5 ms·

Surely in many cases the incentive is to get a pre-order of some item, possibly at a reduced price that you might not have had a chance to purchase at all other

by jiggy2011 14y ago

Surely in many cases the incentive is to get a pre-order of some item, possibly at a reduced price that you might not have had a chance to purchase at all otherwise?

runevault 14y ago
Or you believe in what they're doing enough you want to make sure it happens (or in the case of stretch goals, that the goals happen). Hell I just saw a KS I'm probably going to throw money in for where the main product is going to be free, the incentives are mostly stickers plus a few webinars/videos around ebook topics http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1371597318/the-peoples-e-book http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1371597318/the-peoples-e...
- jbail 14y ago
  I just checked out that Kickstarter video. Where does it say it'll be free? In fact, I don't see how it could be, at least in the long term. They are building a web app. It will require ongoing costs to host, support and enhance. I don't think their $10,000 goal (of which they have raised over 50% more than that) could possibly cover these costs. What you're doing when you fund an idea like the above, is funding a startup. They will own the technology and can do with it whatever they want. That distinction may or may not matter, but it's important. Nobody in their right mind would pay $10 for a couple stickers. You are not getting the value from the little token gifts. You are getting value in feeling good about helping someone achieve their dream...and potentially building something you intend to use. You will not benefit economically from giving your economic assistance in helping get their idea off the ground. For tons of people giving money on Kickstart, that is just fine. The lesson is not everyone is wholly economically motivated. That's pretty cool.
  - runevault 14y ago
    Just saw this reply. In answer to your question: "please keep pledging and keep passing it on to help us build the best free tool for e-books on the planet."
jlgreco 14y ago
It's strange, since to me that seems like the most reasonable use of KS, not the least as the "not a store" attitude might suggest. The only sort of things I might consider are products that are not revolutionary and have a straightforward path to manufacturing. Things like that salt-gun for shooting bugs. Not stuff like "video games that are going to change the face of education" or whatnot.
untog 14y ago
Yes, but that's not what the Kickstarter model is actually about, given that the project owners owe you absolutely nothing if they don't deliver.
georgemcbay 14y ago
If you factor in both risk and time to receive product, the discounts that (sometimes, not always) happen in practice aren't nearly worth it, IMO. Eg. say someone is offering some new gadget for $100 as a Kickstarter reward, and they then raise the price to $150 when it is an actual product (this doesn't seem to even happen much, the product price for products that do successfully make it to market is more often the same as the Kickstarter price). You save $50 but in the meantime your money is tied up for months with nothing to show for it, and it is entirely possible you will never get an item. I'd rather just pay the $150 myself and get the product 2 day shipping when it is actually a product. This doesn't mean Kickstarter is useless to me as there are some cases (more the art stuff than the gadget stuff) where I think supporting the project is more important than receiving the end product, but I certainly don't understand why so many people backed OUYA, for example. I'm glad they did because I will buy one when they are available via retail, but I didn't back it.
- jiggy2011 14y ago
  True, but that assumes you are rational and do the math. Most kickstarter stuff is in impulse purchase territory.
- corin_ 14y ago
  Sure there's a risk, which can arguably (and subjectively) be weighed against the pros, such as receiving a discount, or the possibility that if you don't help fund it there might never be a final product to buy at a higher price. As to your money being tied up for months - obviously it depends on the amount, and on the buyer, but I'm sure quite a few funders can tie up $100 for a few months without caring. If I'm going to spend $100 on something that's available in 6 months I don't really care if it comes out of my bank account now or then.
  - georgemcbay 14y ago
    "If I'm going to spend $100 on something that's available in 6 months I don't really care if it comes out of my bank account now or then." I do. What if a better implementation of the same basic thing comes out for $80 in 3 months?

Surely in many cases the incentive is to get a pre-order of some item, possibly at a reduced price that you might not have had a chance to purchase at all otherwise?

runevault 14y ago

Or you believe in what they're doing enough you want to make sure it happens (or in the case of stretch goals, that the goals happen). Hell I just saw a KS I'm probably going to throw money in for where the main product is going to be free, the incentives are mostly stickers plus a few webinars/videos around ebook topics http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1371597318/the-peoples-e-book http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1371597318/the-peoples-e...

jbail 14y ago
I just checked out that Kickstarter video. Where does it say it'll be free? In fact, I don't see how it could be, at least in the long term. They are building a web app. It will require ongoing costs to host, support and enhance. I don't think their $10,000 goal (of which they have raised over 50% more than that) could possibly cover these costs. What you're doing when you fund an idea like the above, is funding a startup. They will own the technology and can do with it whatever they want. That distinction may or may not matter, but it's important. Nobody in their right mind would pay $10 for a couple stickers. You are not getting the value from the little token gifts. You are getting value in feeling good about helping someone achieve their dream...and potentially building something you intend to use. You will not benefit economically from giving your economic assistance in helping get their idea off the ground. For tons of people giving money on Kickstart, that is just fine. The lesson is not everyone is wholly economically motivated. That's pretty cool.
- runevault 14y ago
  Just saw this reply. In answer to your question: "please keep pledging and keep passing it on to help us build the best free tool for e-books on the planet."

jlgreco 14y ago

It's strange, since to me that seems like the most reasonable use of KS, not the least as the "not a store" attitude might suggest. The only sort of things I might consider are products that are not revolutionary and have a straightforward path to manufacturing. Things like that salt-gun for shooting bugs. Not stuff like "video games that are going to change the face of education" or whatnot.

untog 14y ago

Yes, but that's not what the Kickstarter model is actually about, given that the project owners owe you absolutely nothing if they don't deliver.

georgemcbay 14y ago

If you factor in both risk and time to receive product, the discounts that (sometimes, not always) happen in practice aren't nearly worth it, IMO. Eg. say someone is offering some new gadget for $100 as a Kickstarter reward, and they then raise the price to $150 when it is an actual product (this doesn't seem to even happen much, the product price for products that do successfully make it to market is more often the same as the Kickstarter price). You save $50 but in the meantime your money is tied up for months with nothing to show for it, and it is entirely possible you will never get an item. I'd rather just pay the $150 myself and get the product 2 day shipping when it is actually a product. This doesn't mean Kickstarter is useless to me as there are some cases (more the art stuff than the gadget stuff) where I think supporting the project is more important than receiving the end product, but I certainly don't understand why so many people backed OUYA, for example. I'm glad they did because I will buy one when they are available via retail, but I didn't back it.

jiggy2011 14y ago
True, but that assumes you are rational and do the math. Most kickstarter stuff is in impulse purchase territory.
corin_ 14y ago
Sure there's a risk, which can arguably (and subjectively) be weighed against the pros, such as receiving a discount, or the possibility that if you don't help fund it there might never be a final product to buy at a higher price. As to your money being tied up for months - obviously it depends on the amount, and on the buyer, but I'm sure quite a few funders can tie up $100 for a few months without caring. If I'm going to spend $100 on something that's available in 6 months I don't really care if it comes out of my bank account now or then.
- georgemcbay 14y ago
  "If I'm going to spend $100 on something that's available in 6 months I don't really care if it comes out of my bank account now or then." I do. What if a better implementation of the same basic thing comes out for $80 in 3 months?