"If some as-yet nonexistent magazine had sent me a piece of direct mail, asking $15 for its launch issue, I would never have paid that. Even if an existing maga

"If some as-yet nonexistent magazine had sent me a piece of direct mail, asking $15 for its launch issue, I would never have paid that. Even if an existing magazine looked really good on the newsstand, and had a cover price of $15, I would similarly never pay that. But somehow the idea that by paying the $15 up front I was helping to create that magazine — that was enough to get me to pay. ... I think that’s the real key here: I’m not paying for the sensation of a hypothetical idea, so much as paying to support the individuals whom I like and admire. " "Even if an existing magazine looked really good on the newsstand" Ok all of the above is true. But if you passed the newsstand and saw the ten people in front of you all buying an issue, or, when you see a line at a restaurant you take notice and think something is special that is going on. Or if you walk into the office and see your friends bought the magazine what happens then? To me, that is what is happening with kickstarter (among other things of course obviously). There is a lemming effect same reason people will follow people who park their cars on the lawn at an event (even if the sign says "no parking") or ignore a persons plea (famous NYC case years ago) if others aren't doing something. That to me is the behavior that is going on with kickstarter. You see others are contributing. You wonder if they know something you don't. You decide to take advantage. Edit: "You wonder if they know something you don't." I probably didn't state this as well as I could. In the shortness of time let's look at it this way. You see a pebble watch raises a million dollars on kickstarter. That definitely creates a halo in your mind to strongly doing the same. Now you might say "chicken and egg" to that but the fact is observation of what others are doing who are like minded generally sways people in a certain direction.