One of the most fascinating aspects of Kickstarter is the project’s “tipping point,” the point at which a project has enough momentum that it will most likely be completed. In Yancey Strickler’s Creative Mornings presentation, he explains how a project that reaches 30% funding has a 90% chance of being successfully completed.
I learned of the 30% tipping point during my campaign for Identifying Nelson. At the time I found it hard to believe. I couldn’t imagine how a project with 70% of its funding goal left had such a good chance of making it. Even when the project passed its tipping point, I was still skeptical. But to my amazement we made it.
Initially, I thought the 30% tipping point had to do with having a critical mass of backers. Once a project got enough backers to fund 30%, then that group would bring in the rest of the backers. It turns out that the number of backers it takes to reach 30% is quite low. During A Kickstarter’s Guide it was only 16 people. Each person would have had to bring in three to four more people. While this might have happened, I think critical mass isn’t the only factor in play.
More recently, I began to think that there could be a psychological barrier before a project is 30% funded. When viewing the little green progress bar, a project with less than 30% funding looks like it won’t make it. Once that barrier is broken, people are more likely to jump on board. One thing that is clear about Kickstarter. People like to support projects that are going to make it. Maybe there is something about the 30% mark that subconsciously signals eventual success.
We may never know why 30% is such an important number, but it almost doesn’t matter. What matters is getting to that mark as quickly as possible. Try your hardest to get to 30%. Then you can ease off a bit until you need to do a big push at the end.
A Kickstart’s Guide to Kickstarter TOC:
pssst…you can read all of this offline by downloading the e-book.
- 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
- 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
- Launching your project
- How to track the progress of your Kickstarter campaign
- The 30% Kickstarter project “Tipping Point”
- 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