9 Lessons From Launching A $200,000 Kickstarter Crowdfunding Campaign

Back in 2013, I stumbled upon Kickstarter.com and was immediately captivated. It was such an exciting platform where creativity was limitless. Anyone with an innovative idea could launch a product with a supportive community. Kickstarter allowed people to discover your idea and pre-buy it, providing both validation and the necessary funding to bring it to life. I personally backed four Kickstarter projects, experiencing the thrill of being part of something bigger than myself. While two of the products were satisfying, the other two were letdowns, with one being a scam. Yet, the allure of discovering new inventions from all around the world never waned.

Fast forward to 2020, when Covid hit and gyms closed down, I had ample time to experiment and create something myself. At that time, the entire fitness world shifted to online trainings via Instagram or Zoom. However, these tools delivered a poor experience as they were not meant for this use. Hence, I had the grand idea to build my own "Zoom for live fitness classes". But after several weeks of working with a programmer I couldn’t get a good prototype up and running. By then, leading software providers were already coming out with their own ideas similar to mine. I eventually realized that I couldn't win the race unless I had the necessary resources. It was a difficult pill to swallow, but as they say, failure is just a stepping stone towards success.

While doing home workouts to cope with my disappointment, I sorely missed the sensation of training with weights. Buying equipment was out of the question because dumbbells or kettlebells were sold out everywhere. Plus, I didn't want to spend a fortune on weights I rarely need. So I had to get creative. Many online trainers suggested using a backpack filled with books or water bottles as dumbbell replacements. The idea of using water seemed perfect - it was easily accessible. I dug out an old dry-bag I had for water adventures and started my experiments. Unfortunately, the dry-bag couldn't contain the water and ripped during my attempts at kettlebell swings and presses. But I felt I was onto something here. I then searched online for existing bag-like products on the market that would hold water inside. But all of the search results showed bags that would do the opposite - keep the inside dry. I reached out to several bag manufacturers overseas and carefully selected one that demonstrated the best experience and willingness to explore new ideas. Collaborating closely, we iterated on the construction and design, striving to find the perfect balance. To my surprise, just three weeks later, I held the first sample—a remarkably functional prototype. Eager to gather honest feedback, I engaged with target audiences, who responded positively despite one significant drawback: its underwhelming aesthetics. Drawing from my experience in marketing with Nike, I understood that fitness is not merely about the act of exercise; it's about doing it in style. Delving deeper into research, I uncovered a material that not only exuded visual appeal but also offered durability and effortless maintenance. And so, a few weeks later, the second prototype arrived, embodying both form and function.

I believed that I had something that others would want, too. But if I wanted to launch my very first product on Kickstarter and make it at least a small success I would need help. My strengths lie in creativity and marketing, but not so much in numbers and operations - and launching a physical product worldwide required lots of those skills. This is where my friend Wai-On is very good at. Wai-On is an entrepreneur in the ecommerce space and, just like me, a gear enthusiast. We can geek out about backpack brands and features - things that very few people care about. We met for lunch at a burger restaurant - the ideal place for us to launch a fitness product. After studying the samples and doing some keyword research to verify the potential he was sold on the idea of doing a Kickstarter campaign together. We then put together a team and devised a plan based on best-practices of running a successful crowdfunding campaign.

Considering the timing, as September rolled around, we were aware that early January would be the ideal period to launch, aligning with peak interest in fitness products. Despite the limited time frame, we conducted a condensed six-week pre-launch campaign to gather crucial email addresses and valuable data. This allowed us to fine-tune our communication materials and craft a targeted marketing strategy. In the first week of January 2021, with anticipation running high, we launched our campaign. The response was beyond our expectations, as we reached our funding goal of $10,000 within only a few hours. The incredible support and enthusiasm from backers worldwide propelled us forward. By the summer of 2021, our Exerbells had reached fitness enthusiasts in over 30 countries, with availability on leading online retailers including Amazon. It inspired other companies around the world to produce and sell similar products.

