product How to handle challenges that arise during product development How to know if crowdfunding is the right way to launch your product The benefits of launching a product on Kickstarter What you can expect to get out of exhibiting at CES Tips for exhibiting at CES
Links
http://inirv.com/ Inirv on Kickstarter The Lean Startup by Eric Ries Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
Connect with Inirv
Inirv on Facebook Inirv on Twitter Inirv on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons and pledge upgrades, or begin accepting pre-orders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over two thousand projects and four million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit BackerKit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top, full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over 70 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit TheGadgetFlow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by the founders of Inirv React, Akshita and Ranjith. Thank you so much for joining us.
Ranjith Babu:
Thanks for having us.
Roy Morejon:
You guys are a unique product for us here at Enventys Partners. You are our first product to go through and use all of the different elements of our new product development launch agency. It’s an honor to have you guys not only be a client, but be on Art of the Kickstart, so thank you guys again for joining us.
Akshita Iyer:
Yeah, thank you, appreciate it.
Roy Morejon:
We have an active campaign right now on Kickstarter, done over six figures, doing really well with it. Let’s talk about where this idea came from. Where did it all start? What’s the backstory?
Akshita Iyer:
Ranjith previously co-funded a biotech company,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Phillip Yip of MonkeyLectric about his latest Kickstarter project, Monkey Light Automatic. Tune in for helpful tips and insights into how to make a product better using customer feedback, how to use livestreaming to boost your Kickstarter campaign and much more! Monkey Light Automatic: Our Best Bike Lights Yet
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to bring an idea for a product to life How to use customer feedback to improve a product How to use Kickstarter’s tools to interact with your backers How to prepare for a Kickstarter livestream Why you need an audience before launching a campaign on Kickstarter
Links
Monkey Lights on Kickstarter Pre-order Monkey Lights http://www.monkeylectric.com/
Connect with MonkeyLectric
MonkeyLectric on Facebook MonkeyLectric on Pinterest @monkeylectric on Instagram @MonkeyLectric on Twitter MonkeyLectric on YouTube
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click he
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons, and pledge upgrades, or begin accepting pre-orders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2,000 projects and four million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit BackerKit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit TheGadgetFlow.com. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined with Phillip Yip. Phillip, thank you so much for joining us today.
Phillip Yip:
Thanks for having me.
Roy Morejon:
Phillip, you ran a campaign recently, the Monkey Light. Tell our audience all about the Monkey Light.
Phillip Yip:
It’s our next generation of Monkey Lights. They’re fully automatic in that, after you install them on your bicycle, they turn on automatically when your wheel spins and when it’s dark enough outside. They are our most convenient lights ever and what we believe the most convenient way to keep your bike lit up at night to keep you visible and enhance safety.
Roy Morejon:
There’s usually a good backstory with a lot of the entrepreneurs that we talk with about producing products that fit a need. Obviously bike safety is a massive concern with more and more people using alternative modes of transportation.
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we met up with Adrian Solgaard, creator of Lifepack and Interlock, at CES! Tune in to learn more about how to build a successful product, how to avoid challenges that often come from overfunding and how to make the most of your time at CES. Lifepack: Solar Powered & Anti-Theft Backpack
The InterLock™ - The Lock that Hides Inside of Your Bike
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why building credibility with your backers is the most important aspect of crowdfunding How to avoid challenges that come from overfunding What kinds of issues you may run into when you begin manufacturing Where crowdfunders should spend their time at CES When to launch a crowdfunding campaign How to get feedback on a product before you launch it
Links
Lifepack on Kickstarter Interlock on Kickstarter getlifepack.com Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield
Connect with Solgaard Designs
Lifepack on Facebook @lifepack_bags on Instagram @Solgaard Design on Pinterest @lifepack_bags on Twitter SolgaardDesign on YouTube
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons and pledge upgrades, or begin accepting pre-orders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2000 projects and four million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit backerkit.com and sign up today.
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today is a very special episode. We are live from CES in Las Vegas. Today I am joined by one of our previous clients from multiple Kickstarter and crowdfunding campaigns, Adrian Solgaard. Adrian, thank you for waking up so early and joining us here at the Art of the Kickstart mansion.
Adrian Solgaard:
Yo, yo, yo. What’s up? This mansion is pretty sweet, I must say. I specifically love the zebra print that’s in the pool. That’s just next level.
Roy Morejon:
Yeah. We lucked out on this location.
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Stefan Clauss, creator of the Heimplanet Motion Series Active Backpacks. Tune in to learn more about how they decided to launch on Kickstarter, how they used user feedback to create their packs and how to they found people to back their campaign. The HEIMPLANET MOTION Series Active Backpacks
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to launch a Kickstarter project on a short timeline How to know if Kickstarter is the right platform for you How to effectively use feedback to design a product How to reach your audience to fund your Kickstarter project What kind of interactions you can expect to have with your backers on Kickstarter
Links
The Heimplanet Motion Series Active Backpacks on Kickstarter http://www.heimplanet.com/
Connect with Heimplanet
Heimplanet on Facebook @heimplanet on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons and pledge upgrades, or begin accepting pre-orders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2,000 projects an 4 million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit backerkit.com and sign up today.
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by Stefan Clauss with the Heimplanet Motion Series Active Backpacks. Stefan, thank you so much for joining us.
Stefan Clauss:
Thanks a lot for having me.
Roy Morejon:
You recently finished up a Kickstarter campaign raising over $100,000 with hundreds of backers. Talk to us about the product and where it all started.
Stefan Clauss:
Basically the Motion Series is a series that we worked on for quite some time. We are working on this for about two years. Initially we started with inflatable tents, and the Motion Series is our second bag line. The idea was to do something that’s light, flexible in usage and something you basically want to bring everywhere you go.
Roy Morejon:
This is probably one of the nicest designed backpacks that we’ve seen out there in the industry. Talk to us about the overall design process that went into building this product.
Stefan Clauss:
Thanks.
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with the two founders of Slide, Thijs Olthof and Kaj Beetstra, about how they created a new smart home product and quickly hit their funding goal. Tune in to learn more about how to develop and launch a new product on Kickstarter! Slide: Make Your Existing Curtains Smart!
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to build use cases around a new product to help further design and development How to get user feedback when running a project on Kickstarter How to build trust and credibility with your backers during a Kickstarter project Why transparency is key to a successful crowdfunding campaign How to leverage personal networks to quickly fund a project
Links
Slide on Kickstarter http://goslide.io/ Gary Vaynerchuk’s Blog Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries
Connect with Slide
Slide on Facebook @Innov_In_Motion on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons, and pledge upgrades, or begin accepting pre-orders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2,000 projects and 4 million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try Backer Kit? Visit backerkit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined by the two founders of Slide, Thijs Olthof and Kaj Beetstra. Gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us.
Kaj Beetstra:
Thank you for having us.
Roy Morejon:
Slide, this product is really cool, and I think it’s really, really interesting. It’s the world’s first retrofit smart curtain system. Tell our backers and our community all about your product and where it all started.
Kaj Beetstra:
It started a couple of years ago with an idea of mine to actually automate your existing interior, not just adding new interior, but automating movement from your existing interior. The initial idea was actually to have a universal thing that could control anything. It just was difficult to make,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with crowdfunding advisor and host of the Crowdfunding Uncut podcast, Khierstyn Ross! Tune in to hear from her about how she got involved in crowdfunding, why she thinks it’s a great option for many hoping to launch a new business and how to launch a successful campaign. Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to learn from a failed crowdfunding campaign and go on to a successful one The benefits crowdfunding offers to creators What makes a product a good fit for crowdfunding How to choose whether to launch on Kickstarter or Indiegogo Why it’s important to have an audience before launching a crowdfunding campaign How to increase customer interaction using Facebook groups How to market your crowdfunding campaign on a smaller budget How to use Kickstarter’s algorithm to get more views for your campaign
Links
Crowdfunding Uncut Foundr Magazine Jam Stak 4 Hour Workweek Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level by Gay Hendricks Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Timothy Ferriss Purple Pillow Interview
Connect with Khierstyn
Crowdfunding Uncut on Facebook @khierstynross on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons, and pledge upgrades or begin accepting pre-orders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2,000 projects and four million backers have used Backer Kit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit backerkit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners. The top full-service, crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over 70 million dollars for our clients, since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert, in order to help take your start-up to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today is a very special episode. I am joined by Khierstyn Ross. Khierstyn, thank you so much for joining us on Art of the Kickstart.
Khierstyn Ross:
I am so excited to be here. Thanks for having me.
Roy Morejon:
My pleasure. I know we’ve done podcasts before. A little background information on Khierstyn, she is a crowdfunding advisor and a very good one at that...
For this week’s episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Iskanda Rakhmanberdiyev of ORBI Prime. Tune in to learn more about how they created the first 360° video recording eyewear, and how they’ve raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars on Indiegogo. ORBI Prime: The First 360 Video Recording Eyewear
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How the best products fulfill a need that already exists How to create an impressive crowdfunding video How to use an Indiegogo campaign to collect feedback and create a better version of your product How long to expect to spend preparing of your campaign
Links
ORBI Prime on Indiegogo http://orbiprime.com/ Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition by Guy Kawasaki
Connect with ORBI Prime
ORBI Prime on Facebook @ORBIPrime on Twitter @orbiprime on Instagram ORBI Prime on YouTube Orbi Inc on LinkedIn
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations, and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons and pledge upgrades or begin excepting pre-orders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2,000 projects and four million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit backerkit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart. Your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners. The top full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over 70 million dollars for our clients, since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform, that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyers guide for cool luxury gadgets, and creative gifts. To learn more visit the gadgetflow.com.
Let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined by Iskander with ORBI Prime. Thank you so much for joining us today.
Iskander:
Thanks for having us Roy.
Roy:
All right. ORBI Prime, this is the first 360 video recording eyewear. Please, tell us where it all began.
Iskander:
That’s correct. We’re developing the worlds first 360 video recording eyewear. That the majority began a little over a year ago when my co-owners and I have been exploring the GoPro area. The action camera market as well as the versions of the VR industry. What we discovered back then was that there is a certain group of GoPro users, frustrated GoPro users who love to use action cameras, but had extraneous issues with all the extra mounts, all the extra steps they had to take just to get a short three to five minute video on their GoPro. At the same time, there wasn’t instructional for 360 videos on Facebook,
Through his own personal experiences, Rohan Dixit was inspired to create Lief, a smart patch that fights stress. This week on Art of the Kickstart, we learned more about how Rohan and his team created and crowdfunded Lief. Lief | Smart patch that fights stress
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What types of research to consider when building a new product for a crowdfunding project How long it takes to create a new product What to consider when developing a new product What to expect as part of the HAX Accelerator Program How to Kickstart a health product
Links
Lief on Kickstarter The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg https://hax.co/
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes somewhere that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons and pledge upgrades or begin accepting preorders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2,000 projects and 4 million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit BackerKit.com and sign up today.
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raised over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit TheGadgetFlow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by Rohan Dixit with Lief. Rohan, thank you so much for joining us.
Rohan Dixit:
You are very welcome and thank you for having us.
Roy Morejon:
You have started this started project Lief that basically tracks and optimizes your resiliency to distress by increasing your natural heart rate, this HRV. Tell us what Lief is all about and why we should be concerned with our HRV?
Rohan Dixit:
Your HRV is a signal of your body stress. HRV stands for heart rate variability. It’s kind of like the natural variations between one heartbeat to the next. Scientists have been looking at this now for decades and realized that HRV can track your psychological health, your physical health. Right now a lot of biohackers and early adopters are already putting together contraptions and early apps to track and optimize HRV and we’ve made a smart patch that does it really well.
Roy Morejon:
We just saw Tim Ferriss on The Today Show talking about his newest book with “Tools of the Titans” and some of the biohacks that all the industry leaders in Silicon Valley tech folks are focusing on and certainly this...
For this week’s episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Savannah Turk of Purple. Learn more about how they’re revolutionizing the sleep industry after raising more than $2 million on Kickstarter! Purple: The Latest Technology in Comfort and Sleep
Purple® Pillow: The World's First No-Pressure Pillow
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why a good Kickstarter video is key to a successful campaign Why the size of your email list is important How Facebook ads can give your campaign a boost How to connect with people and engage with your audience on Kickstarter and beyond How to improve and already-great Kickstarter campaign
Links
Purple Pillow on Kickstarter Purple Mattress on Kickstarter OnPurple.com Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success by Ken Segall Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Connect with Purple
Purple on Facebook @LifeOnPurple on Twitter Purple on YouTube Purple on Pinterest Purple, Inc on LinkedIn
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons and pledge upgrades or begin accepting pre-orders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2,000 projects and 4 million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit BackerKit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit TheGadgetFlow.com. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined by Savannah Turk. Savannah, thank you so much for joining us.
Savannah Turk:
Thanks for having me.
Roy Morejon:
All right, Savannah. You guys have crushed two separate campaigns for The Purple Mattress and The Purple Pillow. Please tell our audience where all of this purpleness starts.
Savannah Turk:
It starts in Alpine, Utah in a small manufacturing facility that’s been here for over three decades. We invented the Purple product, we put it on top of a bunch of foam, and we made the mattress. That’s where it started.
Roy Morejon:
What’s the idea behind purple? What’s the color … What was the reason for the purple color? How about that?
Savannah Turk:
We can make the Hyper-Elastic Polymer any color. We went with purple because purple is the color of royalty,...
This week on Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Ariel Hyatt, author of the book Crowdstart: The Ultimate Guide to a Powerful and Profitable Crowdfunding Campaign. Tune in to learn more about how to launch a product through crowdfunding, how to build up your crowd, how to get PR coverage and much more. Key Takeaways
How powerful crowdfunding can be for artists and musicians How crowdfunding can help you understand your community What kinds of hurdles to expect during a crowdfunding campaign How much energy and effort you’ll need to put into your campaign Where to begin if you want to crowdfund your idea How to make your crowdfunding campaign newsworthy
Links
Crowdstart: The Ultimate Guide to a Powerful and Profitable Crowdfunding Campaign by Ariel Hyatt ArielHyatt.com So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport
Connect with Ariel Hyatt
Ariel Hyatt on Facebook @cyberpr on Twitter Ariel Hyatt on LinkedIn @cyberpr on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping you print and ship faster. Plus, if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons, and pledge upgrades or begin accepting pre-orders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over 2,000 projects and 4 million backers have used BackerKit, including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit BackerKit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over 70 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit TheGadgetFlow.com. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I’m joined by Ariel Hyatt with Crowdstart. Ariel, thank you so much for joining us.
Ariel Hyatt:
The pleasure is mine. Thanks for having me.
Roy Morejon:
Ariel, you are a seasoned veteran, if we will, on the marketing side and potentially on the crowdfunding side, after 20 years of leading a successful business in the hardest industry in Earth. You’ve learned valuable lessons on what it takes to build a sustainable business. Let our crowd know all about what Crowdstart is and yourself.
Ariel Hyatt:
Crowdstart is my newest book, and it is subtitled The Ultimate Guide to a Powerful and Profitable Crowdfunding Campaign. It comes from the crowdfunding campaign that I did, it was about two years ago now, and the experience I had from coaching many, many of my clients through their own crowdfunding experiences.
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Nils Lehnert, creator of Kiën Licht 1, an intelligent light. Tune in to learn more about how to create a new product using an existing brand community, and how to build up a new audience for a Kickstarter project. Kiën Light: Intelligent daylight at your fingertips
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to use Kickstarter to launch new products from existing brands How to engage your community How to become a Kickstarter Project We Love How to build a community around your product through in-person events How to use feedback from your Kickstarter backers
Links
Kien on Kickstarter kien.com High Output Management by Andrew S. Grove Built to Last by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras
Connect with Kien
@Kien_official on Twitter Kien on Facebook @kien_official on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart. Your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70,000,000 for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your start up to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com.
Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by Nils Lehnert with Kien Licht. Nils, thank you so much for joining us.
Nils Lehnert:
Thank you for inviting me. How are you guys?
Roy Morejon:
So Nils, you have created this intelligent daylight system. Please tell our audience all about this product.
Nils Lehnert:
Sure. So Kien Licht is a pendant lamp which emulates the natural daylight in your home and office. We only work with locally sourced ingredients such as concrete, yeah really concrete, and oak, cherry, and powder coated aluminum. It’s quite special in the sense that it produces a really, really good light so not just a nice atmosphere. It’s actually so good that you can be productive under it and have a really, really high energy and work throughout the day. It’s intended in such a way that the light follows a curve throughout the day so it’s quite warm in the morning and gets very blue midday and then warm again in the evening to facilitate your sleeping. You can control this all by our mobile application.
Roy Morejon:
Impressive. So this isn’t your grandfather’s lamp, right?
Nils Lehnert:
No it’s not. Definitely not. It’s not [inaudible 00:02:10]. From a design, we’re going back to the very retro neon cube, so as reduced as possible, but putting a lot of technology in to make it last better basically.
Roy Morejon:
Impressive. What’s the backstory here Nils? Where did this all start? Where did you get the inspiration for an idea like this?
Nils Lehnert:
I think we’re quite a peculiar accel project because we have an existing b...
In this special episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interview Louis Foreman, prolific inventor, product developer and innovation enthusiast. Tune in to learn more about what to do if you have an idea for a new product. Key Takeaways
Where to start if you have an idea for a new product How much money an entrepreneur needs to launch a new product Whether you need a patent before launching a crowdfunding campaign Why it’s a good idea to file a provisional patent application How to use crowdfunding to validate demand
Links
http://enventys.com/ http://enventyspartners.com/ Thomas Edison National Historic Park
Connect with Louis Foreman and Enventys
Louis J. Foreman on Facebook Enventys on Facebook @louisforeman on Twitter @enventys on Twitter Louis Foreman on LinkedIn Enventys on LinkedIn
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, raise additional funds with add-ons and manage orders for fulfillment, saving creators hundreds of hours. To learn more and get started, click here. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over seventy million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your start-up to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
This episode of Art of the Kickstart is sponsored by BackerKit. BackerKit makes software that crowdfunding project creators use to survey backers, organize data, and manage orders for fulfillment by automating your operations and helping your print and ship faster. Plus if you want to create and send surveys, offer add-ons, and pledge upgrades, or begin accepting pre-orders, BackerKit makes it simple. Over two thousand projects and four million backers have used BackerKit including many of the projects featured on Art of the Kickstart. Ready to try BackerKit? Visit backerkit.com and sign up today.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today this is a very special interview for us at Art of the Kickstart. We have with us Louis Foreman, CEO of Enventys. Louis thank you so much for joining us.
Louis Foreman:
Oh, it’s a pleasure to be with you today Roy.
Roy Morejon:
All right so this is my first in person interview, so it’ll be a little bit different and obviously a little better, higher quality than the current conversations that we’ve had. Again, very honored to have Louis with us today. Louis Foreman is a prolific inventor, product developer, innovation enthusiast for small businesses. In over twenty years Louis has helped create over nine successful start-ups and has been directly responsible for the creation of more than twenty others. In recent years he has been called upon by Congress to share his point of view on patent reform and by USA Today for commentary on entrepreneurship. Additionally, he frequently addresses schools and universities to propel the advancement of innovation for all ...
Rahul Agarwal of Polygons didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur, just to reinvent what is perhaps the world’s oldest invention: the spoon. However, he’s already made more than half a million dollars with it on Kickstarter. Tune in to this episode to learn some of the keys to his success. Polygons | The Flat 4-in-1 Measuring Spoon
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How long it takes to prepare for a successful crowdfunding campaign How to effectively introduce stretch goals What to do when shipping costs are too high How to engage your community to make your campaign better How to plan for a crowdfunding campaign
Links
Polygons on Kickstarter http://www.getpolygons.com/ Zero to One by Peter Thiel
Connect with Polygons
Polygons Design on Facebook @GetPolygons on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over 70 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your start-up to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product-discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another episode Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am honored to be joined by Rahul, the creator of Polygons, the flat four-in-one measuring spoon. Rahul, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart.
Rahul Agarwal:
Thank you for inviting me, Roy. Hello, everybody.
Roy Morejon:
Rahul, you have created an internet sensation. The Polygon’s an origami-like measuring spoon that lays flats and folds into four different sizes to fit and cook, you know, all of your cooking and baking needs. Rahul, I’ve got to ask, where does this idea start? What’s the back story on this product?
Rahul Agarwal:
I think I’ve mentioned in some articles. Some articles, I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll go through it in good detail again. When I was just a student, back in college, I [inaudible 00:01:42] designer. I was talking to one of my seniors. I was asking, “What sorts of products should I take up to redesign, to work on?” He gave me a huge discussion. At the end of the discussion, he told me, “Whatever you do, do not take up products which have already reached the end of their evolutionary cycle. For example, a spoon.” These were his words, and I was like, “Okay, challenge accepted.” And now here we are.
Roy Morejon:
You’ve certainly met that challenge, having raised well over a half a million dollars. We’re well over 20,000 backers. This campaign is certainly the top campaign on Kickstarter right now, and everybody’s talking about it. I believe the video has now been seen over 30 million times, Rahul.
Rahul Agarwal:
Okay well, even I haven’t seen that [inaudible 00:02:33] but do link me to it.
Roy Morejon:
Certainly will. Rahul, you mentioned that this product innovation goes back to your days at school. How long have you spent preparing for this crowdfunding campaign?
Rahul Agarwal:
I will give you a bit more background about how it started. Basically, that was when the challenge started.
If your uncle invented the waterbed, you’ve probably already got an advantage over other entrepreneurs. For this episode of the podcast, we spoke with Todd Youngblood, creator of Kryo, an entirely new sleep technology, about launching a new product on Indiegogo. Kryo Sleep Performance System Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to balance the inventor’s dilemma when creating a new product How to know when it’s time to launch your Indiegogo project Why it’s important to understand your target audience before launching a product geared toward them How to engage the community built around your product How do deliver your crowdfunded product to backers on time Why it’s important to have a clear supply chain in place before launching a product
Links
Kryo on Indiegogo https://www.chilitechnology.com/ The ONE Thing by Gary Keller
Connect with Kryo
Kryo Sleep Performance System on Facebook @sleepkryo on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top, full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story and inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit TheGadgetFlow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by Todd Youngblood. Todd, thank you so much for joining us.
Todd Youngblood:
Thanks Roy, thanks for the opportunity.
Roy Morejon:
All right, so Todd, you launched a project on Indiegogo a while ago called Kryo for sleep performance. Please, tell our audience what the product is all about.
Todd Youngblood:
We’re super excited about Kryo. After quite a few years in the sleep technology space, we have an opportunity to bring the most advanced sleep technology product to market. It’s a product that optimizes sleep quality by modulating the sleep temperature, and in simple terms means we help you sleep cooler and sleeping cooler helps you sleep better.
Roy Morejon:
Impressive, so you mentioned that this product has been in the works for years and years. Tell us the back story.
