4 ms·

How Glowforge Made Crowdfunding History

37 points by pavornyoh 11y ago

ordbajsare 11y ago
Glowforge $2,395.00 Random laser engraver http://www.aliexpress.com http://www.aliexpress.com $431.46
kriro 11y ago
Pretty interesting how much they optimized the actual campaign. I never thought of using mechanical turk to iterate on a KS video...that's pretty cool. I guess it's quite different to be venture backed and run a KS campaign. Interesting article since I had only read these "this is how we ran the campaign" typoe posts/article from non-backed people.
exodust 11y ago
I note with interest the intense effort and research that went into constructing the promo video and campaign. The high-gloss video convinced a lot of people that a Glowforge was rolling down the production line with their name on it. "We can't wait to get you your Glowforge". Last year when everyone was throwing money at Glowforge, I was interested. But the more I watched the video and drank the koolaid, the more I cringed at the glossy blueprint presentations and tactics. And the more I had questions about the product that simply couldn't be answered without a final product existing. I do hope it works out. But I wish it had been further along before they took people's money. The thing is, a lot of buyers were led to believe the Glowforge had progressed a lot further than it had. It came as a surprise to some that the beta program only started in December 2015, when previously the plan was that first backers would receive their units by that time. Apparently everything is running on time though, and late 2016 could be when backers get their production Glowforge. Of course, their terms specify generous leeway on any timeframes. They are still recruiting hard for what looks like important roles to the core product. That's great... depending on whether you've pre-ordered or looking for work! I am still betting on a "history making" refund drive as the glow in buyers' eyes fades in time. Their up to $4K (inc shipping) sitting somewhere other than their own back account.
- leetrout 11y ago
  They had me. That video made everything look so polished. I was about to pull the trigger when I did a bit of digging and I can't get past the cloud processing. Not that I would need to use the engraver offline regularly, but that is a concern. It's also concerning that they could develop some sort of DRM that inspected what I was wanting to "print" and not process it.
  - exodust 11y ago
    Interesting. I hadn't heard about the DRM, I wonder if that really is a possibility? "This design cannot be printed due to a copyright claim by userxyz". Or maybe "this design can be printed for a fee - credit card or paypal accepted." On the general need for an internet connection to print... I hate it when games do that. Can't imagine a printer failing to print because of internet issues. Just the fact they would build an online-only laser cutter, is a sign to me of deserved suspicion in other areas of the product. I'm also suspicious of the filter's ability to absorb fumes. HEPA filters I thought were more about particles than fumes. Not that I know too much about it, but just read a few thoughts elsewhere echoing these concerns.
35mm 11y ago
"What had highest ROI in your launch preps? Tony Wright : I wish we could know for sure. I think the video investment, both in terms of our own effort and the money we spent, was huge." For anyone interested in top performing Kickstarter videos, my weekend project this week was crawling Kickstarter to build a gallery of videos from campaigns that funded at least 5x their original goal. It's live here: https://kickflicks.com https://kickflicks.com

37 points by pavornyoh 11y ago

Glowforge $2,395.00 Random laser engraver http://www.aliexpress.com http://www.aliexpress.com $431.46

kriro 11y ago

Pretty interesting how much they optimized the actual campaign. I never thought of using mechanical turk to iterate on a KS video...that's pretty cool. I guess it's quite different to be venture backed and run a KS campaign. Interesting article since I had only read these "this is how we ran the campaign" typoe posts/article from non-backed people.

exodust 11y ago

I note with interest the intense effort and research that went into constructing the promo video and campaign. The high-gloss video convinced a lot of people that a Glowforge was rolling down the production line with their name on it. "We can't wait to get you your Glowforge". Last year when everyone was throwing money at Glowforge, I was interested. But the more I watched the video and drank the koolaid, the more I cringed at the glossy blueprint presentations and tactics. And the more I had questions about the product that simply couldn't be answered without a final product existing. I do hope it works out. But I wish it had been further along before they took people's money. The thing is, a lot of buyers were led to believe the Glowforge had progressed a lot further than it had. It came as a surprise to some that the beta program only started in December 2015, when previously the plan was that first backers would receive their units by that time. Apparently everything is running on time though, and late 2016 could be when backers get their production Glowforge. Of course, their terms specify generous leeway on any timeframes. They are still recruiting hard for what looks like important roles to the core product. That's great... depending on whether you've pre-ordered or looking for work! I am still betting on a "history making" refund drive as the glow in buyers' eyes fades in time. Their up to $4K (inc shipping) sitting somewhere other than their own back account.

leetrout 11y ago
They had me. That video made everything look so polished. I was about to pull the trigger when I did a bit of digging and I can't get past the cloud processing. Not that I would need to use the engraver offline regularly, but that is a concern. It's also concerning that they could develop some sort of DRM that inspected what I was wanting to "print" and not process it.
- exodust 11y ago
  Interesting. I hadn't heard about the DRM, I wonder if that really is a possibility? "This design cannot be printed due to a copyright claim by userxyz". Or maybe "this design can be printed for a fee - credit card or paypal accepted." On the general need for an internet connection to print... I hate it when games do that. Can't imagine a printer failing to print because of internet issues. Just the fact they would build an online-only laser cutter, is a sign to me of deserved suspicion in other areas of the product. I'm also suspicious of the filter's ability to absorb fumes. HEPA filters I thought were more about particles than fumes. Not that I know too much about it, but just read a few thoughts elsewhere echoing these concerns.

35mm 11y ago

"What had highest ROI in your launch preps? Tony Wright : I wish we could know for sure. I think the video investment, both in terms of our own effort and the money we spent, was huge." For anyone interested in top performing Kickstarter videos, my weekend project this week was crawling Kickstarter to build a gallery of videos from campaigns that funded at least 5x their original goal. It's live here: https://kickflicks.com https://kickflicks.com