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Gota great idea, a lot

of passion, but no money? Kickstarter can help.

How an arts patronage project becamea thriving laboratory

for daring prototypes and ingenious products.

o INV NTIO

by Carlye Adler

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY GUS POWELL

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th Th te m had m manuf cturin experience but th y had no id h w t brin product to marke . And m n y? Th ydidn h e that ither and i uld t 15

college money and takin i h d that idea.

Then they found Kic rt r, veb Ite i here p 0-

pJ po t de cripti n f heir project and anyone can C ip in to h lp fund hem. Ben h d di cover d th i

20-in e ect preorderin

It thou ht, that could b u I a

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5, contributor would g t

n me on the n w company etaC-Loopinami rofib r uch.And th y t afundrai ing targ t of lOin 2 d y ; if hey didn't hi

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Arr ch to tripod mount.

that oal none of the backer would be charged and

no money would ch e han . Thi

t nu bli hed .. po bout it, ith a link to the Kic tarter

e. By 10 am hey h d hit their target of 15,000. Four day Iter, funders had pled ed 30,000. Bui quit her job t Fo and Ben decided not to r tum to school, By the end of the funding p riod they h d raj cd 63,163.

o month lat r the trio h d manufactur d and hipp d 1,8 0 C- Loop . In additi n t th pr I th Y book donKi

Ol re j arly talk with orne prominent c mera retailr . Th te ha aI 0 launched new product, the plit

r p-an ergonomic acce ory for camera I ptop b , del, or guitar+v hich they thi nk ha even more potential than the c-Loop, After about two week on Kickstarter, fund- raisi ng for th n \II proj ct urp ed the team' $S 000 goal. After a month th y h d rai ed

$100 O. A little m r nth f rth • vit 1

day (11 t 2 712.

BUlT. ARTER OtJ TRA .orld i up· p b t p th to your door. It' a 10 ely thou ht,

I h en somewhat hort of this prom-

i e: Build a better mousetrap and if you're extremely lucky, orne corporation will take a look at it end it throu h dozen of committe tweak the d ign to make it cheap r to manufac ur • and I t th m rk ting team decid Ih th r it c n b pric d to r turn a pr fit.

rap k it 0 'or h lv •

n fin • un d nd omcromi d

gni i n.

But n \ m inventor' r findi th t promi

r ki dled, hank 0 Kick tarter. The ite I unched in 2 a . a way to crov d ource the funding of idio ync tic arts projec Rather than run a untlet of agen

dio .producer publi her galleryowner founda-

tions, and philanthropi applican imply uploaded

well as audi nc ize th ki nd of

you v ant to do to the free mar ret. '

re h n 1 , 00 people have po ted project on Kic tarter, and more than 400 000 p ople have upp rted them, contributing a total of more than 35 mil-

ource ofp tro eth twas

The r t says co ounder d CE

the realization 0 thousands of p sailor ho ant d to travel the world and an i ami b a to backer a designer vho created a fr onlin libr y of yrnbol a vegan fo d truck in me h

nd r m-

But no p ople arc u j IC •

ju t quirky art project . Lumi, u d Kic tart r to develop it t xtile pnntmg PI' c

no II its pi c at ABC Carpet Home. Schuyler

To

c lied Vere

than hi go I-to launch a line h n a m 11 foot ar company do' lop its 2011 coli crp

neral m

dio say that very industrial de' r 1

ing th it b cause it 0 cr 0 much insight b ut fo -

Boxlnt met TV app lance and

~"'~ .. ;u putting ideas on Kickstarter t nti L t pr tty brilliant

earth- hatterin potenti .lt fund r th rn. We never had ch n e-the-world

tr n.) ut th world may have other plan

it . 'I he Ki k t r guy may have kick-start d

omethi bi r h

TH . HUILDIN "155 RIVI GTO on anha wer

id is a y to mi . I only ign, painted in old indo above the front door. re ds u m: - you walk nd up a flight 0 rickety tair

hi the hom of an entirely

ne v bu ine m del.

Chen nd S rickler a] m lik unlik Iy guy to

have built the I te tho web tar y don' pull

all-ni hters at the office, the don' i n 010 i 1'1'1

lik crowdtundin and they don t drip with mbttion. Chen' five years with Kickstarter tands . th 1 ng t

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h!2 ~'ij!ls.e:v'l2'l' hel d.aj(jiHnJ"OIbi2't:hH~ he ~y¥ 11!! nwe:r,clua.nJed ,of ,ttOJRj in the :flr-s:t pla~(e.