Todd Youngblood:
Well this product in particular has been in development for about 2 and a half years. The underlying market knowledge and technology, understanding really goes back almost about 11 years. It all has to do with the technology we’re leveraging using thermoelectrics to heat or cool water. We circulate that water in a mattress pad that’s on top of the mattress. That’s the technology that’s been utilized in a predecessor product called the ChiliPad. What we’re doing now is we’re taking that technology and building into a product that’s part of a IoT, internet of things, and making a smart product that sits on a WiFi platform that integrates with sleep tracking devices.
Roy Morejon:
Impressive. We’ve had great success with the campaign so far, well over 6 figures with a few weeks left in the campaign. How long have you spent in terms of developing Kryo itself as a system, and talk about the surprises that you’ve met along the way?
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Eric Li, the creator behind Ecomo, the world’s first bottle that tests and filters water. Listen in for more about creating a smart water bottle, how to perfect a product’s features and how to successfully collect leads prior to launching a crowdfunding campaign. Ecomo: The World’s First Bottle That Tests & Filters Water
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What the iteration process looks like when perfecting a new product How to handle feedback from users when designing a new product How to set your campaign apart from other similar campaigns How to attract supporters before your campaign launches Why it’s important to start building a fanbase early
Links
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel Ecomo on Kickstarter http://www.ecomo.io/
Connect with Ecomo
Ecomo on Facebook @ecomolabs on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
Bob James and the team at Trinity Air worked hard to bring their customers the perfect set of wireless earbuds. Tune in to this episode of Art of the Kickstart to learn more about what to do after a failed Kickstarter campaign, what kinds of difficulties to expect when developing a new tech product and why communication with backers is so important. World's First Tuneable Wireless Earbuds
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to learn from a failed Kickstarter campaign What kinds of hardware difficulties to expect when creating an audio product How to build up your audience before a Kickstarter campaign Why open communication with Kickstarter backers is important Why marketing is an important part of any crowdfunding project
Links
Phantom Air on Kickstarter https://trinityaudioengineering.com/ http://www.head-fi.org/
Connect with Trinity
@TRINITYAUDIO on Twitter Trinity Audio on Facebook Trinity Audio on Pinterest
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart. Your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over seventy million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your start up to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save,and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyers’ guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m joined by Bob James with Trinity Audio Engineering. Bob, thank you so much for joining us.
Bob:
Pleasure to be here.
Roy:
Bob, you’re the head of design and development at Trinity Audio. Where does this all start in terms of the back story for Trinity Audio?
Bob:
Well, I mean Trinity Audio was born out of frustration. I was originally working for another company that was doing reasonably well for itself, but I didn’t particularly like their direction or should I say perhaps, lack of enthusiasm for taking things further. They were very safe and steady. I thought we could do a lot more, but the way that it worked out that it couldn’t work within that company. We branched off on our own. We’re still good buddies with the other company, but we branched off on our own and decided we wanted to make something that was affordable but high-end. Which usually those two words just don’t go together. We spent around eight months prototyping different products. We used a lot of community feedback within the headphone community. Asking people for their input. What would they change? What would they like? Did they like the sound, the materials, everything. Once we were ready we launched our first kickstarter a couple of years back. We were blown away because we didn’t market what we were doing. We had a reasonable target of forty thousand Pounds to hit and we blew past at a hundred and seven. Which absolutely floored us. Clearly there was a market there, but that’s where we started …
Roy:
Impressive.
Bob:
… from. Out of frustration.
Roy:
That’s always a good place to start, right? Is fix the pain point. Obviously, you mentioned you’ve run a few campaigns before. I guess tell me a little bit more about those campaigns and how we’ve gotten...
We spoke with Ruth Hedges, the woman behind the Global Crowdfunding Conference, to get her take on all things crowdfunding. Tune in to learn more about the history of crowdfunding, how crowdfunding has changed the world, why you should attend the conference and much more! Key Takeaways
The history of equity crowdfunding and how the recent recession played a role in making it legal Who to expect to hear speak at the Global Crowdfunding Convention What types of Kickstarter secrets you’ll pick up at the Global Crowdfunding Convention How crowdfunding has changed over the years BONUS: Use coupon code RH25 to save 25% off tickets to the 5th annual Global Crowdfunding Convention
Links
thegccworld.com crowdfundingcrm.com
Connect with Ruth Hedges
Global Crowdfunding Conference on Facebook @thegccworld on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
View this episode's transcript
Roy:
Welcome to Art Of The Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art Of The Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more visit thegagdetflow.com. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art Of The Kickstart. Today I am honored to be joined by Ruth Hedges. Ruth thank you so much for joining us today.
Ruth:
Thank you Roy for inviting me.
Roy:
Ruth you are the crowdfunding goddess, can I say that I guess?
Ruth:
Sure.
Roy:
You’ve had quite a back story and a back history with crowd funding. We’re coming up on the 5th Annual Global Crowdfunding Convention in wonderful Las Vegas here on October 15th through the 17th. Give our audience the story, where does Ruth Hedges start with crowdfunding? How has it evolved into this convention now?
Ruth:
Sure. First of all thank you so much for inviting me on your show, very excited to be here. I actually got involved in this in 2009 at the height of the recession, when the bank stopped lending, the VCs and angels stopped investing. My clients, who I have some business plan writing software, realized that they couldn’t use this software because nobody was funding anybody. I’m going to give you a very short version of a very long story but essentially I got together with a group of people who we decided we would have to go to congress and get an 80 year old securities law removed that had prevented [inaudible 00:02:11] credit investors in investing in a startup.
It was originally called The Startup Exemption. We spend 17 months getting signatures and going to Washington and meeting with congressmen and senators, bringing in all kinds of other key people like Steve Case and the US Chamber Of Commerce and all kinds of other people who eventually helped us get title III 4(a)(6) passed into law and signed by the president on April 5th 2012. My two business partners were actually at the White House on the lawn, on the lower lawn, during the signing. As soon as the bill was signed my phone rang, it was them saying, “We did it.”
It’s been a very exciting journey. Unfortunately we did not get the bill we wanted, we got a more complicated bill.
We spoke with Jeff Chang of Wonderous about the Forever O.G. Pants. Tune in to learn more about where to begin when you have an idea for a new product, how to prepare for a crowdfunding campaign and how to know when you’re ready to launch on Kickstarter. THE FOREVER O.G. PANTS Lifetime Quality Without The Markup
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How create new products by identifying gaps in the market How to begin product research How to start creating samples of new products How to use social media to gather supporters before launching on Kickstarter How to increase your Facebook followers before a Kickstarter project How to know when you’re ready to launch on Kickstarter
Links
The Forever O.G. Pants on Kickstarter https://wonderous.com/ Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Connect with Wonderous
Wonderous on Facebook @gowonderous on Instagram @goWonderous on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off!
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Dave Zuverink of SlimFold™ to learn more about the Slim Pack. Tune in to learn more about designing a new product, relying on your network of previous backers to create a new product and how to launch multiple successful Kickstarter projects. Slim Pack Weatherproof Minimal Commuter Backpack by SlimFold
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How backer feedback often guides product decisions Why it’s important to listen to your audience during and after your Kickstarter campaign Where to start with designing a new product for Kickstarter What to expect when blogs and tech outlets cover your Kickstarter project How to calculate the size mailing list you need before launching on Kickstarter
Links
Slim Pack on Kickstarter http://www.slimfoldwallet.com/ Against the Odds: An Autobiography by James Dyson Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
Connect with SlimFold™
SlimFold Wallet on Facebook @SlimFold on Twitter @slimfold on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy:
Welcome to Art Of The Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raised over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art Of The Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more visit thegadgetflow.com. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art Of The Kickstart. Today I am joined by Dave Zuverink with the Slim Pack by SlimFold™. Dave thank you so much for joining us
Dave:
Hey, thanks for having me Roy.
Roy:
Dave, you’re a serial Kickstarter. Tell us about the history, where does it all start?
Dave:
I actually started the company back in 2010, there wasn’t really Kickstarter around. I created a very slim wallet, it’s actually the thinnest wallet in the world, made from Tyvek. I was selling those at street fairs in San Francisco, Renegade Craft Fair, stuff like that. Once Kickstarter came around I launched my follow up product on there, which was the SlimFold™ Micro. From there the first campaign was a really good match for my backers, and continued on to create the company out of that.
Roy:
That’s [inaudible 00:01:58]. Yeah, you’ve done 2 previous campaigns all around a wallet, now you’re running right now this Slim Pack weatherproof minimal commuter backpack. How has your product line evolved? Has it been from the consumer feedback and tapping into the community of backers that you’ve build?
Dave:
Yeah exactly. This latest project did kind of take turn because I had previously done 2 different wallets and I did a survey actually after my second campaign and asked folks, “What should I make next?” I was expecting a taller wallet, shorter wallet, lots of different things. Meanwhile I had been looking for a backpack at the time, I actually asked for one for Christmas for my wife. I couldn’t find one that I liked so I put that on there as one potential option and to my surprise it came out as the number one request. Really that set me on the path to create this different product, even though I knew it was going to be more diff...
Recently we spoke with Derek O’Sullivan, creator of the Crua Hybrid, to hear about what he’s learned from running two Kickstarter campaigns. Tune in to learn more about why Kickstarter is the perfect platform for launching new products, how to use feedback to build the perfect product and how to find backers for your Kickstarter project. Four Outdoor Essentials in One Tent / Hammock - Crua Hybrid
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why Kickstarter is ideal for launching a product What types of market feedback to get before launching on Kickstarter How you can learn from other Kickstarter projects before launching your own How to work with backers of a previous Kickstarter campaign to create a new product The true power of social media for a Kickstarter campaign Why you need to understand the Kickstarter demographic
Links
Crua Hybrid on Kickstarter https://cruaoutdoors.com/ Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
Connect with Crua
@thermotents on Twitter Thermo Tents on Facebook Thermo Tents on Pinterest
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyers’ guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m joined by Derek O’Sullivan. Derek, thank you for joining us.
Derek:
No problem, Roy, thanks for having me.
Roy:
Derek, you’ve launched your second campaign, the Crua hybrid tent hammock. Talk to us about the product.
Derek:
It’s basically a hybrid as the name suggests. It’s a tent, a hammock, a sleeping bag, and an insulated mattress all-in-one so it’s an all-in-one camping product really and you can also join two together so there’s a connectable element or feature to it so you can use it singularly or you can use it joined together with one or more other tents. It’s pretty novel and pretty unique and it’s been received pretty well so far thankfully.
Roy:
Absolutely, you’re on your way. Well over a quarter of a million. Pretty close, couple weeks left to go. This is your second campaign with Kickstarter. You launched one last year I believe back in March, another tent product. Tell us about the process of launching the first one and what you’ve learned from it for this campaign.
Derek:
I suppose when we launched the first one, it was very much an end to the unknown. It was suggested to us by a colleague or a friend really. It was suggested as being a good way to bring your product to market and to gain the validation from the market for your product and it’s probably one of the few areas where us product people have an advantage over the high tech or software startups at this world where crowdfunding certainly is geared much more towards … It’s product-centric as you know. It was suggested to me and we went about it. We launched the campaign. We did some pre-launch work but certainly not nearly enough as it transpi...
We interviewed Oscar Chang of ALCHEMA, a kitchen device that makes it easy to brew craft cider at home. Tune into this episode to learn more about why you need to pick a manufacturer early, how to line up journalists to cover your Kickstarter project and how crowdfunding can help you get in with big box retailers.
ALCHEMA: Turn Fruit into Personalized Craft Cider
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How long product development actually takes How working with an accelerator can help you take your product to market How to build a buzz around your project through events and exhibitions How to get journalists interested in your product when you can’t meet with them in person How to decide between launching on Kickstarter and Indiegogo Why you need to pick a manufacturer and shipping partner early in the product development process
Links
ALCHEMA on Kickstarter http://www.alchema.com/ HAX Boost How to Start a Startup: The Silicon Valley Playbook for Entrepreneurs by ThinkApps and BeckyCruze
Connect with ALCHEMA
ALCHEMA on Facebook @Alchema21 on Twitter @alchema21 on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over seventy million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, and inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more visit thegadgetflow.com. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m joined by Oscar Chang with the Alchema device. Oscar, thank you so much for joining us.
Oscar:
Yeah, thank you. Thank you for inviting me.
Roy:
Alchema, the ability to turn fruit into a personalized craft cider. Tell me, where did this idea come from?
Oscar:
Okay, I always want to start my own company so I want to find a niche market, which is being [inaudible 00:01:19] by a big company. One day one of my friend’s mom want to home brew but always failed. You find out it’s a problem [inaudible 00:01:30] so we’re jumping to this problem and try to solve it.
Roy:
It’s truly impressive, I mean, the ability to … It’s almost as simple as making a pot of coffee except it takes a little bit longer, right?
Oscar:
Yeah.
Roy:
The product also has the ability to make wine. How have you guys, the process to get a working prototype and the development of this product itself? Talk about a little bit of how long it started and what the back story is there.
Oscar:
Okay. The whole process takes about almost two years from an idea to a working sample. At the beginning I learned how to home brew from a professor in the college. He host a class for beginners to learn how to home brew. My background is electronical engineering. I figure out what kind of sensor can detect parameters and I use this data to focus the brewing status. We used this idea to join a competition held by Taiwan government and we won championship. At a point I decide to set up a company to use the idea and launch a Kickstarter campaign. I need an expert who knows about home brew,
We recently spoke with Labinot Bytyqi of Solaborate about their new video conferencing device, HELLO, currently on Kickstarter. Tune in to learn more about the inspiration behind the product, why they chose Kickstarter and how they’ve already raised more than $225,000. HELLO: The Most Advanced Video Communication Device
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What the prototyping process looks like Why Kickstarter may be preferable rather than just taking a product to market Why you may want to set a lower funding goal for your Kickstarter project How to use community feedback to set stretch goals Why you need a team to support and manage your Kickstarter campaign
Links
HELLO on Kickstarter https://www.solaborate.com/ The World is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century by Thomas L. Friedman
Connect with HELLO
HELLO Solaborate on Facebook @HelloSolaborate on Twitter Hello Solaborate on LinkedIn @hellosolaborate on Instagram HelloSolaborate on Pinterest
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners. The top full service crowd funding marketing agency in the whole world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowd funding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with Crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow. A product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyers’ guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit the gadgetflow.com, and let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m joined by Labinot Bytyqi. Labinot, thank you so much for joining us.
Labinot:
Thank you for having us.
Roy:
You’ve created a product called HELLO, the most advanced video communication device out there. You guys are actively crowdfunding on Kickstarter. Raised over a couple hundred thousand dollars. Give our audience an idea of the product that you’ve created.
Labinot:
What HELLO is, is basically all in one basically video and conferencing system that goes on top of your TV and transforms any TV into multiple function, but some of the few things that I want to note is it enables you to turn into any TV, either at the office or home into a video conferencing system. It also has a capability to do wireless sharing. In other words it combines Airplay, Miracast, and Chromecast into one. Literally you can share or stream from any device, let it be your iPhone, Android device, or your PC. You can stream any content to your TV. The other function is ability to do live broadcasting. You can share any important moments from your any device; let it be again IOS or Android to your TV. The last one is ability, really what we call the peace of mind. It allows you to turn HELLO into a security camera with motion detection.
If you are away and you want to look at what’s going on in your office or if you are away and you want to go and look at what your kids are up to, or your pets or dog or cat, it allows you to do that as well.
Roy:
Awesome. You guys have really made a product that certainly does bring productivity to the modern age as you mentioned, and bridge some of that cross-platform connectivity issues. I know a lot of these solutions are looking for,
Warrick and Miguel of REM-Fit spoke with us and provided great insight into how they developed the ZEEQ Smart Pillow. Tune in for helpful tips about prototyping and manufacturing a physical product and developing an app overseas. ZEEQ Smart Pillow: Stream Music, Stop Snoring, Sleep Smarter
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What types of struggles to expect during the prototyping process Why you may need to visit China during product development What challenges to expect if you visit China to meet with manufacturers What challenges to expect if you’re working with Chinese manufacturers while staying in the U.S. Why your product should be perfect before launching on Kickstarter How to accurately create a timeline, from coming up with an idea to launching on Kickstarter What types of feedback to expect from Kickstarter backers How to respond to backer feedback while still keeping your end goal in mind
Links
ZEEQ Smart Pillow on Kickstarter https://rem-fit.com/ Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
Connect with ZEEQ
REM-Fit on Facebook @REM_Fit on Twitter @remfitlife on Instagram REM-Fit Life on YouTube
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your startup to next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit Thegadgetflow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another addition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m joined by Warrick and Miguel with the ZEEQ Smart Pillow. Gentlemen, thank you for joining us.
Warrick Bell:
Thank you for having us.
Miguel Marrero:
Yeah, thank you.
Roy Morejon:
You guys have created a pillow, but it’s a smart pillow. Give us the pitch.
Warrick Bell:
Basically, we created a pillow that is an active participant in your sleep. What that means is it helps you sleep, it monitors your sleep and it helps you throughout the night to maintain sleep. It all started with me trying to fall asleep with music, but my wife hating to listen to my music while she’s falling asleep. I took apart some wireless headphones, shoved it inside of a pillow and I was able to hear the music and she wasn’t. I spent like that for a while and then I realized there’s a battery in the pillow, there’s some speakers in the pillow, what else can put in the pillow? That’s when I called Miguel, and he took it to the next level.
Miguel Marrero:
From there, we added an accelerometer on the inside, a gyroscope rather and then the microphone so we could start listening for snoring, put an app together. We really just made a really cool pillow that A: We like to use, but B: We found is actually pretty good at helping you sleep better.
Roy Morejon:
You guys spent over two years of prototyping and perfecting this product, if you will. Go into some of the process of the individual prototyping and what you guys have done to get here today.
Warrick Bell:
The first thing that was the biggest challenge was making sure there was no...
This week on Art of the Kickstart we spoke with Andrew Jiang, the creator of The Superbook, a smart laptop shell that lets you turn your Android smartphone into a full laptop. Tune in to hear more about learning from a failed crowdfunding campaign and going on to earn more than a million dollars on Kickstarter. The Superbook: Turn your smartphone into a laptop for $99
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why preparing for a Kickstarter campaign before you launch is so important How to learn from failed Kickstarter campaign How to usefeedback from backers of a previously-failed campaign to make an even better product How to communicate with your email list before launching on Kickstarter How to fund on your first day on Kickstarter
Links
The Superbook on Kickstarter getsuperbook.com The Power of Habit
Connect with The Superbook
Superbook on Facebook @getsuperbook on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 25% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, Your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners the top, full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more visit thegadgetflow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I’m joined by Andrew Jiang with the Superbook. Andrew, thank you so much for joining us.
Andrew:
Roy, thanks for having us.
Roy:
You guys are absolutely crushing it with this Superbook. Please give our audience the overall gist of what you guys are doing.
Andrew:
Yeah, yeah. The Superbook is a shell, it’s a laptop shell that transforms your Android smartphone into a complete laptop. We essentially use the power of your smartphone and then our hardware device to give you, essentially, a replacement for your laptop. Anything that you can do on a regular laptop you can do on the Superbook. It all costs $99.
Roy:
This is ridiculous technology but before we dive into this let’s take a trip back a couple of years ago when you guys first tried to launch the Andromeda dock. It only worked with a few different smartphones and basically had to hook it up with your own keyboard, monitor and mouse. You guys weren’t successful on that first go around. What were some of the things you learned when you first launched that campaign?
Andrew:
When we first launched that campaign in late 2014 it was really a, “Well, this is a cool technology. Let’s put it out there and see how the Kickstart community responds.” We got some reaction. I’ll be honest, I know we fell short by about $35,000 of our $100,000 goal. We didn’t do any preparation. This time, having learned the experience from the last failure, we did a lot of work. We started it 3-4 months before the campaign, put a lot of effort into it and it paid off.
Roy:
I’ll say, you guys are over 1.4 million right now. Trending at around 3 million. You guys are kicking butt right now. What were some of the learning mistakes? I guess things that you guys had learned from the original campaign. You mentioned that you started a few months out in terms of getti...
This week’s episode of Art of the Kickstart is packed full of helpful tips for the preparation of a Kickstarter project, how to fund on day one, how to pick a shipping and fulfillment company and much more. Tune in for this interview with Shaun Alexander and get a behind-the-scenes look into ELWN, a campaign for truly wireless earbuds. Perfect Fitting Wireless Earbuds With Endless Battery Life
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How innovative products launched on Kickstarter can inspire further innovation How to make the jump from working for a company to owning your own company Why you need early bird rewards for your campaign The benefits of working with a PR firm during a crowdfunding campaign Why you need Facebook advertising before your Kickstarter project launches Why you need to be willing to adjust and course-correct during a campaign How to pick a shipping and fulfillment company What to focus on early on in a crowdfunding campaign
Links
ELWN on Kickstarter elwn.com How to Win Friends and Influence People
Connect with ELWN
ELWN on Facebook
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code AOTK for 20% off!
Wow - this is the 150th episode of Art of the Kickstart! To celebrate, we’re bringing you a bonus episode this week, featuring a very exciting campaign.
Michael Bettua joined us to discuss his Kickstarter campaign for Gemio, the customizable smart band that lights up your night. Listen in to learn more about the work that led up to this campaign and how Gemio has raised nearly $100,000 so far. The Customizable Smart Band that Lights Up Your Night
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to validate your concept with your target audience before launching on Kickstarter How to determine what features to offer in a new product while you are prototyping How long it takes to prepare for a Kickstarter campaign How to find partners when launching a new product on Kickstarter Why early bird specials are so important Why you need to spend time building a user base well in advance of your project launch
Links
Gemio on Kickstarter http://www.gogemio.com/ Further Future The Tipping Point
Connect with Gemio
Gemio on Facebook @gemio on Twitter @gogemio on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code AOTK for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyers guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more visit thegadgetflow.com. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I’m joined by Michael Bettua with Gemio. Michael, thank you so much for joining us.
Michael Bettua:
Hi Roy, thanks for having me.
Roy Morejon:
This is a special edition for us, it’s our 150th episode and what better a campaign to speak about than yours?
Michael Bettua:
That’s great. Yeah, I’m excited to be talking about it today.
Roy Morejon:
Tell our listeners what the Gemio Smart Band is all about.
Michael Bettua:
Sure. Gemio’s a wearable device so it’s a wristband that uses light to connect with friends, to express your personal style, and really become part of the show like concerts, and parties, and festivals. We call it a social wearable.
Roy Morejon:
This social wearable is awesome Michael. You’ve got an awesome demo of it on the campaign on Kickstarter that’s live right now. We’re headed well into the 6 figures very soon here. Tell us about where this product started and how you begin conceptualizing this idea.
