Give the community a genuine voice, even as collaborators, he said. You are raising a crowd, a community of people who will help you start something brand new, something the world has not seen before.” “The word is ‘crowd.’ You are not raising funds. “So many people spend all their focus on funding and that really is not the word to pay attention to,” Lee told CO. Platforms offer part ownership in exchange for capital.

Other types of crowdfunding platforms are strictly charitable (‘fund my spring break trip”) with no reward for donations while equity-based Supporters pay up only if the project meets its fundraising goal within a specified timeframe. Platform that offers incentives – not equity – in exchange for pledges. The word is ‘crowd’Īs backer of 449 crowdfunding projects undertaken by others, Lee has seen firsthand what works and what doesn’t. The company would embark on three more Kickstarter campaigns, with the latest project launching this month (February 2019) for a new tabletop game that injects a little Dodgeball action. Just eight minutes into their crowdfunding campaign, Los Angeles-based Exploding Kittens exceeded its $10,000 fundraising goal and went on to raise nearly $9 million in the next 30 days, shattering records and attracting 219,382 backers. When Lee, with partners Shane SmallĪnd cartoonist Matthew Inman, sought to raise enough money to print decks of playing cards for a game featuring whimsical characters like magical enchiladas and yes, kittens that explode, their success was almost immediate. In this edition, a CO- reader asks how to create a successful crowdfunding campaign.Įlan Lee, creator of the card game Exploding Kittens, which has one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns of all time, answers.Ĭommunity is the most important part of any campaign, Lee told CO. If you could create your own fantasy Board of Directors, who would be on it? CO- connects you with thought leaders from across the business spectrum and asks them to help solve your biggest business challenges.

Exploding Kittens, the original card game, has spawned other related products and games.

Exploding kittenshow