When KickStarter first launched, it blew my mind. I had already been researching the crowd sourcing scene, but most of that was only contests where users supplied content. Like a ‘design our new logo, winner get $1,000’ types of crowd sourcing. Flipping that idea to where the user supplies the money was much more logical.
The first KickStarter I funded was a local band’s cd. It totally flopped, but I’ve also contributed to a local hot sauce company, other bands, and a really cool wallet – they have all had success. Some people use it to help get that initial investment in their business. Some use it to get funds for a creative outlet, while some use it to fund healthcare costs after a bad accident or diagnosis. The most entertaining was recently hearing about two girls who were using Indiegogo to fund a vacation to Europe.
These middle class girls had the gall to be so lazy, they’re asking friends and strangers to pay for their fun. Unlike everyone else their age, who will work for a year delivering pizzas before they get the money for a trip. The fun thing was, no one contributed. I think one of their moms gave $100, and that was it. Lesson learned, girls – you’ve gotta work for things in society. [via]