Michael Bettua:
Sure Roy. We started about a year and a half ago with an original idea about using technology to bring people together in real life. We thought there’d be an opportunity to really re-create a friendship bracelet for the internet of things. The original idea started with that concept in using the expression of a friendship bracelet but the connectivity of technology and combining them to do something really new and interesting. It’s evolved from there to really be much more sophisticated than even we originally envisioned. For example, you can completely change the look of your Gemio band using these optical tiles that can be snapped on and off. The band,
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart we spoke with Amro Albanna of Kite Products, about his experience running an Indiegogo project. When his team experienced multiple delays over a three-year period, they came back to Indiegogo to make things right with their backers by offering a new product while they continued to develop the original one. Kite Shield: DEET-free Mosquito Repellent Spray
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Indiegogo can help you launch and develop a new technology How to handle Indiegogo fulfillment delays Why it’s important to be transparent with your backers What risks and challenges to expect when you launch on Indiegogo Why constant communication with backers is important
Links
Kite Shield on Indiegogo http://www.kiteproducts.com/ Collective Disruption: How Corporations & Startups Can Co-Create Transformative New Businesse by Michael Docherty http://www.iecrowd.com/
Connect with Kite
Kite Products on Facebook @KITEProducts on Twitter Kite Products on LinkedIn @kiteproducts on Instagram Kite Products on YouTube
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code AOTK for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to the Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am honored to be joined by Amro Albanna. Amro, thank you so much for joining us.
Amro Albanna:
A pleasure Roy. Thanks for the opportunity and for the interview.
Roy Morejon:
Absolutely. Amro, you’ve been around the crowdfunding scene for quite a while now. You’ve just recently relaunched the Kite Patch. Tell everyone where it all started and what it’s all about.
Amro Albanna:
Sure. Well, maybe I should start by talking about Kite as a technology and to give everybody a little bit of background on the landscape of mosquitoes and mosquito repellents. Obviously, we all dislike getting bitten by mosquitoes, right?
Roy Morejon:
Yep.
Amro Albanna:
For the last 50 years Roy, we’ve been using the same old technology that contain DEET and other chemicals that we all prefer not to use, but most products are effective. They work, and again that’s the technology that all of us have been using for the fast 50 years. Where Kite comes in, Kite is a very, very unique technology where it’s based on blocking mosquitoes’ receptors to detect human beings. In plain English, Kite makes us invisible to mosquitoes, and the way it does that is by blocking the receptors that mosquitoes use to find us, identify us and bite us. Those receptors are Co2 receptors as well as others. That’s really the overall concept of Kite. It uses no DEET to protect us against mosquitoes. We’ve recognized that such technology can fundamentally change the way we manipulate insect behaviors and the way we can protect ourselves from mosquitoes.
The bigger question was how in the world can we bring such powerful technology to the marketplace?
In the episode of Art of the Kickstart we hear from Petr Prochazka, founder and CEO of Skinners. Tune in to learn more about the inspiration behind Skinners, what the prototyping process looked like leading up to his campaign and what question he’d love to ask Forrest Gump. SKINNERS: Revolutionary Ultraportable Footwear with Silver
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Where some of the best project ideas originate How long prototyping takes for a new product Why you should pay attention to other crowdfunding campaigns before launching your own The importance of building a community around your product How to make fulfilling rewards a priority
Links
Skinners on Kickstarter http://www.skinners.cc/ The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Strategies for Continuously Creating Opportunity in an Age of Uncertainty by Rita Gunther McGrath and Ian MacMillan
Connect with Skinners
Skinners on Facebook @skinners_int on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code AOTK for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon. President of Command Partners, the top full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over seventy million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyers guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more visit the gadgetflow.com. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined by Petr Prochazka with Skinners. Petr, thank you so much for joining us.
Petr:
Thank you for inviting me.
Roy:
You guys have created this revolutionary, ultra-portable footwear. Tell us all about your campaign.
Petr:
I don’t know where I should start. We are saying that the Skinners are your second footwear that fits in your pocket. We are saying that it’s footwear of [inaudible 00:01:23]. I don’t know, it’s such a general question. I don’t know how to answer this one.
Roy:
How about where this idea came from.
Petr:
It was lighting from clear sky. It came to my mind when I was working in Norway as a chef. I was there with my friend and one day he injured his foot. During the healing, he couldn’t fit that foot in the regular footwear so he start walking barefoot in the streets and in his socks as well. I was wondering, “Hey man, you have such nice socks. You are going to destroy them in a few minutes or after a few walks.”
His response was that he just started saying all the advantages. How great it is how he can move freely, etc. It was the first thought to my mind. I was thinking that sounds interesting why there’s nothing on the market that could be for your foot like a sock but protective as a shoe.
First, I tried to Google it and couldn’t find anything so at night I went to a closed construction site for some scrap material or some pieces, what I could find there. I made a first prototype the very same night. That’s the story. That’s the origin.
Roy:
He challenged you to build something. The best Kickstarter projects that we’ve seen have always come out of unique situations where a new product needed to be developed and this certainly is unique. We love your video. We think there’s obviously tons of different use cases for this...
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart we spoke with Ray Wu of Wynd, a portable smart air purifier designed to clean the air around you. Tune in to learn more about building a team for a crowdfunding project, what to do during the pre-launch phase of your project and how to use Facebook ads to your advantage. Wynd - The Smartest Air Purifier for Your Personal Space
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to build the perfect team for a crowdfunding campaign How to connect with people who can help you launch a new product on Kickstarter or Indiegogo Where to find early adopters to back your project as soon as it launches How to use early bird rewards to fund quickly on Kickstarter How to use Facebook ads to gather leads before launching When to choose crowdfunding to launch your product
Links
Wynd on Kickstarter hellowynd.com Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
Connect with Wynd
Wynd on Facebook @TeamWynd on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code AOTK for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m joined by Ray Wu with the Wynd product. Ray, thank you so much for joining us.
Ray Wu:
Thanks, Roy. Happy to be here.
Roy Morejon:
Tell us about your Kickstarter project. This is, as you claim, the smartest air purifier for your space. What is Wynd all about?
Ray Wu:
Sure. Wynd, at a high level, is an air quality system. It generates clean air for your personal space that removes things like allergens, germs and even industrial pollution. On top of that, it’s also an air quality monitor. We’ve designed the smallest air quality monitor in the world that you can actually use by itself to alert you of any air quality issues. The air quality monitor works with the purifier all in one to maintain a healthy environment for you and your family. The last thing I would mention on just the hardware side of things is that it’s portable. You can actually bring this with you. Most air purifiers are very big. Ours is smaller than a water bottle. You bring Wynd with you, set it down wherever you want, and it cleans your personal space.
Roy Morejon:
Killer. I know you guys had engineered this with a bunch of smart MIT grads. Obviously it’s super effective at cleaning the air, and obviously with mobile size in terms of the product itself. Where does the technical background come from for you and the team in terms of putting this together.
Ray Wu:
There’s several pieces to what makes Wynd really work. I’ll separate them into the software and the hardware side. On the hardware side, we needed, number one, to make a really effective purifier but we’re limited by volume. We can’t use very large fans and very big filters. Everything’s very compact. The technical challenges around making the air flow really smooth,
We spoke with Kathy Roma of Nimb to learn about how Nimb came to be, how this ring can keep you safe and what surprises her crowdfunding team has encountered thus far. Tune in to this episode to get the behind-the-scenes scoop on the smart ring that keeps you safe. Nimb: A Smart Ring that Keeps You Safe and Sound
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to build a crowdfunding team What to expect during the product development phase of a crowdfunding project How to test a concept before launching it on Kickstarter Why crowdfunding is so exciting How to continue improving your Kickstarter campaign
Links
Nimb on Kickstarter http://nimb.com/ The Major Film Theories by J. Dudley Andrew
Connect with Nimb
Nimb on Facebook @Nimb_ring on Twitter @nimbring on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code AOTK for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70,000,000 for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m joined by Kathy Roma with Nimb. Kathy, thank you so much for joining us.
Kathy Roma:
Thank you for having me.
Roy Morejon:
Kathy, tell me about this smart ring that keeps you safe and sound. I know there’s quite a back story to it so please tell our listeners.
Kathy Roma:
Actually we call it the system. It’s not only the ring, it’s the device and the application. We call it a crowdsource security system. We want to equip people with the perfect tool to arrange themselves and help those in trouble. Sometimes we face emergency situations and we want to call for help. Our system is the perfect instrument for doing it quick to get this help as soon as possible.
Roy Morejon:
The story came out of when you were attacked on your own. You’re obviously hoping to make the world a safer place. How long ago did that happen in terms of the development of the product now
Kathy Roma:
Founders have been working on this project for 2 years already. I joined it 3 months ago. When I heard about the project, I remembered how I was attacked. It was sixteen years ago. I lived in a nice neighborhood and it was like 10AM. I was going to live another boring day in the office and then everything interrupted by a stranger. I was severely injured. I got 9 injuries and barely made it to the hospital. I recalled this and told my story and said that I definitely want to bring to the table all my skills and everything I can do to make the world a safer place and to keep other people away from us. I should experience to help individuals lead safer lives. That was my motivation.
We received tremendous feedback from our customers and from people all over the world. They understand the concept. They give us their warmest support. This life is unpredictable and if you are prepared and you know that someone has your back, someone always will come and help you, this warm feeling means a lot to me and to all the people.
In this episode of the Art of the Kickstart podcast, we talked to Sam Hickmann. With the team at Joy, he has created the perfect icon-based watch that teaches kids the concept of time and helps them develop good daily habits. Listen below to learn more about their work with the HAX Accelerator, how they leveraged their community to make their Kickstarter campaign a success and other crowdfunding tips and tricks. Octopus by Joy, the training wheels for good habits
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How incubators like HAX can help startups create and develop products The benefits of being in China while building a hardware product Why you need a community behind your product How to build a strong community before launching on Kickstarter How to get valuable feedback as you’re creating a product
Links
Octopus by Joy on Kickstarter heyjoy.io Value Proposition Design by Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur, Gregory Bernarda and Alan Smith The Success Principles by John Canfield The Hardware Startup by Renee DiResta, Brady Forrest and Ryan Vinyard Peaceful Parents, Happy Kids by Dr. Laura Markham Positioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout Smaller, Faster, Better by Charles Duhigg The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Connect with Joy
JOY on Facebook @joyfamilytech on Instagram @JOYfamilytech on Twitter JOY on Pinterest
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code AOTK for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over seventy million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by Sam Hickmann with Octopus by JOY. Sam, thank you so much for joining us.
Sam Hickmann:
Thank you for having me.
Roy Morejon:
I’ve got to know, what is this icon based scheduler for kids?
Sam Hickmann:
That actually is the first icon based watch that teaches kids good habits and the concept of time.
Roy Morejon:
I’ve got two kids of my own. One of them is very young and the other one is about two and a half. Is it too young for her already?
Sam Hickmann:
Yes. The ideal age is in between three and eight years old.
Roy Morejon:
Got it. Tell us a little bit more about the watch, how it works as a scheduler for children, and where the idea came from.
Sam Hickmann:
Sure. Actually JOY is a company that wants to help families live in harmony thanks to technology. Octopus by JOY is actually the first product of the company. It came from a personal story. I have two kids at home. My son is twelve. I’m really proud of him now. When he was younger, we had a really hard time teaching him good habits. Sometimes he didn’t want to cooperate. He didn’t want to dress up, to help set the table. Depending on the day, either we were stressed and it would finish in power struggles or we were exhausted and we would give up. Sometimes he would simply forget to do things. We had to remind him,
The team at LifeBEAM went from working on aerospace technologies to fitness wearables. In this episode you’ll hear about how they created Vi, the wearable that acts as a personal trainer, how they began preparing for a Kickstarter project and what they’ve learned along the way. Vi. The First True Artificial Intelligence Personal Trainer
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Where crowdfunding projects typically start How to build a great product for crowdfunding How far out to start prepping for a crowdfunding campaign What surprises you may encounter during a Kickstarter project How to balance promoting the campaign with preparing for manufacturing
Links
Vi on Kickstarter http://life-beam.com/ The Last Lion - Winston Spencer Churchill: Defender of the Realm, 1940-1965 by William Manchester and Paul Reid
Connect with LifeBEAM
Lifebeam on Facebook LifeBEAM on LinkedIn @LifeBEAM on Twitter LifeBEAM on YouTube
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code AOTK for 20% off!
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we shifted the focus from creating and managing a successful Kickstarter or Indiegogo product to designing and manufacturing your product once the crowdfunding campaign ends. Join us to learn more about how to go about sourcing in China, how to build relationships with manufacturers and what to do about production delays. Hey Joe Coffee Mug - Brew Joe on the Go
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to begin sourcing in China How to begin building relationships with manufacturers in China Why you should visit several manufacturers before choosing one to work with How crowdfunding can help you determine demand in the market How product design is an iterative process How to communicate product delays to crowdfunding backers Why constant communication with crowdfunding backers is important
Links
Hey Joe Coffee Mug on Kickstarter heyjoecoffee.com Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
Connect with Hey Joe Coffee
Hey Joe Coffee on Facebook @heyjoebeans on Twitter @heyjoecoffee on Instagram Hey Joe Coffee on YouTube
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over 70 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m joined by Jordan Warren. Jordan, thank you so much for joining us.
Jordan Warren: Thanks for having me.
Roy Morejon: Jordan, you ran a campaign back a couple of years ago now, in the Summer of 2014. Raised over 100K for the Hey Joe Coffee Mug. Tell us about the product.
Jordan Warren: The product itself was originally conceived and still is a battery powdered self-brewing coffee mug, so you can actually brew the coffee inside of your mug and drink it directly from the mug via battery power, wirelessly. That’s the concept in a nutshell.
Roy Morejon: Did this product came out of a pain point for you or what’s the back story?
Jordan Warren: Yeah, it actually did. I was driving to work in my car, because I drive to work every day. I don’t live in a place where I can walk or talk a bus. I live in Atlanta. Anyway, I was driving through a local coffee shop, staying in line. Got my coffee, took a sip. It was too hot for my mouth, so then I put it down it a cup holder, took the top off to let it cool down. Went over a speed bump on the way out of the coffee shop. Coffee spills everywhere. I’m cleaning this stuff up with napkins. I drice to my office with the top still off the coffee. Now it’s too cold and I put it in the microwave to heat it up and now it’s burnt. Then going through that whole process at that moment I just thought like, “This is not the first time this ever happened to me. This has happened a number of times and it’s frustrating that there’s no solution for it.” I actually thought of a mug that would immediately regulate the temperature of t...
For this exciting episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Guy Sprukt of Miggo to find out more about the Pictar iPhone camera grip. Listen to learn why crowdfunding a product can be beneficial, how long to expect to spend preparing for your project, how to get great press coverage and much more. PICTAR. Probably the best iPhone camera-grip ever built.
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How knowledge of the production process can make launching a Kickstarter project easier How crowdfunding a product can help you finetune it before producing it What other benefits companies get from crowdfunding a new product How meeting with journalists before you launch can help you get press coverage How to decide if your product is a good fit for crowdfunding How long it takes to prepare for and run a crowdfunding campaign
Links
Pictar on Kickstarter Pictar on Indiegogo https://mymiggo.com/
Connect with Miggo
Miggo on Facebook @mymiggo on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over 70 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow, is the ultimate buyers guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit the gadgetflow.com Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am joined by Guy Sprukt with Miggo and the Pictar, probably the best iPhone camera grip ever built. Guy, thank you so much for joining us.
Guy Sprukt: Yeah its my pleasure Roy.
Roy Morejon: You’re on your third Kickstarter campaign. It’s uber successful, tell us about the product and the idea.
Guy Sprukt: Well Pictar and how to describe, I think the best word to describe it is a device that actually enables you to unleash the power of your iPhone’s camera. It’s kind of a grip that you attach your iPhone to it and it actually let’s you hold your iPhone similar to existing camera, while allow me to control more of its features by 5 external buttons, so it’s kind of a I want to say a semi-camera grip, with excellent control and you feel like your holding a real camera and you control iPhone as if it was a real camera. That’s the best way to describe it.
Roy Morejon: Yeah. It’s a beautifully-designed product. You guys have raised over a quarter of a million dollars, so congrats on the success. You launched your first campaign years ago on Kickstarter, how did crowdfunding enter your life and how did you choose that platform to launch your first project?
Guy Sprukt: Actually, it was kind of a mistake. We picked another company, we founded Miggo about three years ago after our, we used to work the founders, there were five people who founded Miggo three years ago. We used to work for a big company, big international company called [inaudible 00:02:54] who was one of the leading I would say, camera accessories company in the world, focusing on the camera bags and straps and so on. A few years ago the company was shut down, after it was acquired in international British corporation.
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we speak with Elena Favilli of Timbuktu Labs about her new children’s book that reinvents fairy tales by telling the stories of 100 great women throughout history. Join us as we learn what inspired the book, how the team prepared for the project and how they were able to raise more than half a million dollars on Kickstarter. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls - 100 tales to dream BIG
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How long it takes to prepare for a Kickstarter project How to build the initial momentum and traction you need when launching a Kickstarter campaign How to find journalists who would be interested in covering your crowdfunding project What tools can help you run a successful Kickstarter campaign What prep work to do before launching on Kickstarter
Links
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls on Kickstarter http://www.timbuktu.me/ Everything You Ever Wanted by Jillian Lauren
Connect with Timbuktu Labs
Timbuktu Labs on Facebook @TimbuktuMag on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over 70 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com. Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am honored to be joined by the team from the Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. Elena, thank you so much for joining us.
Elena: Thank you, hi.
Roy: You guys have been kicking butt on this campaign. As a father of two young girls, I’m really impressed with the work that you have done. I’m a buyer of this product myself. Give our community a little bit of background on how your story began.
Elena: Oh yeah, sure. We started planning this campaign six months ago, and so we’ve been putting a lot of work into this. Actually, the Kickstarter campaign that you see is just the tip of the iceberg, because within researching the product first and slowly building an audience before actually launching the campaign on Kickstarter, so on the day that we launched, we already had a very engaged audience of a little over 4,000 people who were ready to just jump on board and buy the book as soon as we launched it.
I think that was a very important piece of our strategy for launch day. Also, we already had a children’s media company, an existing company, which is called Timbuktu Labs, that we started about five years ago, so we already had a network of users and of people who already knew our products and who were familiar with what we do and what we stand for. That certainly helped in building that initial momentum and traction that is so important when you launch a Kickstarter campaign.
Roy: I couldn’t agree more. I mean, it’s obviously great to hear that you guys have built a base. You built Timbuktu, you guys have mobile apps that are out there. You’re published in many different places. You have partnerships with some of these elite brands in the world.
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart we spoke with Justin Bain of Noria. Join us as we learn more about what sets this air conditioner apart, what the team did to prepare for a Kickstarter project and how you can make your project as successful as this one. Noria: Cool, Redefined
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Just how long it can take to bring an idea to Kickstarter How to build a great crowdfunding team How to choose your Kickstarter funding goal What product development looks like before launching on Kickstarter Why timing is everything when you launch a crowdfunding campaign What leads to a strong first day on Kickstarter How to use social media to promote your crowdfunding project
Links
http://www.noriahome.com/ Noria on Kickstarter Against All Odds: An Autobiography by James Dyson
Connect with Noria
Noria on Facebook @noriacool on Instagram @noriacool on Twitter
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010.
Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com, and let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m honored to be joined by Justin Bain with Noria. Justin, thank you so much for joining us.
Justin Bain:
Thank you for having me.
Roy Morejon:
Awesome. Well Justin, you’ve got this killer product that’s active, Noria, the first window air conditioner designed entirely with the individual in mind. Tell us more about the project.
Justin Bain:
Noria is the easiest window air conditioner to install in the history of window air conditioners. You’re absolutely right, we designed it one hundred percent with user experience in mind. It’s half the height of a window air conditioners typically, around 40 percent of the size overall. There’s a window frame adapter that installs first, so you don’t have to carry a heavy bulky air conditioner to install it, and it’s smartphone-controlled. The entire user-experience app controls scheduling, everything. It was designed to make this the most user-friendly air conditioner there can be.
Roy Morejon:
So you guys are in your campaign, you’ve done over a half million dollars in business so far. We’ve got three weeks left or so. Let’s kind of jump back and go, ‘Where does this product start? What’s the backstory?’
Justin Bain:
A few years back. This product has been in development for years. In 2012 Kurt Swanson, who’s actually the true inventor of Noria and a friend of mine, we go way back, he had worked with Boeing prior to that. He had left and founded his own engineering firm. In his own time he had come up with, just with ideas that he had, he’d come up with a compact cooling device for keeping carafes you know like a jug of milk and cream cold for coffee. Like you’d picture in a hotel lobby that kind of thing.
So he came up with this design for a really compact cooling device and he showed it to me asked me what I thought.
We talked to Carlos Ruiz and Jonas Mueller of flatev to get the behind-the-scenes scoop on their artisan tortilla maker. Learn more about the inspiration behind the “Keurig of tortillas,” what they did leading up to their Kickstarter campaign and much more. flatev - The Artisan Tortilla Maker
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What types of delays to expect during prototyping What kinds of feedback to expect from your backers Benefits of working with a marketing agency on your crowdfunding campaign How to test different audiences prior to launching Why it’s important to have good partnerships How to find partnerships and manufacturers
Links
flatev on Kickstarter http://flatev.com/ The Lean Startup by Eric Ries Business Model Generation by Alexander Osterwalder
Connect with flatev
flatev on Facebook @flatevofficial on Twitter @flatev on Instagram
Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product. Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by the Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer’s guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more visit thegadgetflow.com. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart, I am honored to be joined by Carlos and Jonas with Flatev. Carlos, Jonas, thank you so much for joining us.
Carlos:
Thank you, Roy, it’s a pleasure for us to be here with you.
Jonas:
Thank you, Roy.
Roy:
Tell us all about the artisan tortilla maker you have created.
Carlos:
Sure. The tortilla maker we have created is to bring to the market for people who really are tired of poor quality of bread of tortillas that they buy in the grocery stores. This is easily if you want to have a great tortilla or bread, the only option you have until today, until Flatev, was to make it by yourself. This imposes a lot of time and effort and mess for cleaning, knowhow and experience. The second option you had was to go to a restaurant, to a place where they make them homemade fresh, and eat them straightaway before they get cold. This is a [inaudible 00:02:03] for many people to be able to consume these tortillas or bread as fresh as possible in their houses. That’s why they usually go and buy store packaged, precooked tortillas, which usually have a lot of additives, and they’re unhealthy, they are usually not organic. The other problem is they smell bad, they break very often, that’s why many people have to use two tortillas or fry them. That’s why we decided to change this and create a way to produce or to make artisan homemade tortillas in a very convenient way.
This happened some years ago when … Studying in Switzerland. I realized that tortillas abroad are very bad. I had an espresso machine with coffee pods, and even if I was a student and I was not able to afford many things, I didn’t want to save money on coffee because good quality, convenience, and not having to clean something was a great value for me. That’s why I got inspired that and I say, “How is it possible there is no solution to make a tortilla, but also other bread, roti for India,
In March we published a case study we had written on the Nebia shower. This week, we had a chance to catch up with the team and hear their story behind the project!
