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Kickstarter for hardware products is very much its own insane, dysfunctional, extraordinarily risky world. Most money spent on Kickstarter goes to projects whi
by TillE 10y ago
Kickstarter for hardware products is very much its own insane, dysfunctional, extraordinarily risky world.
Most money spent on Kickstarter goes to projects which are far far more likely to be completed in some form: videogames, books, board games. I'd say that hardware projects should be banned entirely except for companies that have already shipped similar products but, well, that would've included Pebble.
- qwrusz 10y agoI don't mind the risk. I think it's great there's a way to support cool product ideas that still need time and money to figure out if it will work. It's not for everyone, but I'd be happy to back a hardware project knowing there's a solid chance it might not succeed, especially on the more niche products. Someone has to. But I do think risky product creators can compensate their backers better for the risks and for taking a chance on them. For example I think it would be great to see something like a behind the scenes component with more sharing of the process as they go. Maybe like a weekly vlog about them building this new product from scratch, with successes and failures and what they are learning. The company doesn't have to show anything proprietary. It's like behind the scene DVD but for a product not a movie. I'd watch it. Plus all the backers would know that the creators tried and if they are failing, the reasons why. It could be interesting and entertaining. And if doesn't work they would at least have shared what they learned which others can learn from too. Anywho I don't see this happening.