With technology expanding and developing at a faster rate than ever, Kickstarter has utilized a new form of technological development: crowd funding. With the slogan, ‘Fund & Follow Creativity’, Kickstarter is a new website dedicated to those with creative interests in inventions. With a variety of sections including art, design, fashion and technology, it allows users to submit an idea in return for potential funding to bring the idea into reality.
The website, founded in 2008 by the trio of Perry Chen, Yancey Strickler, and Charles Adler, first made its major breakthrough when the idea of Pebble unprecedented amounts of funding support. Clever in idea, it essentially functions as a smartwatch that synchronises with any smartphone to provide incoming calls, text and email alerts on the watch’s screen. Pebble is packed with a variety of features including Bluetooth 2.0, a backlight for night time use and a battery that can last a week.
The website also users a very appealing system of rewards and stories in order to draw users and funding members together. The rewards system allows the level of donation from a member to be appreciated through appropriate measures. For example, a donation of $1 provides users with exclusive updates on Pebble. An $80 donation however, will guarantee you the watch itself once it has been invented. Stories, provide updates through blogs and videos in order to keep backers up to date with the development of a product, allowing insight into the entire production life rathen than just acquiring the finished product.
However Kickstarter is not just limited to inventions. Part of its appeal comes from certain ideas including ideas for charity and even upcoming musicians trying to make their sounds available. The freedom to come up with whatver you like as an idea makes it very desirable as a way of communicating with the entire world. You can even find some ideas from film producers in there.
I believe Kickstarter has been missing from the internet for some time now. If anything, it shows us the power that we have collectively over our ability alone. It requires no more than one person to suggest an idea and potentially revolutionize an entire market. With over $175 million dollars pledged on a whole host of ideas that may never have come about without the website, it really is the next step forward in creative thinking.
It seems that Kickstarter has been very well thought through with the website offering a variety of features on top of the fundamental idea. Facebook connect allows you to share your idea creation with your friends and family. Twitter and blog support also means that upcoming projects will begin to spread rapidly. With no start up costs and funding for small projects under $1000, it gives everyone a great oppurtunity to get involved – if you haven’t already.