Philip Winter of Nebia spoke with us this week to give us insight into building a prototype, working with Y Combinator and raising more than $3 million on Kickstarter. Tune in for his top tips for building a great product and managing a successful Kickstarter campaign.
Nebia Shower - Better experience, 70% less water
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why you need feedback from others as you’re building a product How to get the best feedback about your prototype What it is like to work with Y Combinator How press hits make a difference How to prepare for overfunding on a Kickstarter campaign Why you should be prepared to learn as you go
Links
https://nebia.com/ Nebia on Kickstarter Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard Creativity Inc by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Connect with Nebia
Nebia on Facebook @nebia on Twitter
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top full-service crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped raise over $70 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help take your start up to the next level with crowdfunding.
Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyers guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. To learn more, visit thegadgetflow.com.
Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart, today I’m honored to be joined by Philip Winter, with the Nebia Shower. Philip, thanks for joining us.
Philip Winter:
Great to be here, thanks so much Roy.
Roy Morejon:
Philip, you launched a campaign, and absolutely crush it. You raised over three million dollars last year. Tell us about the product.
Philip Winter:
We launched on Kickstarter in August of 2015. Our company is called Nebia, and we built a totally new shower system, based on a better experience, and a beautiful design. It saves seventy percent of water. What we do is atomize water into millions of tiny droplets. It creates like halfway between a steam shower, and a regular shower. It increases the surface area of water by ten times, so you get this really enveloping, and immersive experience when you walk into it. It’s just as effective as a regular shower.
Roy Morejon:
People say that the best ideas come from in the shower, so how did this product start? What’s the back story?
Philip Winter:
Logically, it came in the shower. No, no. One of my co-founders Carlos use to run a large chain of gyms, in Mexico City. They had about twenty thousand people a day showering. Mexico City is the third largest city in the world, it’s twenty million people, and it’s eight thousand feet above sea level. You can imagine what it takes to pump a lot of water up there, and it was one of his biggest concerns, and one of his highest costs. Together with his dad who was a retired engineer, and lifelong tinkerer, he’s eighty-four at the time. He’s now eighty-nine. They built the first few prototypes, got some good feedback. That’s how the early prototypes of Nebia were birthed. I met them around that time, and they showed me what they were working on. Invited me to their house for a shower, and I loved it, and it sort of took on a life of it’s own from there.
About a year and a half ago, we decided to move to San Francisco, base the company here, and really try to build a product, and a company that’s centered on a much better shower experience.
Inspired by the archetypal super-spy, Maison Impeccable set out to create the perfect sock to get you through the day, from the office to the gym and everywhere in between. Learn more about how to test the waters with crowdfunding in this week’s episode of Art of the Kickstart. Stealth Socks - Covertly Fresh, Impeccably Styled
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to get started with prototypes What needs to happen before you launch in order to make the first few days a success Why Facebook ads are a necessary part of every crowdfunding campaign Why you need good press outreach Why launching on Kickstarter works well for product-based companies How launching on Kickstarter can help minimize the risk that can come with minimum order quantities What it looks like to test the waters with crowdfunding How to take feedback from your backers and respond to it with new products
Links
Stealth Socks on Kickstarter http://www.impeccable.maison/ The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
Connect with Maison Impeccable
Maison Impeccable on Facebook @stayimpeccable on Twitter @maison.impeccable on Instagram
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Now, let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I’m honored to be joined by Ben Yelian with Maison Impeccable. Ben, thank you for joining us.
Ben Yelian:
Roy, great to be here.
Roy Morejon:
Ben, you’ve got this awesome Kickstarter campaign, the Stealth Socks. Tell us what it’s all about.
Ben Yelian:
Sure. Where to begin? The Stealth Sock is basically about as good as you can make socks. We took every problem you could conceivably have with such a simple garment, and over-engineered them. The core of this really, we have two unique fibers. One is bacteriostatic silver, and one is activated carbon. What they do is they find odor through two different mechanisms. One of them, the silver prevents the growth of microbes that cause odor, and then the carbon kind of sucks away anything else. If you can imagine charcoal, and it helps to wick moisture.
We paired those with a number of construction features that help with breathability, help with durability, like cushioned or added nylon reinforcement. In the end, you have a super stellar sock. It never smells. It’s super durable, super comfortable, never [falls 00:01:36]. It’s pretty much everything you’d ask for.
Roy Morejon:
It sounds amazing, Ben. Is it too good to be true? I mean, where did this all start?
Ben Yelian:
Sure. We hear that question a lot. My background is in consulting. I used to do a lot of business travel. I was living out of suitcase, running through airports, working 80 hour weeks. What I quickly came to realize through all of that was the clothes that we normally wear for work especially aren’t really great. They’re not breathable. They’re not comfortable. They tend to pick up smells. They’ve kind of gotten left behind, because we’ve had so much technological change in the past few years, but the clothes that we wear are pretty much the same as they’ve been for decades. We thought we could change all that.
There has been a number of other players who have made similar products bringing in new fabrics to the market, and we tried a lot and those have been great, but we’ve always had some things that weren’t quite right. We always had ideas for how we could change something or how we could make it better. Instead of sitting on the sidelines and waiting for other companies to figure out what we wanted,
For this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Caleb Light of Power Practical about running six Kickstarter campaigns. Tune in to learn more about how to build a team for your startup and how to use crowdsourcing to create new products. Luminoodle COLOR & BASECAMP: Versatile & Portable Lighting
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why it’s beneficial to get your company started through crowdfunding Why every startup needs a diversified team How to use your backers to develop new products and grow your company How to turn your backers into brand ambassadors How Kickstarter can lead to a Shark Tank appearance How pitching on Shark Tank differs from the traditional investment pitch Why it’s important to respond to your backers quickly Why you need relationships with key media targets
Links
Luminoodle Color and Basecamp on Kickstarter https://powerpractical.com/ Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
Connect with Power Practical
Power Practical on Facebook @PowerPractical on Twitter @powerpractical on Instagram
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by Caleb Light with the Luminoodle. Caleb, thank you so much for joining us.
Caleb Light:
Thanks, Roy. I appreciate the opportunity.
Roy Morejon:
Absolutely. So the Luminoodle. This is your sixth campaign now on Kickstarter, is that right?
Caleb Light:
Yeah, that is correct. This is our sixth Kickstarter campaign and it’s been an exciting journey thus far.
Roy Morejon:
Awesome. Tell us about the project and the journey that you guys have taken to get here.
Caleb Light:
Yeah. We launched our company back in 2012 by doing a Kickstarter project around a product called the Power Pot and that was a thirty day campaign and we were able to raise about a hundred and thirty grand roughly, which for a lack of a better way of putting it, kickstarted our business. We’d seen so much success given all the benefits of crowdfunding that any time we do a product launch, we try to take it to the crowds first because there’s a bunch of inherent values of doing that.
Roy Morejon:
Awesome. So what got you started then first and foremost thinking that crowdfunding and Kickstarter was a means to launch your company?
Caleb Light:
I was part of an incubator. I was in a previous startup before this one and a couple of my buddies had been doing crowdfunding campaigns and it had been working well for them and I met these two engineers that invented the Power Pot and I thought there would be a real opportunity to take that to the crowds.
Given we were all in our twenties, young guys, didn’t have a bunch of capital to play with that would be necessary for a hard good company to build a bunch of inventory and take it into a traditional retail channel.
We saw it as a really good opportunity for us to leverage the power of the crowds to collect the cash upfront. To get our manufacturing going. That ultimately would help us sell into other channels as we progressed and moved along.
Roy Morejon:
Interesting. Do you have a technical background? What does your team look like? How has that been structured?
Caleb Light:
I went to school for accounting and like I said, I was in a startup before this one and that’s really where my passion is. We have two material science engineers, and then we have a guy that does marketing and our graphics, and then we have another internal sales guy and then we also hav...
This week we spoke with David Rabie of Tovala, the smart oven that makes it easy to create delicious meals at home. Learn more about how his team developed their product, how they prepared for the Kickstarter project and how they quickly hit their $100,000 goal. Tovala: The Smart Oven That Makes Home Cooking Easy
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to include a subscription model for products that backers will buy later in your rewards How to utilize the crowd after your crowdfunding campaign ends How accelerator programs can help with crowdfunding and product development How to build up a community before launching a crowdfunding campaign How to ramp up press coverage before your campaign begins Why it’s important to test your messaging before your crowdfunding campaign
Links
Tovala on Kickstarter Good to Great by Jim Collins https://tovala.com/
Connect with Tovala
Tovala on Facebook @TovalaFood on Twitter @TovalaFood on Instagram
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. Each week I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am with David Rabie with Tovala. David, thank you for joining us.
David Rabie:
Well, it’s my pleasure, Roy. Thanks for having me.
Roy Morejon:
The smart oven that makes home cooking easy. Tell us all about the product.
David Rabie:
Sure, so Tovala is a smart counter top oven, and it’s paired with a companion meal delivery service, so it’s super simple. You buy the smart oven, it replaces your toaster oven, replaces your microwave, and then when you want to order our meals, you subscribe to our service. Meals get delivered once a week, totally fresh and pre-prepped and ready to cook. When you’re ready to eat, all you do is take the meal, scan a label that’s on the meal under the barcode reader on the appliance, and just push start. The appliance knows exactly how to cook that meal.
Let’s say it’s a miso-glazed salmon with forbidden rice and broccoli. It will steam and bake that meal for 3 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit, and then finish it with a broil for 10 minutes at 550 to crisp and char the salmon and broccoli just right. Every meal has it’s own unique recipe profile to cook it to perfection every single time, and there’s no clean up that’s required.
Roy Morejon:
It sounds too good to be true, David.
David Rabie:
It works. We have many units out in the wild in people’s homes being tested. We’ve served over 2,000 meals to this point, and we have 1 final production ready unit already that we’re testing and is working.
Roy Morejon:
That’s great. Yeah, we were able to watch, there’s a great interview, or article with you guys on TechCrunch. I saw you brought the product into their offices. That looked pretty successful.
David Rabie:
Yeah, it was a fun interview, and the food tasted really good, as it does. People tend to be a little skeptical until they actually try our meals, but the food surprises people, and that’s what converts them.
Roy Morejon:
This is a unique campaign where basically you have a physical product that you obviously want the folks to own, but then you also have the food prep option as well. How come you didn’t include reward options in your campaign for the precooked meals?
David Rabie:
We went back and forth on that, and because the meal service is complementary to the product, we didn’t want to overly complicate our rewards. To be honest, I don’t know if that was the right decision or not, and there wasn’t a template for us to follow,
In October 2014, Gareth Everard raised almost $150,000 on Kickstarter with a razor. Within a few months, he’d shipped a bad product to 2,500 people who backed his campaign. In this week’s podcast we learn how he overcame manufacturing problems to make his backers happy again, how he’s crowdfunding an even better razor now, and what lessons he’s learned in the process. Rockwell Model T Razor and Razor Blades - Shaving, Perfected
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How crowdfunding can launch you into a full-time business overnight Effectively using Reddit to market your campaign Getting a following and growing your email list Determining how much time to dedicate to the pre-launch portion of your campaign Getting your project ready for manufacturing and production How to deal with issues in production, manufacturing and logistics Making a product even better after a successful crowdfunding campaign
Links
The Obstacle is the Way The Rockwell Model T on Kickstarter The Rockwell 6S on Kickstarter https://rockwellrazors.com/
Connect with Rockwell Razors
@RockwellRazors on Twitter Rockwell Razors on Facebook @rockwellrazors on Instagram Rockwell Razors on LinkedIn
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy Morejon:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. Each week I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m honored to be joined by Gareth Everard with the Rockwell Razors. Gareth, thank you for joining us.
Gareth Everard:
Thanks, Roy. Excited to be here.
Roy Morejon:
Awesome. We’re excited to have you. Listen, you ran a campaign in the Fall of 2014 for the Rockwell Razor. You kicked butt on it. You ran into some issues. What I’d like to do is kind of learn about your previous campaign, what you’re up to now, and let the conversation flow from there.
Gareth Everard:
Awesome. I’d be happy to share some of the ups and downs. I know a lot of the listeners are hopeful Kickstarter-prenuers or people who have run campaigns so I’ll try to draw an end to this that I can in terms of tips.
You’re right, the Rockwell 6S campaign went live, that’s 6S, not success. The razor went live on Kickstarter in September 2014. It was my senior year of college, so I kind of just jumped right into it. A friend of mine and I launched the campaign and had a goal of $12,000. We put it live on a Tuesday night and overnight it raised $18,000, and we woke up the next morning with a full-time business on our hands. There have been some crazy ups and downs since then. I guess we’ll probably dive a little bit more into the specific lessons from the downs in later bit on in this interview. Yeah, it’s been definitely a lot of learning. We’re excited to be going back to Kickstarter with our next product that’s actually launching, I think it will have launched once this episode goes live. That’s pretty exciting. That’ll be for the Rockwell Model T.
Roy Morejon:
A new edition of the Rockwell. That’s awesome. I’m assuming you took a lot of feedback from your customers, and obviously maybe some of the pain points as well from the campaign. Kind of discuss what happened initially while you kind of fell into a full-time business.
Gareth Everard:
The Rockwell 6S is a adjustable safety razor. What that means is that instead of using cartridges, which I’m sure you’ve- Roy you know, they’re overpriced, they give a lot of people irritation on their skin, they result in a lot of ingrown hairs, there’s a lot of that stuff associated with cartridges. Now there are a bunch of shaving startups coming out,
On this week’s episode of Art of the Kickstart we interview Anthony Pu of Mighty, the device that makes it easy to stream music on-the-go without using a smartphone. Join us as we learn what inspired him, how his team prepared for the campaign, how they decided on a funding goal and what he’s learned from his first Kickstarter campaign. Mighty - Streaming Music Without Your Phone
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What the process of prepping for a crowdfunding campaign looks like How to make a splash on day one of your campaign The importance of relying on friends, family and your personal network How to do a soft launch for your personal network How to land press coverage What it looks like to work with social media influencers Why it’s important to reach out to media outlets and influential bloggers in your niche or industry Why you need to expect backer cancellations How setting a high funding goal, especially for hardware, can help ensure that you meet your delivery date
Links
Mighty on Kickstarter Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
Connect with Mighty
Mighty Audio on Facebook @mightyaudio on Twitter @mightyaudio on Instagram
Transcript View this episode's transcript
Roy:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. Each week I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take you startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Now let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. This afternoon I’m joined by Anthony Pu with Mighty. Mighty the streaming music player so you don’t need your phone. Anthony, thank you for joining us.
Anthony:
Thanks for having me Roy.
Roy:
Tell us, what is Mighty all about.
Anthony:
I think what you alluded to, Mighty is the first and only device that lets you play your Spotify or other streaming music on the go without a smart phone. We thought it was a sort of hole in the market and a pain point for some people to right now exercise, work out, do active stuff with their smartphones when they want their Spotify or other kind of music. That experience with the smartphone isn’t great, and so we wanted to improve that and have a great experience for those types of users and that sort of personal frustration and pain point is where the product was born from.
Roy:
I think the best products always come from pain points and solving people’s issues. You guys have set a serious funding goal at a quarter of a million dollars. You’ve surpassed that now with a few days left in your campaign. What have been some of the key points or highlights of the campaign that you can share with our audience?
Anthony:
Yeah. That’s a great question. It’s been a really awesome learning experience for us as well. I think the crowdfunding space and Kickstarter in general is just this whole ecosystem that is very, very intricate. Once you sort of step into the world as an outsider and you see Kickstarter campaigns, you sort of think, “Hey.” Someone puts a page up for a campaign and people just back it, but it’s really not that simple. There’s a whole process involved.
I want to say 90% of prepping for this campaign happens before it actually launches whether it’s rounding up press or reaching out to friends and family or trying to get social media influencers and really just trying to have a big splash on day 1. That was our goal, just trying to keep the momentum throughout the campaign, in the middle of it, and finishing strong, which we’re sort of in our last 6 days now. I think the biggest takeaway for us is just that big prep and really learning and navigating t...
Casper Chien and the dokiWatch team created a smartwatch that’s designed for kids too young for a cell phone, then they brought it to life on Kickstarter. In this episode we learn the story behind the product and how the team encountered phenomenal success through crowdfunding. dokiWatch: The World’s Most Advanced Smartwatch for Kids
Success Quote “Work hard, play hard” Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Challenges when creating a technology product When to choose Kickstarter What marketing and prep work is necessary leading up to a crowdfunding campaign How to line up press coverage before you launch How to assure potential backers that your product will ship The future of equity crowdfunding
Links
http://www.doki.com/ dokiWatch on Kickstarter dokiWatch on Indiegogo
Connect with dokiWatch
Doki Technologies on Facebook @dokitec on Twitter @dokitec on Instagram
Transcript View this week's transcript
Roy:
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Command Partners, the top crowdfunding marketing agency in the world.
Each week I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding.
Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m honored to be with Casper, with the dokiWatch. Casper, I appreciate you joining us today. Casper:
Thanks for having me.
Roy:
So, the dokiWatch, the world’s most advanced smartwatch for kids. Tell us about the product and how it came to life.
Casper:
Sure. The idea really came about when we were looking at what are some of the kid’s wearable devices out there currently, in the market. We didn’t really see a device that is holistic as what we are currently offering with the dokiWatch.
We are the most advanced smartwatch for kids, like what you just mentioned, but apart from a smartwatch, what it really is is a communication device, it’s a safety device. It also is a fitness tracker. Essentially, it’s a wearable phone on your kid’s wrist.
We’re the only smartwatch for kids that runs on an Android OS, so it means that, basically, all the features that you see on there, currently, for example, video calling is one of our main, key features. We’re the first and only smartwatch to have such a feature incorporated and integrated into our device. There’s voice calling, there’s voice messaging, there’s text messaging.
On top of all the basic communication features, there’s also the safety aspect of it, whereby parents can track their child through GPS tracking, they can set geo-fences on the companion app where, whenever their child reaches a certain location, a certain proximity or area, it’ll send a notification to the parent’s smartphones.
It also has the added benefit of a fitness tracker incorporated onto the device. From a kid’s point of view, what we wanted to do was to create something that is really appealing for the kid, as well. What we did was, we “gamified” fitness tracker. We made it into something like an electronic pet. If you remember the Tamagotchis back in the days? It’s something similar, in the sense that the pet grows, but in accordance to how active and how healthy you are. It’s almost a win-win situation where you encourage kids to stay healthy, to move around more, and they can also have fun with their electronic pet at the same time.
These are all some of the features that we have on the dokiWatch, but like I said, we run on an Android OS, so we can always enhance and introduce new features to the product in the future.
Roy:
Does this mean I need a cell phone plan for my six year old?
Casper:
You’ll need a cell phone plan, but the good thing about dokiWatch is that, right now, you’ll need a micro SIM card,
Note: The audio quality of this episode was compromised by a poor recording device. We were working with translators and recording over the phone, which affected the quality.
Just like many other crowdfunding projects, this one starts with a problem. When faced with a need to lose weight, Mark Wood found that there just wasn’t a weight system that suited his needs. Enter the Gripbell. In this episode you’ll get valuable tips on creating a product, prototyping and taking your project to Kickstarter!
GRIPBELL | Versatile Grip, Workout Differently
Success Quote “Never, never, never give up.” - Winston Churchill Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to get started once you have an idea for a new product How the prototyping process works How to prepare your marketing before the campaign launches What marketing initiatives bring the highest return What conversions rates to expect on ads How to set up rewards and pricing
Links
http://gripbell.com/ Gripbell on Indiegogo Gripbell on Kickstarter
Connect with Gripbell
Gripbell on Facebook @gripbell on Twitter @gripbell on Instagram
Transcript Click here to view a transcript of this week's episode
Roy: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, President of Command Partners, the top crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. Each week, I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your start up to the next level with crowdfunding. Let’s get on with the show.
Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I’m honored to be joined by Mark Wood, owner and crowdfunding campaign of the Gripbell. Mark, thank you for joining us.
Mark: It’s a pleasure. Glad to be here.
Roy: Mark, your product came out of an injury which is always an interesting story. Tell our community how this idea came to life.
Mark: Sure. About two years ago … Let me explain. I’ll give you a little background here. I was quite obese in the past. I was searching for a good exercise plan and I read a lot of about kettle bell and so I followed a program … It was a video tape and after doing that for a while I decided that I wanted to try and work on less muscle and just leaner and thinner and something that would be easier to use. I designed the Gripbell and it just seemed to be more user-friendly than the kettle bell.
Roy: Interesting. After that started, once you saw the need for a new kettle bell technology, what was the process next in terms of getting started?
Mark: I got on the computer at home and honestly I will tell you, I’m not a skilled artist. I’ll be honest. I used just a regular little program. I had MS Word and I just fooled around with the design and editing the design with what skills I had. Finally I went to a metal shop and I said, “Could you follow these dimensions, these rough dimensions?”
The welder said, “Fine. We’ll take your design and we’ll work with it.
Cutting them out, we went back and forth on that. It wasn’t perfect at the start, of course. Then my attorney, they suggested that I contact another company who does CAD design and they advanced my simple design and got really detailed with it. We went back and forth on the design. A lot of editing and it’s so much better after that. They had the skill set to do that. The company, the machine company they got connected with did the manufacturing and the process was so much better once I got them involved.
Roy: Excellent. You don’t have a technical background at all. What made you decide you want to go into product development?
Mark: Even though I didn’t have that skill set, I believed that I could find a better way. It’s just that I really believed in the idea. The kettle bell’s good but … Again, I wasn’t skilled in design but that didn’t bother me. I didn’t let that stop me.