It's worthwhile to note that not every Kickstarter project is successful. 10% of all projects never receive a pledge and 60.89% fail. According to Kickstarter's own statistics only 1.8% of projects have raised more than $100,000.-. Was it a ground-breaking innovative product? No. Was it simple and functional? Yes. From all the ideas I had during the first Covid-lockdown, this was the "dumbest" idea out of all. But ultimately, it's not the product we sold - it's what the product could do for you: keep you fit anywhere, at a low price and using very small space during a time when many people wanted equipment. And it would still be a very useful tool after Covid.

After fulfilling all the orders we received photos and videos from customers around the world showing us how they used Exerbell to stay fit - whether that was on a beach in the US, in a living room in China or even on a rooftop in Spain. Although I had hoped for a much larger distribution by now, the positive feedback we received has given me intrinsic satisfaction. Apart from ticking off the box of launching a successful Kickstarter campaign I learned a lot about bringing a product to life through crowdfunding. Here are 9 of the most significant lessons I took from the entire process.

1. Timing is Not Everything - But It's Important:

The Exerbell portable kettlebell is designed to provide individuals with the freedom to train anywhere and anytime, without the need for cumbersome, unsightly, and expensive weights. While the initial idea stemmed from the necessity of adapting to the challenges posed by the pandemic, it has proven to be an invaluable and versatile fitness tool, particularly for those who love to stay in shape while traveling. With the ability to fill it with sand or water, the Exerbell becomes the perfect weight for a rewarding beach workout. However, it's important to acknowledge that our campaign's success was significantly influenced by launching it at the dawn of a major societal paradigm shift.

Timing played a pivotal role in capturing the attention and enthusiasm of our target audience. By launching our campaign at the dawn of a major societal paradigm shift, we tapped into the prevailing desire for adaptable fitness solutions. This allowed us to leverage the momentum of a shifting collective mindset, reinforcing the value proposition of the Exerbell as a practical and versatile fitness companion.

Takeaway: Timing is crucial in crowdfunding campaigns. Capitalize on current trends and societal shifts.

2. Hire The Right People - If Necessary

Launching a product on a crowdfunding platform may seem easy, but turning it into a success requires substantial effort. That's why we decided to bring in a former employee from a Crowdfunding agency to assist us. Unfortunately, he made promises but failed to deliver on his responsibilities. Regrettably, we lost approximately three weeks by placing our trust in him.

However, we swiftly regrouped and sought the expertise of a crowdfunding agency. Through negotiation, we secured a special deal that was more cost-effective than the standard rates charged by such agencies. Leveraging my branding and communication skills, we took charge of creating our marketing materials and campaign page. Meanwhile, we enlisted the agency's support for crucial aspects like pre-campaign preparation and the launch phase.

Additionally, Wai-On had a stroke of genius by bringing a social media marketer on board. This collaboration allowed us to test our online marketing ideas alongside their expertise, mitigating the risk of solely relying on an agency we had no prior experience with. In the end, we concluded that the agency's value didn't match the price we paid. Their recommended tactics confused many people, and the landing pages they created lacked a professional touch. Moreover, their advertising strategy did not outperform ours.

Takeaway: Identify your strengths and handle them yourself, while outsourcing the rest. It's not rocket science, but having some guidance can be beneficial.

3. Follow The Playbook

Crowdfunding campaigns can be structured in 3 parts: pre-campaign, launch, post-campaign. The pre-campaign is designed to collect leads, meaning email addresses of potential buyers. It is recommended to collect a few thousand leads if you want your campaign to succeed. You usually do that by running ads that send potential buyers to different landing pages. By running your pre-campaign for 2-3 months you give enough time to optimize your ads and landing pages. This will give you a much better understanding of who will most likely buy from you once you launch.

