Consider a project like our DIY Spectrometry Kit, which was conceived of just after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to attempt to identify petroleum contamination. In the summer of 2012, just a few dozen people had ever built one of our designs, let alone uploaded and shared their work. As the device's design matured to the point that anyone could easily build a basic version for less than $40, we set out to reach a much larger audience while identifying new design ideas, use cases, and contributors, through a Kickstarter project. Our theory was that many more people would get involved if we offered a simple set of parts in a box, with clear instructions for assembly and use.
By October 2012, more than 1,600 people had backed the project, raising over $110,000 -- and by the end of December, more than half of them had received a spectrometer kit. Many were up and running shortly after the holidays, and we began to see regular submissions of open spectral data at http://spectralworkbench.org, as well as new faces and strong opinions on Public Lab's spectrometry mailing list.
via MediaShift Idea Lab. How Public Lab Turned Kickstarter Crowdfunders Into a Community
What if you put a new idea or product or tool or resource you're considering for your company where DIY Spectrometry Kit is and you replaced Deepwater Horizon oil spill with the mistake of a major competitor.
And you put that idea out on Kickstarter.
Would 1,600 of your customers or employees...back the project with donations of time and money?
You're rolling your eyes and thinking that's a crazy idea.
You're right. And that crazy idea just inspired 1600 people to cough up about $60-65 a piece to help make it real. So, the next time you need funding for a crazy idea...ask yourself if it's crazy enough to inspire people and are you crazy enough to ask.
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