Keep Pursuing set out to create the ultimate duffle bag, finding inspiration in sports cars. They ended up with a product that would bring in more than half a million dollars on Kickstarter. In this episode of the Art of the Kickstart podcast, learn more about the secrets behind their success. KP Duffle - The Ultimate Travel Bag
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How one successful crowdfunding campaign can lead to another’s success What pre-campaign efforts look like The importance of video for a successful campaign How to get press coverage ready to go when you launch Why press samples are important Why it’s important to have press contacts before you start your campaign How to come up with add-ons to go along with your product How to come up with stretch goals for your crowdfunding campaign How backers from a previous campaign can help you reach your goal on day one What needs to happen before you launch your crowdfunding campaign Why crowdfunding is a great way to launch a new product
Links
The KP Duffle on Kickstarter http://www.keeppursuing.com/ Steve Jobs
Connect with Keep Pursuing
Keep Pursuing on Facebook @KPbags on Twitter @keep_pursuing on Instagram
In this exciting episode of Art of the Kickstart we talk to Oscar Pedroso of Thimble, the monthly subscription box that teaches you how to build electronic devices. Learn about the value of launch parties, how to build up a community before you launch, how to plan for production and fulfillment and much, much more! Thimble: Learn & Build Electronics w/ Monthly Delivered Kits
Success Quote “Never give up.” Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
The value of launch parties How to get people engaged with your campaign before you launch How to find mentors and build your team How to decide between crowdfunding or a private online beta launch How much time to spend preparing to launch your campaign How to build up an email list through a grassroots approach How to begin coordinating production and fulfillment How to scale up when you exceed your goal by such a large amount How to move forward with creating your business after a Kickstarter campaign How to figure out pricing when you’re delivering a product monthly
Links
thimble.io Thimble on Kickstarter Innovation and Entrepreneurship The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses Running Lean: Iterate from Plan A to a Plan That Works
Connect with Thimble
@thimbleio on Twitter Thimble.io on Facebook
In this episode of Art of the Kickstart we interview Eric Clifton of Orison, a plug-and-play home energy storage system. Join us as we learn more about the inspiration behind the project, how he launched it on Kickstarter and the future of energy. Orison - Rethink the Power of Energy
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
The inspiration behind Orison Working through regulatory hurdles during a crowdfunding campaign How far in advance creators need to start PR efforts The importance of determining messaging and branding before your campaign begins Tips for preparing your campaign updates ahead of time How new use cases and new markets can be discovered through a crowdfunding campaign How to determine what comes next for your campaign How a campaign for a for-profit company can also lead to non-profit work Eric’s take on the future of crowdfunding
Links
Orison on Kickstarter orison.energy The Art of War by Sun Tzu The Autobiography of George Muller by George Muller
Connect with Orison
Orison on Facebook @OrisonEnergy on Twitter @OrisonEnergy on Instagram
On this episode we talk to the creator of three successful Kickstarter projects. Join us as we chat with Viktor Grabovskyy of ForeverSpin about his spinning tops, his crowdfunding campaigns and the community he’s built around them. ForeverSpin™ - World Famous Spinning Tops
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How Kickstarter can solve the problem of not having enough capital to move forward with your project Lessons learned from 3 campaigns The importance of planning well in advance of launching a project The most important days of a live crowdfunding campaign Why you need a solid press strategy How to find your audience when your project fits into a very specific niche Why you need to focus on the community around your project What you need to know about backer communication The similarities and differences between the communities on Kickstarter and Indiegogo How backers inspire new projects and products Balancing production capacity with marketing efforts
Links
ForeverSpin on Kickstarter (and now on Indiegogo) ForeverSpin.com The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Connect with ForeverSpin
ForeverSpin on Facebook @foreverspin on Twitter @foreverspin on Instagram
If your New Year’s resolution involves getting healthier, you’ll especially appreciate this episode of Art of the Kickstart. Isaac Lavi and his killer team have created a cup that tricks your brain into thinking plain water tastes great. Learn more about how they brought this incredible project to life on Indiegogo. The Right Cup: Trick Your Brain, Drink More Water! Success Quote “When I hear the word ‘impossible,’ I hear ‘I am possible.’” “I’m thankful for all who said no to me, it’s because of them I did it myself.” - Albert Einstein Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How a diabetes diagnosis lead to a “flavored” cup How to build your team before a crowdfunding project Using crowdfunding to validate a concept Using crowdfunding to get media coverage when you launch a new product How corporations will use crowdfunding in the future How to set up your campaign to make your job easy once it goes live How PR agencies can make your campaign run smoothly What happens as a big campaign comes to a close Why it’s important to take risks How a scented cup is making the world better
Links
The Right Cup on Indiegogo
Connect with The Right Cup
@the_right_cup on Twitter The Right Cup on Facebook
Roy and Matt are back for Matt’s last episode of Art of the Kickstart! Join them as they talk to Bryce Fisher, serial entrepreneur and creator of the Ravean heated down jacket, and get his take on market validation with Kickstarter, creating the perfect email list and more. The World's First Heated Down Jacket w/ 6X Mobile Charging
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Matt’s words of wisdom for the future of crowdfunding How the Ravean team formed The inspiration behind a heated jacket The first step to launching a Kickstarter campaign The strategy behind using a three page website to understand the market How to figure out market validation with just a couple hundred dollars How Kickstarter is a form of second-level validation The importance of getting your marketing in front of people who already understand crowdfunding and Kickstarter How to lower your cost per acquisition and boost your ROI Targeting people who are familiar with Kickstarter lowers your cost per acquisition and boosts your ROI Using email lists to create a lookalike audience How to find the technology you need for your project by partnering with other businesses Why education = power
Links
Ravean on Indiegogo Ravean on Kickstarter The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
Connect with Ravean
@RaveanLife on Twitter Ravean Heated Jackets & Heated Gloves on Facebook @raveanlife on Instagram Ravean on Pinterest
If you follow companies like Arduino or Raspberry Pi, you definitely won’t want to miss this episode of Art of the Kickstart! Join us as we talk to Johnson Jeng, Co-founder of PINE A64, the $15 64-bit single board supercomputer about how he and TL Lim created the product almost by accident, the importance of PR, setting goals and much more. PINE A64, First $15 64-Bit Single Board Supercomputer Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How developing a medical device and a voice recognition device became an inexpensive, powerful computer Using Kickstarter to measure demand and test the market The meaning behind the name PINE A64 How PINE A64 became a success seemingly overnight Managing minimum order quantities Using Kickstarter to build a community around your product The importance of time management and delegation as an entrepreneur Working with the 12th employee of Apple, the CEO of openHAB and the SVP of Zolt Using your personal connections to help position your product The importance of patience as a Kickstarter creator Using PR to create a buzz Project timing and success Why sending prototypes and samples to journalists is important Why project creators need to stay on top of responding to comments and emails Tips for setting 5 year goals Why you should spend everyday working toward your goals
Links
www.pine64.com PINE A64 on Kickstarter
Connect with PINE A64
PINE 64 on Facebook @thepine64 on Twitter @thepine64 on Instagram
Roy Morejon of Command Partners is back with his first solo-hosted episode. Join us as we talk to Wylie Robinson of Rumpl and get his take on running a second Kickstarter campaign, harnessing your community, stealth launches and more. The Super Fleece by Rumpl
Success Quote “Learn from your mistakes.” Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How learning from mistakes can make a second crowdfunding campaign better How Active Homewear became a concept What backgrounds and skillsets project creators need How to prepare yourself for fulfilling rewards Building a community and maintaining rapport with them What the Kickstarter community really looks like How to harness the power of the Instagram community Using Kickstarter to validate an idea for investors How to successfully stealth launch a campaign The importance of being transparent with your community When you should start your PR outreach How to use LinkedIn in your PR strategy Tips for first-time entrepreneurs How to structure your rewards How Kickstarter backers’ expectations are changing
Links
gorumpl.com Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation
Connect with Rumpl
@gorumpl on Instagram @gorumpl on Twitter Rumpl on Facebook
Today's an interesting one. See, you guys deserve better. Roy Morejon and Command Partners are the top crowdfunding company and they're looking to help MORE crowdfunders and startups succeed - via consulting and powering the podcast.
Today I interview Roy, my successor for Art of the Kickstart, someone I look up to as a both a crowdfunder and entrepreneur. We dive into the future of crowdfunding, equity crowdfunding, Art of the Kickstart and what it means to build a business in today's world. I'm excited about where the podcast is headed as I've seen the tens of millions Roy and his team have helped and think this is best for inventors and innovators out there looking to succeed.
Commanding Crowdfunding Success
The crazy excitement behind Art of the Kickstart - I'm leaving to make it better for you guys! Why press powers crowdfunding and Command Partners evolution The future of crowdfunding and why IGG will win! How SEO and social media help starts grow Why picking crowdfunding winners isn't always easy The power of early adopters How to overcome marketing woes Roy's story of Bunch O' Balloons The excitement of licensing and success Why crowdfunding is still SO EARLY Common mistakes crowdfunders make How founders can scale success during campaigns Why EVERY startup is different and needs post-Kickstarter planning The power of Indiegogo post-funding Why foreign startups are starting to launch with crowdfunding The importance of timing in sales What founders and friendliness does to business growth Speeding the lean startup concept Why equity crowdfunding is catapulting crowdfunding further faster
Why I Love Command Partners
Over $50 million funded Over 160 crowdfunding campaigns HEXO+ Drone - Our campaign page case study
Quote of the Day "Why are you an entrepreneur?"
"Because I didn't want to wear a tie"
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Command Partners - Easily Top 3 Crowdfunding Agency
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Wow. Here's an action packed, informative, futuristic episode and product. Founders Daniel and Navi share all plus Roy Morejon of Command Partners, the crowdfunding guy who'll be taking over Art of the Kickstart is on and it's an exciting, fast paced episode any crowdfunder will love.
The RevolsKickstarter Campaign
Success Quote "Go Big or Go Home" -Daniel
"Never pay retail" - Roy
"In a startup your job is whatever needs to be done" - Navi Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why friends can make perfect founders Calculating risk and demand How to bouncing ideas builds a business Why there's a mountain of work pre-Kickstarter What goes into building a solid team Why inventors need pre-crowdfunding cash The effect of living China How accelerators aid designers and entrepreneurs What you NEED to know about manufacturers When to start setting up a Kickstarter Why China can super speed iterations and changes The reason surrounding yourself with winners is vital Why partnerships with corporations can make the difference The power of proof How to get press hits and success Why risky behavior builds the success Ways to replicate success What it takes to deliver product on time How to communicate and plan projects with manufacturer Planning a proper funding goal and deliver The power of reassurance in purchases and conversions
[clear-line] Links
Revols.com Command Partners Onkyo
Other Cool Projects
HAX Accelerator LiveInFarms Grasp Bike Lock
Connect with Daniel and Navi
Revol's Facebook @revolsound
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Private labeling's a powerful way to build a business...but will it work for crowdfunding campaigns? Can creativity and hardwork be shortcut on Kickstarter to create success and what do you NEED to know about the future of ecommerce as it's unfolding today.
A Private Label Fallacy Around Crowdfunding
What is the "essence" of crowdfunding and how knowing that can help you fund your campaign Why certain projects and startups succeed where others fail The reason private label is powerful for Amazon and AWFUL for crowdfunding How to use Amazon fulfillment and FBA tactics to sell more products sooner Why storytelling and startup history are critical to Kickstarter The reason crowdfunding IS NOT A MAKE MONEY ONLINE STRATEGY How Kickstarters can grow and scale with Amazon and other channels What you need to know NOW about Amazon and business growth The Indiegogo with ultimately defeat Kickstarter Why creation and innovation are critical to success How some channels are specific to certain audiences
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FBA ALLSTARS - My Step One to 7 Figures Amazon Podcast
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Scuba Steve time....the underwater adventures of an inventor and entrepreneur crushing Kickstarter, funding in days and turning a personal passion and project into a crowdfunding success story. Yeah, you should tune.
The PakPod Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
Success Quote "I just need to know what I need to know next." Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why you NEED to bring your own crowd ahead of time Challenges creating manufacturing and production times How to scratch your own itch for product creation Why some startups NEED help and team to succeed What inventors must learn about entrepreneurship and design Why partnerships are powerful business boosts The power of proof and testimonials How hard a Kickstarter campaign can be to run Why making money makes making money easier Ways to cross-promote crowdfunding projects The power of mindless brainstorming Why startups should fail fast, faster The reason ideas are worthless
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pakpod.com
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Pakpod's Facebook Pakpod's Twitter
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Crowdfunding kickes ass...but what happens next? Funding and focus and are needed to grow and scale your startup and without a proper plan to build and succeed, your business is sure to stagnate and fail. So, let's talk post-Kickstarter ecommerce, Amazon, retail and IP to really boost the odds of long term, profitable success for your startup...
Sound good?
Post Kickstarter Business Basics Covered
Why ecommerce is an easy transition from crowdfunding to fully fledged business How buyer and traffic channels can rapidly accelerate the startup growth curve Why I'd almost ALWAYS recommend product entrepreneurs put effort into Amazon sales How to use Amazon fulfillment and FBA tactics to sell more products sooner What entrepreneurs ought to know about the challenges and payoffs of retail sales The reason big box stores still DOMINATE the retail market Why Kickstarter creators should plan for the future before pushing out campaigns What I think about dropshipping and what early entrepreneurs NEED to know now The role of licensing and IP in invention and business Why Silicon Valley and venture capital create interesting options for tech crowdfunded startups How some startups sell out for big bucks FAST What it takes to build a successful, scaleable product company post-Kickstarter
[clear-line] Links From the Show
FBA ALLSTARS - My Step One to 7 Figures Amazon Podcast Post Kickstarter Ecommerce Guide Amazon FBA and Post Kickstarter Guide
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It's GRIDIRON Gameday time with an NFL hardware product pushing sports experience and fandom to the next level with Kickstarter creativity. Today fans and founders join the show to share the 2 year journey creating and testing a cool new sports app-enabled device and drop insight into what it takes to succeed and persevere with tech.
The Referee Ralph Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How cofounders can start a project with a simple idea Challenges creating hardware/software tech startups What it takes to crowdfund a sports related business How to focus on customer discovery to discover which features are vital to success What to do when you NEED product development and technical help Why product development always takes longer than expected The reason Kickstarter marketing is critical before launching How to decide what works and what doesn't with development Why videos are critical to crushing a crowdfunding campaign
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refereeralph.com
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Referee Ralph's Facebook
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Hey guys, I've got BIG news. Art of the Kickstart will be undergoing so big, super helpful crowdfunder changes in the next couple weeks so I hope your excited and ready to rock. More in next episode. For now let's look at software, the conundrum app founders face, why crowdfunding can kill software dreams and how to help stubborn app startups succeed with Kickstarter!
Key Crowdfundings Software Takeaways
Why app and software projects almost never fund via crowdfunding How backers view apps and how to overcome objects Why I'd almost never recommend Kickstarter to create a cool new software startup How to add value with reward tiers to make the inexpensive appear premium What early adopters and early access can mean for a software startup The big mistake technical founders make when working to launch via crowdfunding Why focusing efforts can make the difference between crowdfunded app successes and failures The role of complementary products in pushing campaign success Why Silicon Valley seems a better route for most high growth tech startups
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Today German triathlete and sports tech founder Sebastian shares the 6 year story growing and scaling an athletics apparel company, the ups and downs and their crowdfunding campaign experience thus far. Runners and sports startup guys beware, this guy is taking action and it's time to take it to the next level. The HippZip Kickstarter Campaign
Success Quote "Go Big or Go Home."
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What can happen when you take a big risk on a decision decision Challenges existing businesses have when attempting to crowdfund a project When it is time to think about expanding an existing product line How to slowly, steadily build a profitable sports company without a lot of cash What to do when your company is in too narrow of a niche The big mistake most every Kickstarter makes when it comes to marketing Why the middle of a crowdfunding campaign is always a grind and how to overcome it The value of innovation in product launches Why an awesome Kickstarter video can't necessarily nail the entire funding process What big companies know that startups need to catch up on to compete
Links
hippzip.com
Connect with Sebastian
HippZip's Facebook
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Today a killer tech company just featured on ABC is changing the world of automotive connectivity, bring smart tech to your car - prevent texting and driving, forgetting where you parked and so much more. This is tech founders 101 and ways to uplevel your inner Steve Jobs to sell more stuff!
The AwareCar Kickstarter Campaign
Success Quote "Whatever you do, give your best."
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Ways to turn a simple tech product into a solid business model Challenges engineers and technical founders face marketing a product When it is time to think about entering an accelerator How to progress after a successful Kickstarter campaign What college fails to teach you about entrepreneurship The future of connected, smart computing Why dumbing down tech products is the smartest thing ever! The value of advisers and business experts helping out inexperienced entrepreneurs
Links
awarestack.com
Connect with Dani
@awarestack AwareStack's Facebook
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Crowdfund Academy Listener Special
University students supercharge a revolutionary, eco-friendly water cooker and raise a ridiculous 7 figures via Kickstarter - here's how they did it! Miito's making waves with media, exposure and mistakes while fighting to transform age-old customer habits, the paradox of innovation unfolds.
The Miito Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
Success Quote "Make mistakes and make mistakes fast."
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How much media is right and is early exposure good? Why if it works, just roll with it is critical to entrepreneurship What goes into product innovation and brainstorming? How to progress from a massive Kickstarter to a more mature business model Changing from a college engineering project to large scale tech startup The challenge of changing human behavior Why patents and intellectual property are important The raw value of advisers and business experts helping out How future focus is hard with here and now business succcess The value in constant product development
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pocketnc.com OffScreenMagazine.com
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@projectmiito Miito's Facebook
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eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Massive success for the maker movement. Today CNC startup PocketNC shares a 4 year roller coaster preparing the world's greatest 5 axis machine to DIY doers and hackers everywhere...and did I mention they raised over 1/3 of a million dollars in the process! Here's how to crush a hardware/software startup!
The PocketNC Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
Success Quote "Just get going (you'll find help along the way)"
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How to get started with a high tech hardware project The power of tinkering and maker mentality to create What goes into scraping a product to pursue another How to stay excited and funded over the process of product development The reason hackers and Arduino are unleashing entrepreneurial advancements How open-source software allows startups to scale and grow Startup transparency strategies to build up a backer launch list The importance of trust in big product pitches How Kickstarter companies can manufacture themselves to keep quality consistent The value in perfecting a product and waiting to launch The value of preorders in post-Kickstarter growth!
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pocketnc.com
[clear-line] Influential Book
Bootstrapping Your Business: Start and Grow a Successful Company with Almost No Money
Connect with Michelle
@pocketnc PocketNC's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
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eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Half a million for a hacker keyboard changing the way the world types. Today inventors Kaia and Jesse join to share how opensourcing, building mailing lists and customer testing created a gamechanging ergonomic accessory that has dominated Kickstarter to date.
The Keyboard.io Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
Success Quote "Learn how to throw yourself towards the ground and miss."
"The best time to have started your community building and built your mailing list was two years ago, the second best time is today."
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How a startup collapse can create a business blast off The power of open source products and information Why transparency takes startups to the customer level How open-sourcing allows hardware products to improve over time and engage users The reason beta testers are big market validators for entrepreneurs How to perfect product testing for serious success Startup funding and thoughts on small scale investment The importance of preparing in advance for manufacturing and production runs How to organically grow a mailing list for product launches The importance of connections with big organizations Why a road trip promotion powered Kickstarter success The importance of getting products in front of people What happens when you agree with customer criticism
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keyboard.io
[clear-line] Influential Book
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Connect with Kaia and Jess
@keyboardio Keyboard.io's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
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eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Build a business ON FIRE with John Lee Dumas. John joins to share the critical characteristics and lessons of 1000s of successful entrepreneurs and the importance and effect of dedication and daily change to growing a 7 figure business in under two years. Success Quotes "If you want to be, DO."
"You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with." -Jim Rohn Firestarting a Freaking Awesome Business!
The power of branding and messaging Why dedication is everything to reach success How to scratch your own itch to create your startup's unique selling proposition(USP) Why practice makes better How to deliver value Why it's important to understand your strength and partner for skills The key attributes of successful entrepreneurs How to mature and outsource to increase business growth Why lifestyle matters in planning for the future How the little things lead to massive results Why it pays to push forward without all the answer
Links We Talk About
entrepreneuronfire.com
John Tweets Too
@johnleedumas
Business Books
The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness The Compound Effect
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
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eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Blast off the efficiency of your business and build a physical product recurring juggernaut while diversifying incomes and outsourcing unsexy tasks...that's what internet entrepreneur Ryan Lee and I discuss today and 80/20 effective of upleveling your business. Tune in to think outside the box and build a better, more sustainable startup! Success Quotes "Don't write like a copywriter but communicate like a friend." Smart Drugs and Entrepreneur Upleveling
The power of authenticity in marketing and sales Why everything needs to be about the end user - tell stories! How to create an entrepreneurial initiative The effect of small steps towards huge success How to take advantage of new opportunities to maximize a technology Why it's important to diversify your business The way to outsource and grow your team effectively If you don't need it, don't do it - OUTSOURCE! Why customer service creates incredible insight into the business The real 80/20 effect on businessBecome more effective How to focus on the most the important drivers in your business Why you should not feel guilty about breaks and the importance of breaks in business How to incorporate recurring revenue into physical products businesses Why subscription services creates a killer business model How affiliates and outside the box thinking increases bottomline
Links We Talk About
ryanlee.com
Ryan Tweets Too
@_ryanlee
Business Books
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat Scientific Advertising
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
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eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Startups and entrepreneurs are enhancing cognitive performance and business success like never before. Today Smart Drug Smarts founder Jesse Lawler joins to share the evolution of nootropics, hacks to boost mental performance, predictions on wearables, tech and the quantified self movement and much more. Sci-Fi startup time... Success Quotes "When going through hell, keep going" - Winston Churchill Smart Drugs and Entrepreneur Upleveling
Why entrepreneurs need to keep going and changing Ways past job experiences push us in other directions How to get people and employees charged up Building up to 17 employees and overcoming your weaknesses How find a cofounder to complement your skill set What are noootropics and how are people using supplements to boost performance The taboo effect outside the norm productivity L-Theanine - Coffee without the jitters! Fish Oils - Boost your brain! The importance of diet in long term health and success How drugs research into preventing Alzheimers create neuro-enhancers today Where smart drugs are going in the future How wearables and quantified self are exponential evolving Will technology create a "new race" of humans
Links We Talk About
smartdrugsmarts.com longegity.com
Jesse Tweets Too
@lawlerpalooza
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
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eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Athletic brothers opening the Internet of Things and hardware tracking to sports performance and hydration. Trago's already funded their Kickstarter and working the marketing and PR to push high tech performance and customer focused creativity onward. Tune in for mistakes with the media, email marketing strategies and ways to fund fast!
The Trago Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Success Quote "The job is never done until the tools are put up."
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The dynamics and benefits of building a business with the family How the environment inspires startup tech product ideas Why sports affect startups What the biggest hardware product challenges and how to deal with them When founders NEED to bring in outside experts Ways DIY are transforming prototype products - 3D printing! The benefits and powers of entrepreneurial hubs Move forward or die, the importance of progression to perfection How to control aspirations to not get overwhelmed - too many startup opinions High profile testimonials and how to get them The importance of understanding customer needs, not ideals What research shows for product design and market validation Why multiple mentors are better than one How to time press pitches for better campaign coverage Strategies to hack list building launches
[clear-line] Links
trago.co buzzsumo.com
[clear-line] Influential Book
Man's Search for Meaning
Connect with Jac
@drinktrago Trago's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
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Neil Patel joins today and breaks down post-Kickstarter internet marketing, customer acquisition and sustainable business success. Today interviews is full of strategies to boost conversions, grow your business and get products profitable as quickly as possible. Enjoy! Neil Patel Marketing Gems
How physical product entrepreneurs can get exposure Way guest posts are a great strategy to build an audience Repeating customer strategies for sustainable sales Building a mailing list to acquire customers How and why to use autoresponders Split testing for product startups and what you need to know The power of customer surveys and analytics Passion vs profit for startups - you must solve problems! Should your startup take outside investment or not The importance of agility and pivots in startup team success How to execute and focus on customers vs founder desires Crowdfunder strategies to post-Kickstarter internet marketing How to learn effectively from past mistakes Why me-too businesses and products are lame and not successful in long run
Neil's Businesses are Badass!