Th@t\-'lO (lQu,Utd]m m~f' g,b'~a,t :~~hu 'to empltasiz,e th~ rn()de'.St:!{oftJh~Frvfi~ion.Meurrliq: to tlle.pnhi Kicbtairter b~gan in 2.002 wh~n C~wn '\vas u1'te>mplcrye(L UV]IiI,g in the .Fr€!ltch Qual'~r'qlN,ew OrJeollS, lIfflddng o:_n bJ$ own musiC(.eaecl1'Ofik m.o.stty), ~nc:lri_llJs bike. He WnJiIt~ to threwa ~3te~njght show' with Austria1:ll DJs ~d,der,& Dodmeisiter~tn.e st~es 'lilla' ~s MtS])ae:k whrnJl th~y 'W~1fe reUitiveJr. U!IJLlrrLOWFlJ lbdQfe'lhey cowd be heard 'in e\'"'et.-y 'botIJ~iq[;f@ :hotel l@'by- b1l!t liiie- was damlt~dl by th~ $,15,000 tJ. t the gmg WQU ~d cost up fr,mrt. What .if

--+_=l'Illl=,lO=, o~s])QW"d 1M]? ~Tb~ r'fsk really sC:tl~d 1iI~~ ]'UiI!,£izy$.

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:1[1 th~ 's:ib!'!!, Ill'st \\'feel:( 'rwo. PtQjec~s meo:~ their fund-

~c:gnals. (M 8!rt. p]:iDj~t can@d Dra'wLng rol"DoRaJ:'s. iJil which ba.ckers [laid an, iU1l_tlhrar~or: to ,pei]"j\'L mw.uliIg~ r~d 53SJ and 8ln offUrn4! 'Wi1ci.pedia! ,~~p for the [phone' ra~dJ$li4J.5. . .) 'Fhe foumder~ownprqject:. Neil-V Y:o~k.MaJms a,~ '~'D w:hk:h lOOJl~l~ c;or~ttiblt!l$d pl1otO$,. m-t~ ,md s'tor' es for [1ll1iblicarti(ml q:lJJick~y' accumulated $3,329.

:ocicbt:a~r bepJli mu.dl lme'{!(n~,ofifS proj~ets.-booItSitr.QP d,wlUl,a. series ofsmall i[].v~tm~llts &om [@Uaw artists- (Arr.esred' D'Ert,l'elopmenl stu' Da,v:id Cross VIllose cwsin, was i3J friend of Chef'II!'s, was an early 'inves't,or.) SUt ~ the rote began tOI t~e air the ,CofOlmd.ers s·tmted '~ookittg fo§ other SOUrl;;[!S of'fundung. al_lld adJJ.io.e. Be'In\l'~

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Chern, dropped the' C(m,{,;er~ idea." [but later. ,he wond~d.: What ifhe had ask,edi ]J.@opl@ te [;JIIlY' tn a(tvancf!'"? 1f enough had oout-heel 'Upp :h~ could ,h3'11~ paid Jor the b~M '\vitbmrt ftOli'litin.~·,runytlh'illg; OUit of Ibis ~wl'M )j{J.tk€t; .If not .. :h@'d! ~la,V(! ltn!))WfIJ tJrue:-rE Waslil,'t ~JiI01I.l,g1h iflJte':te$t a_Dd c<crud! llu!Fv,e saved Tis, thrne a, 111 cas]). !CDen didn't: pllrs.u.e 'U'l!at idea ,e'ither, ~uJt itt st~y.ed with, himwl'leR he' mQv,ed bae1\:: ro New 'Ym:k][lj 2005. wtilile !ir~l\iting tabl~s a'~ 3! ,h ips,'tt~~· res iUITiU'iIt in E.,roo:klyn called Di:nerj, he be<l:riended, 5trirckl~I:-~J brUl!lJclll reg:uil,u and an ~dfiwr at th~ o:nl~f1_,e ~U.m_slC retailer eMusic~a'nd shared! snipE p~ts ofhls Dr,aiJl~sror.nl with mim.

Stric~Jer SaJY5 'the OOJiC'ept :imm.@diialtelry made' sense, (Chen (lLl!i,p~,that:iTt was stille bes idei an.y \-v'aiWf pjJ'tehed hiim.that ye~/') f'he ~ DIJl!!,gtrit::alvhjte5ooard and] began planning the s:it~" 't.~e" Hgu:red they 'cO'I£I];d start out offering the seTY1)ce for fr@@,UlId eveutU1l[l)y 'tatl:Je 5 pi?ro~nt ofthe conrt['nnltj~)\tl$ to' fund ULl~ s:rt'(!. A. friland of a q'iend, an intel'-a:ctio..n designer lilm1ed ChMles AiIlIeil:'. de~el~p@d ,th~ ~itAt5 ioo.k ,a.'tlci :IleElL. .NO[iJ~ o:f th~rn knew how tOI ,\vrite the :ne.c@ssary eode, so they Mred, S'om~nneto do that, BUt t'ble Jrue- .. tt st'!?']ll,; :pQ.])~:;JJtil1g: tke ser\!'tee with art ,p:roj@cts, wa!l some'tliL'ilng they eould do, T~'Y ,knew ar"sts ;ijJJj/ musie;:iaJls,aniIJ p.8o·oog ,aphe<fS. TIle1 mimidred GroaWs jnvit~t uo~n,~olllJ" r.allou:~, giv'ing friends ;~tiCCS :and asking th,@In ~ 0 'i!I'IIv.iJte five more pe-opl,e. f-na-e 'was obviolils dernt nd; People 'b~~n 1(;00- t~cting tlilem thro':lll~h the :ili~Ps CllstDmer"'se:rvl,ce- seetton, asking to post th,eir'l)J;,ojec rs. K.id~l~ 'obliged.,

