“What is this damn thing about?” ~ Steven Pressfield

In Do the Work, Steven Pressfield talks about the challenges of taking on creative endeavors. He says we often get off track because our ideas aren’t refined enough. One way around this is to constantly ask yourself: “What is this damn thing about?”

This is a great place to start with your Kickstarter project. Can you clearly state what your project is about and what the outcome will be? The most successful projects on Kickstarter can. If you are having trouble, then your idea or project might not be ready for launch. That’s OK. You don’t need to rush it. I wish I had taken more time to think things through during my first project. It would have made everything much easier.

One great way to get feedback about your idea is to tell some friends. Friends are great because they’re honest sounding boards. If they can’t understand what you are trying to do, then how is a stranger going to? Ask them what they like and dislike about your idea. You don’t have to follow their advice, but you should at least listen.

Often projects are unclear because they are too big and complicated. Next you will need to figure out what the outcome of your project will be. This is going help you refine your idea and get the project into a form that works well on Kickstarter.


A Kickstart’s Guide to Kickstarter TOC:

pssst…you can read all of this offline by downloading the e-book.

Introduction
A Kickstarter’s Guide to Kickstarter: Introduction
How Kickstarter “Kickstartered” it’s own website
Understanding Kickstarter
The Basics of Kickstarter
Kickstarter is an updated version of the Parton Model
Kickstarter is like girl scout cookies…without the calories!
Make sure your project has an ending
Some additional benefits to running a Kickstarter project
Perry Chan’s Six Principles on why Kickstarter projects are successful
Yancey’s thoughts on getting funded
Brainstorming Your Project
What is this damn thing about?
Simplify your project for success
Is your project a Purple Cow?
Making Lemonade And Telling A Good Story
Reward The Patrons
Naming Your Kickstarter Project
Doing Your Homework
Before you launch, do your homework
No one cares about you
Some People Care About You
Who is Your Audience?
Where is Your Audience?
Resonating With Your Audience
Crossing Chasms
What Will it Cost?
Understanding Profit Margin and Costs
Setting Your Goals
Make or Break Decisions
Running the Numbers
Focus on what you need
Reasonable funding goals
Why be Reasonable?
How long your campaign runs depends on one thing, momentum
30 days or less
Managing Deadlines
Going for the BIG bucks
The Allure of a Large Backer
Pricing theory, thoughts about pricing your Kickstarter rewards
The Paradox of Choice
Crafting Your Pitch
Creating a compelling pitch for your Kickstarter project
Four questions people want answered when visiting your Kickstarter page.
Show some credibility to get more backers
Clarity is your friend
How to ask for Support
Kickstarter is a video-driven site
Examples of great pitch videos
Launching Your Project
Launching your project
How to track the progress of your Kickstarter campaign
The 30% Kickstarter project “Tipping Point”
Conclusion
How to engage an audience with a Kickstarter project: Idea & Story

Published by

Nelson/Roberto

Separated from my family during El Salvador's civil war, by death and adoption, I was reunited with them at the age of 16. I do entrepreneurial art projects that are meaningful, relevant, and push me creatively.

18 thoughts on ““What is this damn thing about?” ~ Steven Pressfield”

Leave a Reply