HelloBar - Opt-ins on your site CrazyEgg - Heatmaps and customer tracking QuickSprout - Blog on incredible marketing tactics KISSMetrics
Neil Tweets Too
@neilpatel
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
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eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Brands are building out Youtube Channels to grow audience and gain fans and customers. Today Austin Evans, a Youtube tech and product star with near a million followers joins the podcast to help entrepreneurs and crowdfunders uncover the power and potential of Youtube marketing - including Youtube SEO and strategies to sell with ultra-engaging product videos!
Youtube Marketing and Product Videography Unlocked
The ins and outs of Youtube marketing How to start with Youtube and build up to almost a million subscribers Why it's awesome and awful to be an early adopter Video mistakes everybody makes and how to avoid them How to create an engaging product video and what makes it great Strategies to come through on camera and crush your Kickstarter video The power of testing and experimentation Product pitch strategies to get Youtube exposure The crowdfunding changes coming with Youtube and Indiegogo affiliates How to win the Youtube SEO formula Understanding your audience and tailoring branding and messaging to make an impact
Links from the Show
Austin's Epic Youtube Channel
Austin Tweets Too
@austinnotduncan
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
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eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Today we're talking China sourcing, manufacturing and building business designed to dominate retails sales. Platform88 founders and product production specialists Jacob Rothman and Jason Wong join Art of the Kickstart to share their experience working with brands, big and small, to bring physical products into retail chains around the world. The interview's incredibly helpful for Kickstarter creators looking to scale and grow quickly and is a must for any considering manufacturing abroad. Product Creation and Manufacturing Insights
Why understanding China from afar is incredibly challenging The two types of Kickstarters and the challenges for each Manufacturing in the US vs finding factories in China Retail arbitrage and how big businesses discounts work for online sales How hard it is to use Alibaba and what to look for in a manufacturer. Understanding business models and retail margins The extra challenges startups miss on retail sales How to choose the best business model for your startup The consolidation of retail and what it means for entrepreneurs How to manage supply chains and scaling a startup's manufacturing Why design for manufacturing MUST be done directly with your factory The value of getting your feet wet with visiting China factories
Links from the Show
Alibaba issues and what to know Platform88
Find Jacob and Jason on Twitter
@Platform88net jason.rothman@platform88.net jason@platform88.net
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eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Scott Voelker, the Amazing Seller joins Art of the Kickstart today to share his success story sourcing and selling private label products via Amazon FBA(for more on this, see this post). During the interview Scott, a past life internet marketer turned private label product convert shares his story and strategies he's used to a grow exponentially over 6 months in business and tactics crowdfunders or physical product entrepreneurs can use to leverage Amazon as a sales channel for success.
Ps. This was recorded on same day as Seth so the echo issue is still here, sorry. New episodes will not be like this but content is golden. Amazing Amazon Insights from Scott:
Why family can be a driving force behind a successful entrepreneur The progression of entrepreneurship and building new businesses What it is private labeling and how does it work Retail arbitrage and how big businesses discounts work for online sales How to create your own brand and build a customer base Why competing on price is a surefire strategy to failure The evolution of ecommerce, online business and Amazon How Amazon allows you to track customer demand and competition to plan products The importance of customer service in long term sales and testimonials Strategies to automate Amazon success Why building business upon an existing channel speeds the sales and testing
Learn More About Amazon and Check Out Scott's Podcast
The Amazing Seller My interview on Scott's podcast - crowdfunding for private label products FBA ALLSTARS - My new Amazon FBA Podcast
Find Scott on Twitter
@scottvoelker11
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Our Sponsor
eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Seth Godin joins Art of the Kickstart today for an enlightening and inspiring break from our typical crowdfunded creation saga. In today's interview with author, entrepreneur, icon and all-around great guy, Seth and I breakdown his views on success, sustainable business and building a legacy to be remember and loved by. I was personally shocked by some of Seth's views but in retrospect agree with most all of what he shares and think entrepreneur and Kickstarters are in need a massive wake up call.
Ps. Sorry about the slight echo, recent move to Vietnam but will solve for future episodes. Startup Gold From Mr. Seth Godin:
Why hustling's the wrong way to get ahead in business and why hustlers never win. The delusion of Kickstarter and why successful campaigns fail What it means to really think bigger Why "winners never quit" is a BS mindset How to have an overnight success and the Raman woes behind the scenes Why most products on Kickstarter are pointless How to build a business and following the right way Why Seth's Kickstarter raised over $250k and fully funded in just 3 hours The concept of the Dip and planning for pain before starting your startup
Seth Blogs Daily, Worth Checking Out:
Seth's Blog sethgodin.com
Find Seth on Twitter
@thisissethsblog
A Few Great Books by Seth
Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable--Includes new bonus chapter The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) All Marketers Are Liars: The Underground Classic That Explains How Marketing Really Works--and Why Authenticity Is the Best Marketing of All What to Do When its Your Turn (and its Always Your Turn)
Transcript Matt Ward: Art of the Kickstart, Episode 102. Welcome to theartofthekickstart.com, where entrepreneurs are constantly pushing the envelope to build businesses of greatness. Inventors are innovating, creating the products of the future, and backers stand strong for what they believe. These are some of the great thinkers, investors, and leaders of our time. Here are their stories.
Welcome to Art of the Kickstart guys. Today I am absolutely thrilled. We have an incredible guy on the line. We've got Seth Godin, someone who needs no introduction. We'll give him a little one anyways. He's an author, businessman; I'm pretty sure you know what he's done. Thanks for coming today Seth.
Seth Godin: It's a pleasure. I will be as helpful as I can. Thanks for doing this.
Matt Ward: I imagine you're going to be pretty helpful. I've read a couple of your books. They've been very impactful, and that's why we're reaching. First with Art of the Kickstart, we like to start with a life quote, a success quote, but they a get a bit bland, and I think that you can go a little bit deeper than that. What's the worst piece of advice that you hear pushed around the business circles that founders fall for?
Seth Godin: Twenty-five sure fire ways that you can guarantee succeed tomorrow by deceiving people, finding shortcuts, hustling, putting yourself out there, and generally being selfish.
Matt Ward: Hustling, I think that's absolutely true. We talked about this before. I think you take a long ball approach to this, that a lot of founders, I mean it's tough. Let's face it, you're in a situation where you're financially set. How does someone coming up in the ranks take an approach like this and become successful?
Seth Godin: I'm sure that was a deliberately provocative...
Matt Ward: Oh absolutely.
Seth Godin: Thought which I truly appreciate, here's the deal. If you don't have time to do it right, when exactly are you going to find the time to do it over? I was on the edge of bankruptcy for almost eight years. I, at one point my company had to send somebody by car to pick up a check, because if we had waited for Federal Express we woul...
Updated May 2, 2018.
As an entrepreneur looking to successfully build a product-based business through crowdfunding, you may be wondering: if Kickstarter has X number of backers and Indiegogo has Y number of users, why not run a campaign simultaneously on both - more backers, more exposure, more overall funding, right?
This is a common misconception, something founders frequently find themselves asking, and is worth looking into. Thinking about running a crowdfunding campaign? Here's what you need to know! 11 Reasons Simultaneous Kickstarter and Indiegogo Projects are an Awful Idea 1. Multiple campaigns splits your network Some of your friends and family will back one campaign, while others will back the second campaign. 2. Smaller network means less initial funding from friends and family With fewer people visiting each campaign page, you'll have less funding on each page as well. 3. Less early funding = less virality Without going at least semi-viral and expanding beyond just friends and family contributions, your company can never succeed. For entrepreneurs, crowdfunding provides not only the funding to bring the project to live, but more importantly market validation, a dedicated audience, and product ideas and suggestions, which will ultimately help your company grow and evolve over time. 4. Poor rankings mean less organic backers In general, the majority of crowdfunding backers browse the most popular pages. These are usually the vetted products with social proof, the coolest projects, and the campaigns most likely to succeed.
To get in on these opportunities and really kickstart your business, you need to be on the popular pages and dominate - which means you need as many backers as possible. 5. Mismatched marketing isn't effective Kickstarter success almost always comes down to marketing success, which is largely determined by effort.
You'll be pitching publications until your fingers tire, your mind fades and you fall asleep at the computer - anything to make it happen. One big blog post, one exclusive or product review, this can make a massive difference in funding and getting that kind of exposure takes effort, brute force effort.
Well, what happens when you split this time and energy between campaigns? You won't be able to easily pitch both projects to journalists and bloggers, and anyone who finds your story will likely be a bit confused and put off by your disjointed goals. 6. More options makes things confusing Most of your network wants to help. Ask nicely and a nice portion will do anything within reason to help support your success. Keeping it simple with one campaign makes it easy. 7. Backer bias against being the "other woman" Crowdfunding gives a typical product launch a more personal touch. Your story and mission are as much a part of your success as your product.
The trust and loyalty a crowdfunding project cultivates with backers can be easily damaged by a multiple-campaign approach. With two options, suddenly backers become just a source of money, rather than a meaningful part of the story and business. 8. More work, less results Launching campaigns on Kickstarter and Indiegogo at once requires significantly more work than a single platform launch, with a minimal return on the investment of your time. 9. Fulfillment will be a nightmare One of the biggest and most unexpected hurdles crowdfunders face following a successful Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign is fulfillment. Between manufacturing mishaps, actually communicating with backers and getting shipments, labels and packaging perfect - fulfillment isn't easy
With multiple campaigns, fulfillment becomes even more difficult. Suddenly you're dealing with two different platforms and two different sets of backers. 10. Extra rules and regulations Indiegogo and Kickstarter are the undisputed champions of crowdfunding. Despite their success though, they are inherently different and competitive.
For you,
An Irish invention improving upon the age old of struggles of camping...tune in for a deep interview on overcoming corporate and building a high end, completely original company looking to make massive waves in the retail distribution for outdoorsy products.
The Thermo Tent Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Success Quote "You can't build a business in one month but you can certainly destroy a brand in a month."
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[clear-line] Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Will people pay for it - the critical question to product success Ways to deal with bad suppliers and find factories to work with Strategies for China sourcing products Why you must solve your own issues for better product design The reason big companies don't always build the best products Ways to target customers and niche down for success Post-Kickstarter strategies for distribution and growth The role of tradeshows and partnerships in product scale Understanding intellectual property and what you need to know The importance of professionalism in product-market fit The power of mission in business success
[clear-line] Links
thermotents.com
[clear-line] Influential Book
Of Permanent Value: The Story of Warren Buffett/2015 Golden Anniversary Edition
Connect with Alex
@thermotents ThermoTent's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
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Hey guys I would like apologize for the massive hiatus. As some of you may know, I am currently living and working in China directly with my manufacturer for Shido Stand to try and prep the world's coolest and most portable standing desk for Kickstarter.
The thing is though, I speak ZERO chinese, do not have an interpreter and have learned a ton in the process of being on the ground in manufacturing central. This podcast is a bit off the cuff, a solo spiel where I try and share what I have learned about sourcing, dealing with suppliers and the daily hassles and unexpected adventures of living in China.
It's pretty short, actionable for you and hopefully helps you on your journey to a kickass Kickstarter company and beyond.
For more insight into the topic of China sourcing and manufacturing, check out the following posts and podcasts:
9 Necessary Tips for Startup Manufacturing and Moving to China China Sourcing Strategies PLUS Alibaba to Build a Serious Supply Chain for your Startup The 7 Habits of Highly Ineffective Alibaba Sourcing
Cheers,
Matt
Kano raised $1.5 million to put computer kits, technology and innovation in the hands of the world. Here's how a small group of motivated geeksters looking to change the world actually did. Education and empowerment by building an open source computer company...
The Kano Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Success Quote "Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come." -Victor Hugo
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[clear-line] Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why it's critical to build a business around an idea When it's time to revolutionize How simplifying technology creates a mass market appeal Mass market vs niche products and what focus on The importance of testing products across the planet and listening to customer feedback Why entrepreneurs ought to look to the future The story strategy and how your company plays into success Why mixing arts and science - logic and creativity is how to appeal to people Authenticity's effect on startup success How to learn anything and build a business for the new world The power of hands on physical products
[clear-line] Links
kano.me
[clear-line] Influential Book
How to Win Friends & Influence People The Hero with a Thousand Faces (The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell)
Connect with Alex
@alexnklein @teamkano Kano's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
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[clear-line] Our Sponsor
eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Today Marc Barros, the man behind Moment's more than $1 million in creative Kickstarter funding joins to share strategies for conceiving companies, building products and scaling a successful business. Worth a listen if connecting with Kickstarter backers and building a multi-campaign based Kickstarter company sounds awesome to you.
The Moment Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Success Quote "Just do what you're passionate about." Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why it's much easier creating a Kickstarter success the second time When it's time to use crowdfunding to validate a product How technology is transforming products and industries Why it's important to be passionate about a product or project The importance of adding employees and ideas slowly What makes a successful company culture Powerful strategies for prelaunch buzz and Kickstarter success Why story wins backers over on Kickstarter Going from a product to a company and growing a business How make your photography pop and why you need designers on the team
Links
momentlens.co Marc's Post: HOW WE RAISED $450K ON KICKSTARTER
[clear-line] Connect with Marc
@marcbarros @moment MomentLens' Facebook
Kickstarter Love
Peak Designs Nude Audio Studio Neat
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Our Sponsor
eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Turning serial ideas and inventions plus shitty job to play the bills into a revolutionary consumer products company...that's what Ryan Frayne did. Here's how seeking solutions and never being satisfied led to a breakthrough technology from an unlikely source and a startup that crushed it on Kickstarter.
The Windcatcher Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Success Quote "There’s plenty of crappy jobs but you only have one life, make most out of it" Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why you don't get lucky out of the gate and strategies to keep going How shitty day jobs can empower inventors to grow Why licensing's a terrible idea for product creators The reason Kickstarter crushes big companies for launching business Why trademarking in China can be a gamechanger One way to turn common issues into killer product idea...why entrepreneurs are efficient and lazy Why inventors can never be satisfied with a product The best strategy to vet product ideas How lean startups and putting products out there starts success
Links
windcatchergear.com
[clear-line] Books Mentioned Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant
@WindcatcherGear Windcatcher's Facebook
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Our Sponsor
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Sourcing products from China can be nightmare, but it's necessary for Kickstarters and entrepreneurs. Today Matt Kowalak brings a decade of product sourcing expertise to help businesses find suppliers and manufacturers to help their companies grow and increase product profit margins. It's China Product Sourcing 101....plus a ton more!
Key Business Takeaways(I know it's a lot!)
Ways to turn teaching English abroad into an incredible life experience Why entrepreneurs often make awful employees How to find business partners and cofounders to create powerful enterprises The keys to sourcing products from China and strategies to make it happen Alibaba vs sourcing agents and understanding Chinese manufacturing Why you've got to have a vision to create a story worth telling How having history makes products seem more real and valuable Why entrepreneurs must understand 100% product production to get it right The reason creators must take responsibility for product rather than relying on manufacturer Getting factories on board for small run Kickstarter campaigns The pros and cons of living near your factory The 10% padding rule to supply chain success How to understand the mindset of manufacturers for success Lead time and looking at how it affects your business planning Juggling suppliers and startup management strategies for sourcing Anticipating issues before they arise and planning for success The reason you NEED multiple suppliers to stay safe
Links
chinaopportunitypodcast.com tropicalmba.com
[clear-line] Connect with Matt
@mattkowalak
[clear-line] Shido Stand The simple standing desk that does more.
Learn more now!
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[clear-line] Our Sponsor
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Turn a Kickstarter company into an incredible story that sells itself and practically pulls backers into the journey. Today storyteller Michael Margolis breaks down the keys to brand domination and building a business consumers can't get enough of...prepare to become Steve Jobs - maybe...???
Business Success Quote "We teach what we most need to learn." Key Business Takeaways
Why you need inciting incidents to galvanize the tale of team How passion and purpose balance into business and life How to turn a product business into a beautiful story customers connect with The reasons consumers connect with brand stories Ways to take advantage of unique skills and family fun for professional prowess Why you've got to have a vision to create a story worth telling How having history makes products seem more real and valuable Why engaging stories elevate the value of a product Strategies to increase the perceived value of a product The power of pedigree in long term business growth The reason stories grow and evolve every time it's told Why your story is 100% about your audience Why undeniable stories are about making the product understandable How to overcome doubts and fears about being in the limelight Why being a disruptor isn't all good How to build a brand team and co-founder
Links
getstoried.com/redpill
Epic Business Books
Believe Me: Why Your Vision, Brand, and Leadership Need a Bigger Story Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences
Connect with Michael
@getstoried Get Storied's Facebook
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[clear-line] Our Sponsor
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Today we're taking business and startup success to the next level when Dan Andrews of the TropicalMBA drops some serious insight on what it takes to build a million dollar product business and how find success sourcing and manufacturing products.
Key Business Takeaways
Why you need to leverage your own business talents How passion and purpose balance into business and life How to find a balance in your startup The reasons work/life balance isn't real What happens starting two businesses simultaneously Why you've got to make massive risks to build a business How having multiple startups can save your company from failure How to turn lifetime value into long term business success The difference between B2B and B2C startups and how to succeed Why you should sell your product for way more than you expect Sourcing strategies and the best ways to find manufacturers The reason getting your hands dirty is critical to a successful product How long it takes once your prototypes are ready to get a product perfected for Kickstarter Why sourcing products is hard and why you must take responsibility for the product Growing and scaling a business post-Kickstarter Why retail isn't a good experience for entrepreneurs How to build a brand team and co-founder
Links
tropicalmba.com moderncatdesigns.com
[clear-line] Epic Business Books
The 7 Day Startup: You Don't Learn Until You Launch Mastering the Rockefeller Habits: What You Must Do to Increase the Value of Your Growing Firm The Winds of War
Connect with Dan
@tropicalmba Tropical MBA's Facebook
[clear-line][clear-line] [clear-line] My Coming Kickstarter The on-the-go laptop stand that doubles as your computer's case!
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Grab Yours When We Launch!
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David's Kickstarter campaign didn't go as planned. Our entrepreneur launched and fell flat cause he didn't have the time and preparation necessary to succeed. Today we examine Kickstarter launches, when to pull an unsuccessful campaign and preparing to relaunch and crush your crowdfunding campaign. David's an awesome Art of the Kickstart listener and got a great product...now he's just working towards rocking it.
Brushlogger's Kickstarter Bio Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why even average people can create successful Kickstarter products How to startup business brainstorm products How to know when to pull the plug on a Kickstarter campaign The best way to validate your product idea The reason intellectual property isn't an end all to success Why great ideas in your head aren't always what people want to purchase How to turn a silly adult problem into a profitable health product Keep it simple stupid, get that product out there ASAP How to react to an unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign Advance strategies for viral product sharing Why planning your project launch takes longer than anticipated How to find incredible entrepreneurial communities for much needed startup support
Succcess Quotes "When you wanna succeed as you wanna breath, then you will be successful." Links
brush-logger.com
[clear-line] Epic Business Books
Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller - Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century How to Win Friends & Influence People
Connect with David
@brushlogger @ionzenith BrushLogger's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
Our Sponsor
eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Looking to find incredible startup success post-Kickstarter? Synek System raised an ridiculous $650k, here's the story after crowdfunding of creating a powerful, partner focused distribution network and pitfalls to avoid post-funding. We cover pivots, partnership strategies and long term visions to uncover the secret maintaining momentum and business success after crushing your Kickstarter campaign...enjoy.
The Synek Kickstarter Campa ign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What happens after a successful Kickstarter campaign How to find effective post-Kickstarter partners to work with The challenges of rapid growth after crowdfunding Why entrepreneurs ought to explore the B2B market The way create strategies and pivot points for a startup Why large scale growth requires niched down One incredible way to get backers involved in the company after your campaign Why small commitments turn into profitable partnerships and sales They dynamic of multi-mission companies and follow-up Kickstarter campaigns How to keep backers in the loop Why startups are anything but glamorous How to eat, sleep, live and love your company
Links
syneksystem.com
Connect with Michael
@SynekSystem Synek's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
Our Sponsor
eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
How do you take a proven product and pivot, expand and enter new markets? Today Ecofarm founders Alex and Nacho are sharing their startup story inspired by American aquaponics and crowdfunding to create a similar sustainability focused success. If you've ever considered a cofounder we dig into the dynamics of business partners and best practices for finding a suitable startup teammate.
The Ecofarm Kickstarter Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why your first idea is never your best How to find cofounders for your startup to succeed The reason it's challenging to build a crowdfunding business while based in Europe Why entrepreneurs and individuals with different perspectives create a strong combination The way to pivot products and ideas from other markets to match your target Why founder fit is critical to startup success The challenges of VC funding and how crowdfunding can create proven traction How to effectively combine form and function What the best way to create and perfect product design How and where the sustainability focused movement of urban farming is taking people
Success Quotes
"Make the life of the people better."
Links
ecobird.eu
Awesome Books The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich Connect with Alex and Nacho
@ecobird_team
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Our Sponsor
eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Want to turn your personal passion into a profitable business? Looking to innovate an industry with crowdfunding? Lucy Brown, founder of LUMO is on the line to share strategies for successfully building and growing a customer fashion and cycling safety brand and how to use Kickstarter to kickstart business success.
The Lumo Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why personal problems motivate entrepreneurs for success How to market a product effectively The reason you must wake up having dreams about your business Why you must pitch your ideas with customers for feedback The way to reach the tipping point in your business Why crowdfunding in Europe is kinda tough The challenges of product development before Kickstarter How to deal consumer electronics with clothing companies Why aesthetics are selling proposition for Kickstarter backers When you need to partner with industry experts
Success Quotes
"Feel the fear the do it anyways."
Links
lumo.cc Hacking Kickstarter
Awesome Books The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
YOUR FREE AUDIOBOOK
[clear-line] Connect with Lucy
@LUMO_cc LUMO's Facebook
Kickstarter Startup Love
COBI Soma
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Today we're turning personal problems into international, future focused brands. Nike Klansek, founder of FlyKly shares marketing and promotion strategies that led to a $700k Kickstarter campaign and significant business momentum post-crowdfunding. Tune in for customer discovery secrets, business pivots and direction and effective strategies to fully crowdfund. The FlyKly Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why personal problems can motivate entrepreneurs How to turn a passion into an international product The way crowdfunding has transformed the technology industry Why you must always be pitching and sharing ideas with customers The power of meetups and customer feedback for company direction Why inventors must segment customers into different groupings The challenge in changing customer behavior How to deal with people problems when building a startup Ways to use partnerships to spread an innovative product When eco-friendly can create a Kickstarter boost Why customers always have different reasons for buying a product The three critical Kickstarter marketing channels
Communities PR and social media Advertising
Success Quotes
"I've given up going to the supermarket two blocks down the street." -quote from a user
Links
flykly.com
Awesome Books The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
YOUR FREE AUDIOBOOK
[clear-line] Connect with Niko
@flykly @nklansek FlyKly's Facebook
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Our Sponsor
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Raising over $100k via crowdfunding to build a hardware startup while still in college, here's the Kickstarter success story of Chris Wentz with Everykey and how they did it. We team building, hardware tech challenges and ways to get exposure and customer feedback while building a revolutionary product.