lOllg t"hey Dad. rounded up a vAIO'S 'I.YhQ 'of ;aiGg! ii iLve~~ tors .. iJlitchu~iing Twitter oof-oulu.ter. Jack Dor:sey~ MeetQJP ,cotoW1de'l" Sootl.Keife:nnal:1!j' and V!im@Q ooIQmd)e,l"':z:ach :KIl~~L f'lthlll_k (:he model em btl appJiedro mmy things," Dots.ey ,S8JY$. 'j'!'li1UI!~'s what~ so ~Jj~ITi,g,lJ

mde'E!(~, some of !l;lie 1.iiI.vesrtors seemed to S!?-~ gnat rommemaJ1,:PQ\~ti~ for tile ~iJte. '''I ,said l\'IJ'aS mtel'~t.sd, in i.1l,'!l'est1ing only:if the 1/nsi{JtIi wa.s more tban rnwti:v\~ arts p:rQj~h:" :fIiI!ifermru~ 5~ ('W:hen !tmsnne:s:s.es, au bemg .$t~rted, ruld p-,rodjl!lcts are g~tm.q' ma:d.@ this way; :i!l1Iter~sU'ng tlilings ,an gorng 'to ha rpelfl. iii

irs eiiliSY to. see wby I<ickstJrh~r-':s m~dl~l VI'ould ap,llea] to blllSine..~s 3J1 we!lil,~s,tr! ti$ts. The'siite~[S,a c:Umno:: to bulld 8ve-~'dee:p connection witluU:lJ afudience, Su,u" ~m 'lhlig almost 4J500~eople 'to oolltribu'tte iTI.eatrly $3.5O~'OOO 'Ii!I8S a;reat 00 !JJ.p 'fo:r dh~tor Steve Tarylor., !8utwl1r t W~ aimQ$t as, v,allllaJ]J)!e W;ii,S the ~ow[e(l~ 'that: thDse 4j500' poo-ple a:re lik,e'ly to' ~@ his marie when it's, releasedesll~dal[y if tl1:ey ,omed up :$1L00 for ,tIJliI, associate pred1.tcer cred~t. T.b@ Kiclkstarte:r'priOO~ alsc rewails the }:h'ld of insights. 'th8!t ~k.e;ting d.ep~~tmenitS sa~'m'll.at'e O'JI<N. For ,~~~rulpl@ .. w.he:n m~_]ll~~e-r Gregory E9,J(lte:se'!! cue to'm.aik.e :8 docrmen'ltAzy albOl!Lt miNOO-[II!~rtial:-.a:r1;s chmIilJp:ioJ'lJ J~l:llS Pulver, he d "W1r'tju.s~ g~t money to make ~ll$.film;. he !"Ot the nrume.s and, ~riIl;a] ~ add:ress~~ ofthou~ sands Qr PuJwr's, I110cst (fedi.~atedl fus, many ofwlil,om, lilefe MwY to m:ill~,rnJ(][i2·d~ta:ils about thel'i1i,~~iV5 He's, usil1l"g,the inteWgeaee' be giemed -!Ii ]arge percel1ltage' offhe"rn. are ln the Mldw()st, ,aibld a SllJ'Prisirlg mllm~I ,of

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113r I jilted! with math 5ym D!I;II ~ !n:uiI:' dl '01 't>h e usu. r1U llfIilnslnro" biod eglradable, edlbt el.t[ps;:l1'I cI a trl pOIlli rnolbl Ilt Ittrlalt works witt, th, IPhona·l!1I.

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th m t v cal upport r arc worn n-to p1an vh r h r That'

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,'. h Kickstarter fun have gon g

t. t rt . If they don t rec iv the r v" ds

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uiri<y.· t . happe \ rhen Kickstart r inv nt r . d liv r th pr duct hi custom rs think the

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owtoGet Star edo Kickstarter

Have Passion

Be Realistic

Give Updates I

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