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Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #171-175
In today’s flashback post, we’ll look at articles about effectively communicating a timeline, what type of project to start with, being a project manager, making sure your project creates a splash, and the technical aspects of adding reward levels mid-campaign.
The Project Timeline (#171): Every time I see a timeline image on a project page, I feel better about the project. A good timeline tells the creator has carefully though over upcoming steps, sets clear expectations, and makes me look forward to updates as each milestone is reached. Creators can even take the timeline to the next level by not only showing the future, but also the past. This increases my confidence in the project, because it shows the amount of work they’ve already put into the product. Check out some examples in the full article.
Should Your First Project Be Epic or Humble? (#172): There are pros and cons to both. Here’s my overall recommendation to new creators: Choose the product that will sustain your interest, excitement, and passion for the next 1-2 years. You have to want this product to exist more than anything in the world. Some considerations include: A humble product is easier in almost every way, provides a lower barrier of entry for the backer, and can be a great teaching tool for a new creator. While an epic product typically has a great chance of capturing peoples’ hearts, imaginations, and wallets, as well as possibly aligning your fledgling company for future success and having a great chance attracting media attention.
The Hidden Job of Every Kickstarter Creator (#173): Even if you’re working alone (like I did), you’re still managing a whole slew of people tasks. That’s why the hidden job of a Kickstarter creator is Project Manager. For me, keeping track of different people and tasks requires a lot of different tools, including email, Basecamp, Discord, and Google Sheets. All the while, trying to communicate clear expectations, limiting needless meetings, testing the waters with someone new, consolidating communication, always compensating fairly, and not hiring unless I have to. Check out the full explanation for all of these in the article.
Creating a Spectacle (#174): I think we creators can learn about the idea of spectacle from the Super Bowl. Here are a few things to consider: Build up excitement in advance. Keep it short (a long campaign and reduce spectacle). Add live commentary (i.e., project updates). Keep the press informed. Emphasize your brand (a Kickstarter is the best possible time for you to let people know what you and your company are all about). And finally, implement amazing art direction: the analogue for a well-choreographed sporting event is a Kickstarter campaign that communicates itself with effective imagery.
Adding New Rewards During a Campaign (#175): I have three cautionary tales on this subject. For Euphoria, I added a new reward level to include additional cards and dice. Due to minimum order quantities, just by having this option I was committed to making 1,000. And, I also risked human error by making such a large change midstream. The second tale is from my original Viticulture campaign: I offered a limited reward level related to art in the game. Adding more of this limited reward can be tricky, but there are multiple methods, the best of which is adding more of the same reward level within the campaign so you don’t clutter and confuse the rewards sidebar. And lastly, the third tale is adding more “early bird” rewards (a type of reward I generally don’t recommend): This is something Isaac Childress did this for Forge War. Adding more of this reward can diminish the perceived value of the earliest pledges. Luckily in all 3 of these tricky situations, they worked out well, but it’s easy to cherry pick the successes. They definitely could have gone a different direction.
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If you have any questions or thoughts about these topics, feel free to share in the comments!
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