PS. Writing up this podcast post while in the airport. Moving to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam...aka Saigon!
Wanted to also let you know the podcast will be reduced down to bi-weekly. Three episodes per week is taking its toll and hopefully the newer format will lead to deeper, more beneficial content to help you with launching and funding.
Happy New Year.
The EveryKey Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What it's like building a business while in college How entrepreneurs can motivate others to join their mission The way common problems can create startup success How to impress angel funding entrepreneurs Why you should consider business fun How founders come to agreements that lead towards success Why accelerator programs are incredibly powerful for inventors The challenge in launching a hardware wearable product How to deal with people problems when building a startup Why entrepreneurs need to listen to other people's advice to succeed When to start pitching and pivoting a product Why customer development and research is critical to success How never giving up is the core to startup domination
Success Quotes
"Do what makes you happy."
Links
everykey.com
[clear-line] Connect with Chris
@_everykey Everykey's Facebook
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Our Sponsor
eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
What happens after a successful Kickstarter campaign? What's the best way to deal with order fulfillment and expanding a business and brand once you fund? Today Michael Finizio is back to share Fonde's post-Kickstarter strategies to retail and ecommerce based success. If manufacturing and scaling up are your thing, this interview should help your startup grow.
Where Are They Now - Fonde Ravioli Roller's 1st Interview [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half] [clear-line] Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What happens after a successful Kickstart campaign How to figure out where post-Kickstarter customers are coming from Why funding above and beyond expectations can be detrimental to startup success The reason you should plan for success before launch Why automation procedures can drastically speed up manufacturing production When is it time to call it quits on the day job Why crowdfunding can create incredible post-campaign momentum What goes into wholesaling to retail stores Why NYC is a challenging place to bootstrap a start The reason retail can overwhelm any entrepreneur How crowdfunding can create startup TV exposure The reason a day job can hold a business back How backer rewards and options can create a logistical nightmare for fulfillment Why crowdfunding creates a unique opportunity for additional product development
Links
Fonde's Kickstarter Campaign repastsupplyco.com
[clear-line] Connect with Michael
@MichaelFinizio @RepastSupply Fonde's Facebook
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It's Christmas Eve! Happy Holidays guys.
Today we're doing crowdfunding craziness. Zack Miller of OurCrowd, a powerful Israeli based crowdequity platform's co-hosting in a sense the Art of the Kickstart. We're working to uncover the key differences between reward crowdfunding and equity crowdfunding to create a better understanding among inventors and entrepreneurs out there about the best strategies for business success. Hope our interesting chat in which I ask a couple too many questions creates some super startups!
Our Crowd - Israeli Crowdequity Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What you need to know about crowdequity funding How big business is changing the game of crowdfunding Why equity crowdfunding is taking off outside the US How to know when business are worth investing in Why equity crowdfunding is pretty complex to consider What goes into business investing and due diligence Why equity crowdfunding can act as accelerator for startups The way to leverage crowdfunding for venture capital Why equity crowdfunding is more geared to B2B businesses The reason founders matter more than the actual idea Why crowdequity creates mutual goals for investors The risk in equity crowdfunding How to decide between equity and rewards based crowdfunding campaigns Why crowdequity platforms need to show more traction to succeed
Links
OurCrowd.com This Week in Crowdfunding
Connect with Zack aka Superman!
@newrulesinvest @ourcrowd OurCrowd's Facebook
Another Awesome Kickstarter Creator
SCiO Sensor
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Today brother Isaac and Ismail Degani, the incredible founders of SnapJet join Art of the Kickstart and unveils exactly what it takes to create a success startup in the competitive space of technology. We talk family dynamics, founder cooperation and dig deep into why doers also outperform talkers. Hope you enjoy this bad ass brother duo and their Kickstarter success story!
The SnapJet Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
What it's like building a business with your brother How entrepreneurs need to ask for help The difference between doers and talker How to know when to fully commit to a business idea Why you should prototype and test before quitting How founders come to agreements that lead towards success Why there is no better market validator than crowdfunding The best way to build and manufacture a complex tech product How to overcome the challenges of hardware creation The reason you should shop around for manufacturing Why entrepreneurs need to dive right in to discover how to build a business When to partner and hire freelancers Why working around other entrepreneurs is incredibly important Why access to prototyping is critical for efficiency
Success Quotes
Do as much as you can. Learn as much as you can."
Links
snapjet.com
Influential Books
Patent It Yourself: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Filing at the U.S. Patent Office
[clear-line] Connect with Isaac and Ismail
@snapjet SnapJet's Facebook
Another Awesome Kickstarter Creator
BrushLogger with Art of the Kickstart entrepreneur David Espinoza Blue Eagle Labs 3D Printer
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For college project to crushing Kickstarter to the tune of half a million dollars today's Art of the Kickstart interview highlights an incredibly young, motivated and successful entrepreneur revolutionizing wearable sleep technology. Daniel Lee, founder of Hush shares his lean startup secrets to success and how constantly pitching and pushing a product can help refine and revamp an idea in ways you never even imagine. Hope this one holds your attention!
The Hush Kickstarter Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why some inventors do stumble into entrepreneurship The challenges of building a successful startup while in college How entrepreneurs can start businesses while in schoole The power of business competitions in refining a pitch How to bring on cofounders Why traction is all that counts in startup success The reason crowdfunding is critical for hardware companies Why venture capitalists love seeing Kickstarter success before inventing The best way to build a launch list How to navigate the roller coaster of entrepreneurship Strategies for Kickstarter marketing and hype The reason you need a powerful push for crowdfunding success How to use local pitch events to drive Kickstarter success When to partner for manufacturing and engineering expertise Why huge campaigns can motivate inventors everywhere Why wearables will evolve into action based engagement
Success Quotes
“Entrepreneurship wasn't even on my mind until it happened"
Links
hush.technology
Influential Books
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich Outliers: The Story of Success
Connect with Daniel
@hushtechnology Hush Technology's Facebook
Daniel's Kickstarter Favs
Bibliotheca
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From near death experience to incredible entrepreneur Chris Landano is a hardworking inventor with an awesome crowdfunding story. Today's talk centers around the importance of surrounding yourself with inventors, innovators and business builders and how absolutely anyone with the guts to try can become an accomplished product creator. Check out TrakBelt360's crowdfunding case study here as well! The TrakBelt360 Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half] [clear-line] Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why near death experiences can create incredible business ideas The reason loyalty is critical in entrepreneurship How keep a cool head in uncontrollable situations The importance of patents and IP in invention How to use intellectual property to protect an invention Why inventors are just problem solvers without realizing The reason mentors are critical to startups Why you need to join a mastermind or get around experienced entrepreneurs How to research relevant products to pinpoint patenting The challenges of prototyping and building products Organizations that help inventors create physical products The ways crowdfunding helps entrepreneurship unlike ever before How to get manufacturing and production going The challenges of Kickstarter delays and overseas manufacturing Why licensing isn't always the best option for startups What a coach can do to help entrepreneurs succeed
Success Quotes
Integrity. Honesty. Loyalty.
Links
trakbelt360.com
Influential Books
Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain: How I Went from Gang Member to Multimillionaire Entrepreneur
[clear-line] Connect with Chris
@trakbelt360 TrakBelt's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review [clear-line]
Note: Before we jump into the interview I want to issue an enormous apology to Justis Earle, today's incredible Kickstarter entrepreneur. His name is pronounced Justice and he was such a great guy that he didn't even call me out on getting wrong the ENTIRE interview.
Thanks Justis for coming on and sharing an incredible story. Today's story breakdowns the fundamentals of launching a crowdfunding campaign, market validating products and even where potentially profitable business ideas can randomly come friend. Hope you enjoy!
The Hansnap Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why supportive spouses are everything in entrepreneurship The reason some inventors are always creating How solve every day issues for profit The reason passion is priceless in building a business How to use intellectual property to protect an invention What it feels like to be an inventor The democratic power of crowdfunding What you need to know about funding and manufacturing Why entrepreneurship and invention is a long term log How to navigate building a business on the side Strategies for Kickstarter brand ambassadors The need differentiate in startup branding How to brainstorm businesses through spontaneous curiosity When to showcase a product to backers Balancing speed and perfection in product launches
Success Quotes
“ Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither” by CS Lewis
Links
hansnap.com
Influential Books
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich Outliers by Malcom Gladwell
[clear-line] Connect with Justis
@hansnap_ Hansnap's Facebook
Justis' Kickstarter Favs
Bibliotheca
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Our Sponsor
eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Kickstarter success from the king of crowdfunding! Today Vince Pilot Ng, the design-oriented entrepreneur and behind 15+ successful Kickstarter campaigns joins the Art of the Kickstart to share strategies on branding, consumer goods, building and balling out with multiple businesses and so much more. It's an action-packed crowdfunding course in building common products into incredible, long lasting style statements!
In case you missed the Kickstarter Hacks breakdown of the BomberBarrel campaign, you can check that out here!
The BomberBarrel Kickstarter Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Why Kickstarter is all about branding Approaches to bringing a product successfully to market How to turn a passion into a profitable business The best way to have a successful multi-Kickstarter company Finding ways to make backers part of the community How backer’s suggestions become a key to open more products Marketing and branding simple products Putting yourself as the founder in the shoes of your customers Why you must continue to add content to your crowdfunding campaign Creating a killer brand experience Designing your target audience The need for marketing vs organic press power How to prepare for your crowdfunding launch day and build an email list What it takes to successfully run multiple product businesses
Success Quotes
“Live your life like you’re telling me greatest story ever told”
Links
bomberco.com elliothavok.com
Influential Books
Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller - Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century How to Win Friends & Influence People
Connect with Vince
@vincentpilotng Elliot Havok's Facebook
Vince's Kickstarter Success
Halo Belt Dash Wallet Quater Century Belt And many MANY more!
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Our Sponsor
eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Today is incredible. Martin Källström, the crowdfunding genius behind the Memoto $500k+ Kickstarter campaign is dropping serious startup strategy and crowdfunding course knowledge as we walk step-by-step through the war startup product ideas, validation business models and how to unleash an avalanche of Kickstarter campaign success. Easily one of our most actionable interviews and I'd suggest keeping a pen and paper handy for when our entrepreneur extraordinaire builds your pre-launch planning!
The Memoto Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to launch a Kickstarter campaign, step-by-step Why you must try to create value each and every day How to creating a meaningful and fulfilling business model The evolution of crowdfunding How to brainstorm startups for success Creativity vs Inspiration in analyzing startup ideas How to take advantage of the wearable revolution Ways you must find intersections of advancement for business growth Why you shouldn't necessarily build the first business that comes to mind The way startup success parallels the Hunger Games Why you must talk to 100 people to understand how to pitch your idea Split testing customer experiences for Kickstarter success How to prevent your Kickstarter campaign from sucking Why sharing secrets can transform the face of your company The importance of building up a powerful pre-launch list Why you need to push your product on media outlets to make it big Ways to build up press embargoes to make a crowdfunding splash like an avalanche
Success Quotes
“You should never strive for success, always strive to great value” -Albert Einstein
Links
getnarrative.com
Influential Books
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal
[clear-line] Connect with Martin
@getnarrative @martinkallstrom GetNarrative's Facebook
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Today we welcome back accomplished entrepreneur, designer and four time crowdfunding champion Kendal Liddle of Kendal&Hyde to follow up on his past projects Kickstarter success. If you missed our first interview with the savvy startup founder you can check that out here before diving deeper into the incredible crowdfunding success they've seen since last we spoke. During our interview we focus on follow up Kickstarter campaigns, how to make the most out of repeat backers and the making of a powerful brand. Enjoy!
The Kendal&Hyde Boot Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to parlay Kickstarter success with follow up campaigns Why you never know what to expect with crowdfunding campaigns How to use humanitarian missions to fuel a company's success The reasons design startups do so well on Kickstarter How to run multiple crowdfunding campaigns at once Thoughts on product variations and accomodating backer revisions How to take advantage of post campaign success Ways you must take care of and engage with your backers Why repeat backers are the key to sustainable businesses The way you can crowdsource product creation Why you must love the products you're producing Overcoming your ego in entrepreneurship How to create a consistent brand experience Why Kickstarter is perfect for crushes customer acquisition The importance of limiting options in product design Why your startup should build around an anchor product Ways to build up a backer support network
Success Quotes
"If I had listened to my customers I would have designed a faster horse." -Henry Ford
Links
kendalhyde.com
Influential Books
Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
[clear-line] Connect with Kendal
@kendalhyde Kendal & Hyde's Facebook
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Our Sponsor
eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Prepare yourself! This is one of the most actionable, insight oriented inventor interviews I've ever done. Today Neyma Jahan, the marketing mastermind behind the SmartMat Indiegogo campaigns kicking it off and sharing the lessons learned in business, entrepreneurship and life. We cover crushing $100k campaigns, what it takes to build a billion dollar business and why go big or go home is a must for crowdfunding creators everywhere. This interview pumped me up and I know it will add serious wind to your sails when it comes to your own startup success.
The SmartMat Indiegogo Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
Inventing and how to discover great product ideas for now and the future Approaches to building your business around your crowdfunding campaign How new technologies can evolve and change an industry Why you must be able to explain your idea in two sentences or less Finding further funding after crowdfunding Why passion plays a huge role in product development How to critique killer business ideas Ways to market a crowdfunding campaign successfully Why you must plan every step of business success The way to maximize powerful business founders Delegating work within a business The future of wearables How to prepare for your crowdfunding launch day and build an email list What is a problem and what is the best way to build a business The importance of passion for your campaign and how to use it to push your business forward Why advertising should be done before launching on Indiegogo
Success Quotes
"You just have to focus on the step in front of you."
Links
smartmat.com
Influential Books
Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson: All And Everything: 1st Series (Compass) Meetings with Remarkable Men Journey to Ixtlan: The Lessons of Don Juan
[clear-line] Connect with Neyma
@smartmat Smart Mat's Facebook
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Our Sponsor
eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Vinod Nair of Sofft is striking out on his own with Sofft, a clothing and laundry startup selling a magical solution to the mayhem of stains. In a killer Kickstarter campaign for a superhero softener the company showcased a sexy product pitch video and made backers buy in to the awesomeness. We cover how to sexy unsexy products, the challenges of startup success and why patents protect inventors.
The Sofft Kickstarter Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to turn your hobby into your business Why you must do what you love as an entrepreneur How to use data to make decisions as an entrepreneur The massive difference between big businesses and startups How to create a killer Kickstarter team with a cofounder When it is time to jump ship as a founder How turn a cool patent into a profitable business Why materials companies need funding and IP to succeed What goes into making a mundane product magical Selling a solution to incredibly widespream problems Why incredible campaigns do not go viral The challenges of selling in unappealing industries What you need to do validate product-market fit How demo products can dominate post-Kickstarter
Success Quotes
"Do what you truly love. It's better to fail doing what you love than to fail what you don’t love of doing" -Jim Carrey
Connect with Vinod
@sofftco
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Corporate creator and product designer Brian Conti is bringing his A game to the Kickstarter community. This serial startup guy has launched seven Kickstarter campaigns with an incredible five fully funded projects. Today he's on the podcast to share what he's learned as an entrepreneur, inventor and designer and how aspiring founders everywhere can use crowdfunding to create businesses.
The bottleLoft Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to create a killer Kickstarter company while holding down a full time job Why everyone has the opportunity to become an entrepreneur The advantage the corporate world offers for designers What are the attributes of an incredible product Mistakes and challenges from failure Why consecutive crowdfunding campaigns can lead to success How take advantage of the Kickstarter afterlife in ecommerce The power of repeat backers and supporters in crowdfunding What happens when you're running a successful Kickstarter campaign The evolution of crowdfunding platforms over the years Lessons learned from seven serious crowdfunding projects Why visibility and marketing are critical and how to get customers to your campaign What you need to know about Kickstarter stats and data How pivot a product to a consumer product
Success Quotes
“Anyone who's ever taken a shower has an idea. It's the person who gets out of the shower, dries off and does something about it who makes a difference.” -Nolan Bushnell
Links
slbmagnets.com
[clear-line] Connect with Brian
@slbmagnets Strong Like Bull's Facebook
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Our Sponsor
eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Serial entrepreneur and incredible software designer Michael Flarup graces Art of the Kickstart today with an incredible Black Friday interview better than any retail sales. Our chat covers the challenges of hardware, how fun fuels startup success and what it takes to crowdfund a third of a million dollars. This is an epic interview and I know you'll love the knowledge this rocking Robocat founder shares.
The Thermodo Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How to turn your hobby into your job Why you must love what you do as an entrepreneur How to decide which business projects to pursue The way customer complaints can create new invention ideas How diverse projects can keep a team inspired What features to include and what to avoid How turn a software startup into a hardware company The power of bootstrapping your company What goes into build a Kickstarter campaign How manage all the backer expectations and feedback Why pivots can keep companies successful The challenges of building hardware products What you need to do following a successful crowdfunding campaign How hardware feels more fulfilling for entrepreneurs to create
Success Quotes
"Do what you think is fun."
Links
thermodo.com
Influential Business Books
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation
[clear-line] Connect with Michael
@flarup @robocat @thermodo Thermodo's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
Our Sponsor
eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Let's transform technology today as swivelCard, a previously rejected Kickstarter company comes back with a vengeance and crowdfunds over $100k for a revolutionary new USB startup. In today's entrepreneur interview with Andrew we discuss startup adversity, the importance of leadership and how to build an incredible business team to take your Kickstarter to the next level.
The swivelCard Kickstarter Campaign [one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
[clear-line] Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
How being a good person helps startup founders succeed Why you have to push through failures to prove your point How to transform business with new technology The reason cheapskates can create epic businesses How crowdfunding has evolved over the years What happens after entrepreneurial adversity How to be and become an incredible leader The power teamwork and preparation in Kickstarter campaigns Why backers will influence the direction of the business How to successfully grow a Kickstarter company post-crowdfunding Why crowdfunding can create a press explosion Ways to dominate pre-campaign marketing
Success Quotes
"Treat others the way you'd like to be treated."
Links
swivelCard.info
Influential Business Books
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't
[clear-line] Connect with Andrew
@swivelCard swivelCard's Facebook
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Today's product design team is taking the ancient art of wineskins and bringing this classic invention forward into the modern era. Tom Willis, founder and entrepreneur behind Zahota shares the struggles of bringing a product to market, how Kickstarter companies can have issues with marketing and ways to create a killer company around conversing with backers and the crowdfunding community.
The Zahota Kickstarter Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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How to improve upon ancient products and technologies
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Ways to figure out if products are worth creating
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Using passion to create a kind of cool company
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The reason Kickstarter can act as your market validation
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How to get your products in front of mainstream consumers
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Overcoming inventor syndrome and why marketing is critical
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Why you need to be thoughtful about target markets before Kickstarter
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How to avoid playing catch up on a Kickstarter campaign
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The challenges of finding an amazing co-founder
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How long it takes to bring a product to market
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When to start outsourcing prototype development
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What happens if you fail your Kickstarter campaign
Success Quotes
- "Am I using my time in the most effective way?"
Links
-
zahota.com
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backerclub.co
Influential Business Books
- Invent It, Sell It, Bank It!: Make Your Million-Dollar Idea into a Reality
Connect with Tom and Brent
-
@Zahota
-
Zahota's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
Our Sponsor
- eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Sustainability and serial entrepreneurship enter into the Kickstarter equation today as Eric Barnes, founder and CEO of KOR Water joins the show to share the power of design and functionality in creating a crowdfunded success. With two Kickstarters under his belt our designer and entrepreneur offers a ton of value for aspiring inventors everywhere.
The Kor Water Nava Kickstarter Campaign
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Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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How always shoot for more success
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Why self improvement strengthens entrepreneurs
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Ways to start exploring the worlds of startups
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Why sustainability is can inspire startup product design
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The importance of industrial design in product usage
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Why it's challenging to transform consumer behavior
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Avoiding guilt in product marketing and branding
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How turn from serial entrepreneur to passionate professional
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Why subscription based business models succeed
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The effect of subsequent Kickstarter campaigns on business success
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How to stay ahead of consumer behavior and disrupt a product category
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Ways to embrace failure and openness in business
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The power of crowdfunding in market validation
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Why you need to plan your Kickstarter months in advance
Success Quote
"There is never a perfect time"
"Do what you can with what you got where you are."
Links
- korwater.com
Influential Books
-
Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit
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Atlas Shrugged
-
Steve Jobs
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Connect with Eric
-
@KOR_Water
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@jericbarnes
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KOR Water's Facebook
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NFC and biker safety are the focus of today's entrepreneurial interview when David Werner, founder of Third Eye Design joins the show to share the challenges of consumer product design and bringing a motorcycle protective technology to market. During our chat we also delve into the arena of pivots, military tech and the power of patents to fuel Kickstarter success.
The HelSTAR Kickstarter Campaign
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Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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How to turn your passion into an innovative business
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Why nearly traumatic events can galvanize individuals into entrepreneurship
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How to solve large safety issues
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What goes into product testing for motorcycle products
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The power of patents in building a Kickstarter campaign
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Why some technology gets crushed by colossal companies
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The future of near field communication in tech development
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How unexpected pivots can happen in tech companies
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Why large campaign goals can crush Kickstarter success
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The cost of tech product development
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How to find well connected founders
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Ways to get incredible media coverage
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The power of integrity in business
Links
- thirdeyedesigninc.com
Influential Books
-
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
-
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah
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Connect with David
-
@3rdEyeDesign
-
Third Eye Design's Facebook
Killer Kickstarter Campaigns
- The Lomography Petzval Lens
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It's an Art of the Kickstart first today as Arno Smit of FundedByMe joins the podcast to share the world of equity crowdfunding and how entrepreneurs and inventors everywhere are using not just reward based crowdfunding to build their businesses. We chat about the future of entrepreneurship, crowdfunding and how businesses everywhere are being dynamically changed through the amazing innovation the internet is enabling. This is an unconventional interview which will shed some serious light about the other opportunites available to inventors, especially those outside the United States looking to raise capital and how best to go about it.
The Funded By Me Platform
Success Quote
"Never give up...just follow your dreams."
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
-
How a Kickstarter rejection led to an entire crowdfunding platform
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The dynamics and differences in crowdfunding between Europe and the US
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When to decide a business problem is worth solving
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How equity crowdfunding works and is building business everywhere
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The challenges of two sided marketplaces
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When it makes sense to use equity as opposed to reward crowdfunding
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Why the JOBS Act has failed to revolutionize crowdfunding in the US
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How to compete against the most powerful players in the market
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The effect equity crowdfunding investors can help build their businesses
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Where crowdfunding is going in the next 5-10 years and how it will change the world
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Why other crowdfunding platforms are popping up everywhere
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The absolute importance of team building and how to grow an organization
Links
- fundedbyme.com
Influential Business Books
- The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership
Connect with Arno
-
@_entreprenerd
-
@fundedbyme
-
FundedByMe's Facebook
FundedByMe Success Stories
- Virtuous Vodka
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Our Sponsor
- eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
The future of marine robotics and drone development is upon. Today Rusty and Joe of BlueRobotics, a Kickstarter company that raised over $100k transforming the maker movement of ocean are on the podcast to share their hobby inspired entrepreneurial journey for inventors everywhere to enjoy. Hope these hackers help you guys in your own DIY projects and inspire creative minded individuals to go for broke and launch a crowdfunding campaign!
The T100 Thruster Kickstarter Campaign
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Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
-
How to turn your hobby into a successful business
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What to do when you can't find products you're looking for
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How to overcome problematic issues of water based products
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The James Bond effect of Kickstarter product design
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Building a business around the hacker and maker movement
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Why iterating on products ideas is an incredible business strategy
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The power of crowdfunding in enabling innovation
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How to get consumers interested in products
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Kickstarter marketing strategies to crush your crowdfunding campaign
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The future of the maker movement in changing the world
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How to find business problems worth solving
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The upcoming innovations in drones and marine robotics
Links
- bluerobotics.com
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Connect with Rusty and Joe
-
@bluerobotics
-
BlueRobotic's Facebook
Killer Kickstarter Campaigns
-
Pegasus Touch Laser SLA
-
Re:Load Pro
-
SmartScope Oscilloscope
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
[clear-line]
Our Sponsor
- eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Aussie entrepreneur and design focused businessman James Moore of ZestDesk is working with his dad to revolutionize the world of standing desks. Their Kickstarter campaign features an innovative collapsible, design oriented standing desk which crowdfunders every clearly clamored for. This interview's excellent for founders considering family businesses, diving deeper into the process of progressive product development and the impact culture can have upon a company's success or failure.
The ZestDeskKickstarter Campaign
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Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
-
How to keep perspective when it comes to business
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Why invention and entrepreneurship runs in the family
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How to get out of corporate as rapidly as possible
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The dynamics of family businesses
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How to innovate in the face adversity
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Why design is critical in consumer product creation
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The power of cofounders and how to make the most of them
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How to refine product design and planning through consumer feedback
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Why you should take advantage of early bird campaign schedules
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The absolute importance of pre-launch Kickstarter marketing
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How to educate customers and overcome biases
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Why it's tough to raise money outside the United States
Success Quotes
- "Control the controlables."
Links
- zestdesk.com
Influential Business Books
-
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
-
The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
[clear-line]
Connect with James
-
@James_M_Moore
-
@ZestDesk
-
ZestDesk's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
Our Sponsor
- eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Today we're talking wearable technologies, the power of open source and how technology is changing the way we as people live, interact and express ourselves with Kickstarter success story Leif Chastaine of CA7CH Lightbox. This photography based hardware/software company raised almost $250k with an absurdly successful crowdfunding campaign to fuel the movement of first person video and they're sharing everything today with you guys. Hope you enjoy!
The CA7CH Lightbox Kickstarter Campaign
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Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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Deciding what to build a business around
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Why technology is transforming the world of entrepreneurship
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Why you need to build an audience well in advance of launching a Kickstarter campaign
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The reason and way to ride consumer trends
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How to compete with big name competitors like GoPro
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When to go with crowdfunding vs venture capital
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The struggles of combining innovative hardware and software
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How crowdfunding product feedback influences product design and market testing
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Why product aesthetics matter to Kickstarter success
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The power of open source technology
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How to design design into products
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Where wearable technology is headed in the coming years
Success Quotes
-
"If something's worth doing, it's worth doing well." -Hunter S. Thompson
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"Design is not what it looks like and feels like, design is how it works." -Steve Jobs
Links
- ca7ch.com
Influential Business Books
- Brick by Brick: How LEGO Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry
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Connect with Leif
-
@lchasta
-
@ca7ch
-
CA7CH's Facebook
Killer Kickstarter Campaigns
- FlyWheel
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
[clear-line]
Our Sponsor
- eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Today we're joined by French startup founder and music focused entrepreneur Pierre Gochgarian of Prizm to discuss the world of hardware based crowdfunding and how big data and analytics are empowering Kickstarter companies to create the next wave of consumer technologies.
The Prizm Kickstarter Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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Deciding between hardware and software to solve a problem
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Why big data is revolutionizing wearable technologies
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What predictive analytics means for the future of consumer products
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The way to go about innovating the existing music industry
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How to industrialize Kickstarter products while based in Europe
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When to start getting customer feedback
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The struggles of product development and prototyping
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What does into creating a product and getting it ready for Kickstarter
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Why you must work with people you love
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The effect crowdfunding on product development ideas
Success Quotes
- "If you fail try harder."
Links
- meetprizm.com
Influential Business Books
- Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time
Connect with Pierre
-
@meetprizm
-
@pierregoch
-
Prizm's Facebook
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Our Sponsor
- eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Serial entrepreneur and social justice warrior Camille Van Gestel joins the podcast today to share their neverending story of crowdfunding creation and how platforms like Kickstarter can help create positive change in the world today. This is WakaWaka's fourth crowdfunding campaign and you'd do well to follow in the footsteps of this mission focused social startup.
The WakaWaka Base Kickstarter Campaign
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Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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The challenges of running multiple crowdfunding campaigns simultaneously
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Why Kickstarter can create the perfect environment for launching multiple campaigns
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What to do for European inventors considering crowdfunding
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The way to go about creating mission based businesses
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How to shoot selfie Kickstarter video that kills it
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Why crowdfunding is powerful for social justice causes
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The struggles of spontaneity in Kickstarter video pitches
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How to get a big crowdfunding splash on the first day
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Why you must have fun building a business
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The effect small products can have on changing the world
Success Quotes
-
"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." by Marion Williamson
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"I have not failed. I've just found 10000 ways that won't work." - Thomas A. Edison
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"If you can, you must!"
Links
- waka-waka.com
Influential Business Books
-
It's Not What You Sell, It's What You Stand For: Why Every Extraordinary Business Is Driven by Purpose
-
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
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Connect with Camille
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@wakawakalight
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@Camille_van_G
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WakaWaka's Facebook
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The Art of the Kickstart inventor series continues today with Kickstarter creator Brandon Dierker and the product that's transforming the way we iron our clothes. In the show we talk challenges of entrepreneurship, why business plans are important and ways to push forward in the face of startup adversity.
The Collar Perfect Kickstarter Campaign
[one-half-first] [/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
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Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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The challenges of sharing ideas with friends and family
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Why you need to get around other entrepreneurs to be successful
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What it takes to really create a product and plan the finances
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The way to go about intellectual property
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How to figure out product pricing strategy
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Why you need to talk to other small business owners to learn through their mistakes
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The struggles of manufacturing and how to find great partnerships
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How to make a high quality Kickstarter video on a budget
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Why you need to take advantage of social media for your crowdfunding campaign
Success Quotes
"Never give up."
Links
- CollarPerfect.com
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Connect with Brandon
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@CollarPerfect
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Collar Perfect's Facebook
Kickstarter Love
- Coolest Cooler
Our Sponsor
- eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
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Discovery Channel videographer and underwater creative Dan Burton of Eye Mirror shares the story of long term business building with challenges, setbacks and Kickstarter crowdfunding success. If you've ever wanted 360 degree amazingness in video and product creation this product is absolutely worth checking out.
The Eye Mirror 360º Kickstarter Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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The challenges of coming to market too early
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Why doing what you love is a great way to build a business
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How find an amazing cofounder
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The challenges of showcasing complex products
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What happens when a project goes on a long break
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Why Kickstarter photography products do so well
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The reasons to build a product you would use yourself
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How to use new technology to create a whole new class of products
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Why delivering a product late to backers can be beneficial
Success Quotes
None. Just do what you love.
Links
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Eye-Mirror.com
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The Eye Mirror Android App
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Connect with Dan
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@EyeMirror360
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@DanDiver
Kickstarter Love
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AirDog
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PowerUp 3.0 Paper Airplane
Our Sponsor
- eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
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Fitness fanatic and tech entrepreneur Dustin Freckleton of BSX Athletics breaks down the business of wearable tech trackers and the future of fitness with technological tracking. This is an amazing episode for anybody interested in creating a high tech, disruptor player in the field and using Kickstarter to crowdfund their business launch.
The BSX Insight Kickstarter Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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How combine passion into your profession
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Why technological innovations create the opportunity for business booms
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The power of wearable tech tracking in athletics
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How to combine great technology and great effort
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The importance of great leadership and sharing successes
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How to stand out in the fitness industry
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The challenges of disruptive technologies and overcoming risk
Success Quotes
"If you love what you do, you never have to work a day in your life."
Links
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trainBSX.com
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BSXinsight.com
Influential Books
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Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't
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Thinking, Fast and Slow
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David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
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The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
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Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Connect with Dustin
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@BSXAthletics
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@DMFreckl
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BSX Athletic's Facebook
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Wearable tech and tracking technologies are all the rage these days. Today I'm excited to bring you guys Boris Tverskoy, the Russian scientist and startup founder revolutionizing open source fitness and health trackers with BodyEcho. We chat about the state of Kickstarter, crowdfunding and where technology is taking us in the quantified self movement. If you've ever wanted better quality sleep or access to all your vitals your in for an awesome interview.
The BodyEcho Kickstarter Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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The challenges of wearable tracking technology
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Why open source technology is the business model of the future
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How sleep tracking can transform peoples' lives
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The future of the quantified self movement
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What to expect developing and manufacturing wearable tech products
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Why marketing is a challenge for engineers and tech guys
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The reason incredible inventions struggle to find crowdfunding support
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How to use backer feedback to improve products
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Why building an API can create a community around your company and product
Success Quotes
"The most certain way to succeed is just to try one more time."
Links
- OxiRate.com
Influential Books
- The Four Steps to the Epiphany
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Connect with Boris
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@OxiRate
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OxiRate's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
Our Sponsor
- eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
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Adam Ullman, founder of SteriShoe joins Art of the Kickstart to share the story of fighting foot fungus and fueling a crowdfunded startup sensation. Feet people beware our inventor and entrepreneur digs deep into the dirty details of crazy Kickstarter success focused around sweaty shoe salvation.
The SteriShoe 2.0 Kickstarter Campaign
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Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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How to start a medical startup and find healthcare advisors
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Ways to create new businesses around old technology
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Why entrepreneurial parents are the best kind to have
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How to pivot business models
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The importance of patents
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What to look for in manufacturing partners
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How to create an amazing team
Success Quotes
"If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."
Links
- SteriShoe.com
Influential Books
- Steve Jobs
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Connect with Adam
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@SteriShoe
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SteriShoe's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
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Our Sponsor
- eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
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Social entrepreneurship that solves major business battles is always popular. Today Kickstarter creator and sustainable businesswoman Becky Ingham of HookPod joins our inventor community to share the story of environmental entrepreneurship and how protecting wildlife on the high seas can power profits for the commercial fishing industries.
The HookPod Kickstarter Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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Why social entrepreneurship startups need to have a business basis
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The importance of finding complementary co-founders
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How to take advantage of startup opportunities
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Why it is challenging to change public perception
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How to position benefits for business success
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Why large scale business opportunities are incredibly hard
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The challenge of prototyping and building long term safety regulations
Success Quotes
"Solve two things at once."
Links
-
HookPod.com
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FishTekMarine.com
My Influential Book Recommendation
- Outliers: The Story of Success
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Connect with Becky
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@HookPod
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HookPod's Facebook
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Not all inventions are radically new ideas. Today Bostjan Zagar, the Slovenian startup founder behind Olaf Scooters talks product innovation and solving pain points in his Kickstarter campaign on urban mobility. Specifically we share strategies for to improve existing technologies and products to please customers and create a crowdfunded business.
The Olaf Kickstarter Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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How to turn current products into better businesses
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Overcoming the challenges of new manufacturing methods
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Why it pays to be close to your manufacturer
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When trust customer feedback in pivoting a product
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How to overcome crowdfunding challenges when working in Europe
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When it makes sense to consider follow up Kickstarter campaigns
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The importance of aesthetics in creating killer products
Success Quotes
"The more you try the closer you are to success."
Links
- Olaf-Scooter.com
Influential Books
- Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
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Connect with Bostjan
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@OlafScooter
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Olaf's Facebook
Kickstarter Love
- FlyKly Smart Wheel - Interviewed and soon to be on the podcast as well!
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Our Sponsor
- eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
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We're talking wearables, fitness trackers and high-tech health products today when Jimmy Leu of Qbit joins the Art of the Kickstart to share his Kickstarter success story. Flyfit is the Silicon Valley based company creating the only fitness band you'll ever need which helps monitor swimmers, cyclists and runners alike in workout tracking and performance improvement. From the struggles of hardware to the successes of six figure crowdfunding campaigns, Jimmy shares a pretty intriguing and extremely valuable story for crowdfunding creators looking to do the same.
The Flyfit Fitness Tracker Kickstarter Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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The challenges of wearable tech based startups
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Why building a business in Silicon Valley is a smart thing tech entrepreneurs
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How to deal with the roller coaster of entrepreneurship
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Why athletes need better tracking products to improve fitness
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When to start testing products with consumers
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What happens following a successful Kickstarter campaign
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The challenges of software and hardware based devices
Success Quotes
"Life is like a rollercoaster, it is up and down but it is your choice to scream or to enjoy the ride."
Links
- MyFlyFit.com
Influential Books
- Elon Musk: Biography of a Self-Made Visionary, Entrepreneur and Billionaire
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Connect with Jimmy
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@MyFlyFit
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MyFlyFit's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
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Our Sponsor
- eFulFillment Service: Want to get your rewards out to backers and eliminate the hassle of post-campaign shipping? EFS can help with tons of crowdfunding experience and special discounts for Art of the Kickstart listeners these guys are a great bet to help your business grow.
Make the Podcast More Awesome For You
Health and fitness guru and wearable techie lover Crystal Butler joins Art of the Kickstart to share the story of her failed Kickstarter campaign PosturePulse and the lessons she learned from running her crowdfunding campaign. Good news is she'll be back to Kickstarter with a higher tech posture wearable device in the future to help us all improve.
The Posture Pulse Kickstarter Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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The challenges of creating low tech tech products
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What happens when a Kickstarter campaign fails
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How to take customer feedback and pivot business strategies
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The challenges of creating electronics for non-tech founders
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Why building businesses around a passion is paramount to success
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The importance of aesthetics in wearable product design
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How to compete with competing products on Kickstarter
Success Quotes
"The best is the enemy of good." -Voltaire
Influential Books
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
Connect with Crystal
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@body_Lab_NYC
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@superluckycat
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body-Lab's Facebook
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The perfect solution to a painful problem. To kick off your Kickstarter inspired week of creativity we have Michael Reznik on the like, an inventor and entrepreneur whose crowdfunding campaign is geared towards solving the struggle of carry heavy stuff up stairs. They've taken existing technology and are looking to empower individuals everywhere.
The UpCart Kickstarter Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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The importance of minimalism in product design
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How to find complementary cofounders for business success
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Why improving existing technologies can create gamechanging products
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The challenges of simplicity in design
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When and why to get feedback from early adopters
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How to know if an idea is worth pursuing
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Why product design never truly ends
Success Quotes
"Occam's Razor - the simplest answer is the best one"
Links
- UpCart.com
Influential Books
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Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
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How to Win Friends & Influence People
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Connect with Michael
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@UpCart
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UpCart's Facebook
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Today Ilan Mor the bicycle enthusiast and inventive entrepreneur behind both FoldyLock and SeatyLock joins the Art of the Kickstart to share the share business of bike based protection. With two successful Kickstarter campaigns and two terrific products Ilan and company are creating the next big bicycle brand.
The SeatyLock Campaign
The FoldyLock Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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Why multiple Kickstarter campaigns often makes sense for startup founders
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The power of working on the go as an entrepreneur
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How to build a business around true necessity
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The importance of crowdfunding for building a community of backers
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How to balance fund startup businesses while working on the side
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Why you should visit conventions to display products and get advice
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How Kickstarter has changed and how to take advantage of it
Success Quote
"Do what you do best because the worst will come by itself" -Vladimir
Links
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SeatyLock.com
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FoldyLock.com
Influential Books
- Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Connect with Ilan
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@FoldyLock and @SeatyLock
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FoldyLock's and SeatyLock's Facebook
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Today we talk with Joe and Lily born, the father daughter tandem behind Kangaroo Cup, the awesome successful Kickstarter campaigns to create more arthritis friendly, spill proof cups. This inspirational elementary school entrepreneur is awesome and the story this family startup shares is motivation for any interested in crowdfunding.
The Kangaroo Cup Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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Age is only number
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How to encourage invention and entrepreneurship among children
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The benefits of family run businesses
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How to get product sourced in China
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Why secondary Kickstarter campaigns are almost always more successful
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When is an invention idea worth pursuing
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Why kids create the most innovative ideas for products
Success Quote
"Try your hardest. Never be afraid to ask for help"
Links
- Imagiroo.com
Influential Books
- His Excellency: George Washington
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Connect with Lily and Joe
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@Lilyborn
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@Joeborn
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@MakeImagiroo
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Kangaroo Cup's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
Coming straight out of Harvard, Luke Leafgreen is the passion woodworker and academically inclined entrepreneur behind StandStand, the world's simplest and most cost effective way of riding the standing desk wave. Tune in to discover how little lessons and small pushes propel big change in the world and what the future holds for education and entrepreneurship.
The StandStand Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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Why a traditional education is still relevant in today's society
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How to build a business on the side while still keeping your job
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Why scratching your own itch is an awesome way to build a business
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The importance of simplicity in design
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How to create a high quality, low price product
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Why it is important to understand the manufacturing process as an entrepreneur
Success Quote
"Do what works - that's something I am always trying to figure out, keeping my eyes open for what's working in my life, what's not working in my life and then trying to fix it if it's not gone right."
Links
- StandStand.us
Influential Books
- Raintree County
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Connect with Luke
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@StandStand
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StandStand's Facebook
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Luke's Harvard Page
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
Former lawyer and serial entrepreneur John Galley joins the Art of the Kickstart today to talk shop about starting a Kickstarter campaign without any knowledge at all in crowdfunding. John is the co-founder of Orion4Sight, the sunglasses on steroids startup that raised over a quarter of a million via crowdfunding with strong copywriting and direct marketing mantras and a bit of determination. Their story should serve to inspire all young and old to make amazing things happen.
The Orion4Sight Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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How to use copywriting and sales techniques to strengthen crowdfunding campaigns
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Why you need to grab backers attention with your thumbnail
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The reason to take a chance on crowdfunding
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How mystery and military make a product exciting
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The way to pivot products to different markets
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Why Amazon might be an interesting ecommerce platform to build on
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How to take advantage of Kickstarter success in post-Kickstarter business growth
Success Quote
"If you will do what others won't then you will have what others don't."
Links
- Orion4Sight.com
Influential Books
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The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It
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Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition
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Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind
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Connect with John
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@Orion4Sight
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Orion4Sight's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
From artist to accomplished inventor and constant Kickstarter creator, Les Cookson is the man behind Ancient Magic Arts. In his latest successful crowdfunding campaign Les is launching an old artist altering drawing device, the camera lucida to let masters and novices master still drawing as painters of the past once did.
The Camera Lucida Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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How to find great products from the past and innovate them
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Why following your passion is the perfect business decision
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How to take an existing business and bring it to crowdfunding
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The way to schedule multiple Kickstarter campaigns
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How competition can create success
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Why creators need to take chances to succeed and learn
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What it takes to constantly create new products
Success Quote
"I had something profound that I forgot."
“Invention is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." -Thomas Edison
Links
- GetLUCID-Art.com
Influential Books
- 1984 (Signet Classics)
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Connect with Les
- Ancient Magic Art Tool's Facebook
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From the Shark Tank to starting a wearable tech company protecting ocean goers Brian Wynne is the fearless founder of SharkStopper, the sound based shark repellent. Check out today's interview to uncover lessons of an experienced entrepreneur struggling to build a sustainable, eco-friendly ocean company.
The Sharkstopper Campaign
Key Crowdfunding Takeaways
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Why some products take extremely long times in testing and development
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How to get on Shark Tank and turn down the offer
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The reason to keep trade secrets hidden from competition
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How far inventors can take products before calling it quits
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Why crowdfunding isn't always the best avenue for startups
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The way to live life and constantly innovate
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When to take an invention back to the drawing board
Success Quote
“You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." -Wayne Gretsky
Links
- SharkStoppercom
Influential Books
- Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
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Connect with Brian
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@SharkStopper
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SharkStopper's Facebook
Kickstarter Love:
- Coolest Cooler
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The future of food is here and it is aquaponics. In today's epic crowdfunding interview we talk to inspiring entrepreneur Kevin Liang who launched an aquaponics and shrimping startup which he's grown through the years before dropping out of school to take his Kickstarter company to the next level. Hope it inspires you.
The EcoQube Campaign
Success Quote
“You're the average of the five people you affiliate yourself with most." -Tim Ferriss
Links
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AquaponicsFilter.com
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Aqua Design Innovations
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Hacking Kickstarter
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Backer Kit
Influential Books
- Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think
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Connect with Kevin
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@kzliang
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@DesignADI
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ADIventures Facebook
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info@adiventures.net
Kickstarter Love:
- Soma Water Filter
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Indiegogo and Kickstarter collide in a clash of the crowdfunding titans as Seymour Segnit, a superstar entrepreneur and Indiegogo guy behind the wildly successful thingCharger campaign joins the Art of the Kickstart. Our chat dives deep into the depths of crowdfunding success, strategies to make your campaign dominate and lessons learned from funding.
The thingCharger Campaign
Success Quote
“A great late product is only late until it ships. A bad product is bad forever." -Christopher Hawker
Links
- thingCharger.com
Influential Books
-
Triggers
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Waiting for Your Cat to Bark?: Persuading Customers When They Ignore Marketing
Connect with Seymour
-
@SeymourSegnit
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@thingCharger
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thingCharger's Facebook
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
Turkish technologist and serial entrepreneur Ekim Nazim Kaya joins the Art of the Kickstart to share story of innovation, memory preservation and the future of life. Going to Kickstarter with Yourbot, the company preserving the past while creating the future, Ekim and team are founding a foundation to change the world and challenge the status quo of life.
The Yourbot Campaign
Success Quote
“Einstein had 24 hours in a day too."
Links
- Yourbot.com
Influential Books
- Things a Little Bird Told Me: Confessions of the Creative Mind
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Connect with Ekim
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@EkimNazimKaya
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@YourbotInc
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Yourbot's Facebook
Kickstarter Love
- Pebble Smartwatch
Love the Show? Leave us a Review