You want to generate interest and excitement with all your leads prior to the launch. The more you can pre-sell in the first few hours of launching the higher your campaign will be rated on the platform and thus shown to more users and visitors of the platform. You can choose how long your campaign runs. Ours ran for 30 days during which engagement with backers and interested people was crucial. The more success we saw the more money we put into our ad campaign.

Post-campaign is where you maintain a good connection with all your customers (aka backers), get the funds to your bank account and perhaps move to a second crowdfunding platform like Indiegogo (which we also did and raised another $48,000.-).

Takeaway: take the time to learn and apply proven processes

(Usually, you would test the demand for your product before the pre-campaign. We didn’t have the time to do this and were confident enough to skip this step.)

4. Leverage PR

Press coverage played a pivotal role in our success. I vividly remember waking up to find a three-quarter newspaper page dedicated to me and our campaign. Timing also played a significant part in our favor, as journalists were actively seeking uplifting stories related to Covid and other non-pandemic news during that period. What types of story angles can you discover for your product? In our case, we found two intriguing angles—the founder's story and the new-product narrative—that captured the attention of various media outlets. It is essential to match the right story with the appropriate journalists and media channels when pitching.

Takeaway: If you have a compelling story, share it. Once you secure one press coverage, it becomes easier to garner more attention.

5. Emphasize Authenticity In Your Visuals

In the fitness industry, it's no secret that an appealing physique can grab attention. Despite having over 20 years of professional fitness experience and being in good shape myself, I hesitated to feature prominently in our main promotional video. I wanted to avoid any perception of showboating and decided to hire a male and a female model instead. However, just two days before the shoot, the male model unexpectedly vanished, leaving me perplexed. In a race against time, I scrambled to find a replacement model based on a friend's recommendation. Reflecting on this experience, I now recognize two critical mistakes I made:

1. Firstly, I neglected to ensure that our chosen model possessed the necessary expertise in executing proper exercise techniques and exuded confidence on camera. The Exerbell allows for a wide range of fitness movements, and it was crucial to have someone well-versed in handling kettlebells. Unfortunately, our model lacked extensive experience with kettlebells and had limited prior exposure to being in front of the camera. As a result, our promotional video lacked the authentic touch I had envisioned. Looking back, I regret not taking on the challenge myself, as it would have added a genuine element and made the video more relatable and easier to produce.

2. Secondly, we filmed the video in early November when the weather was cold and overcast. However, selling a fitness product often requires showcasing skin and muscles. Since one of the main selling points of the Exerbell was its practical use outdoors, we filmed several scenes in chilly temperatures, with our models dressed in long-sleeved clothing. Given our budget limitations, we couldn't afford to jet off to a sunny destination like Ibiza for an extravagant video and photo shoot. Nevertheless, we should have strived to create more inspiring footage and images in a warm and well-lit setting.

Takeaway: Focus on authenticity and inspiration in your visuals.

6. Address Your Weaknesses & Protect Yourself

Our product was a re-engineered dry-bag, with more durable construction and components and a sturdy high-quality handle. But when looking at the video or a photo of it for the first time it seemed like an ordinary drybag. The only difference was that it had a handle around the buckle. For this reason many people thought we were a scam. It was difficult for us to communicate the differences as we wanted to protect our secrets during the launch phase from being copied. We could have addressed this concern of people in many different ways, without giving away too many details. But our concerns were also justified: immediately after the campaign ended copycats started popping up on Amazon and other marketplaces who used our visuals and copy for their own version of the Exerbell. We quickly realized that they used a conventional dry-bag and simply added a cheap handle and didn’t understand that we had a different construction. Luckily, Amazon responded quickly to our complaint as it was obvious copyright infringement. The funny and almost sad anecdote here is that the copycat seller on Amazon emailed us asking to retract our complaint and let them continue to sell their copy of our product. I had no words for this blatant request.

Takeaway: Disarm your haters and doubters, beware of copycats.

7. Manage Your Budget Carefully

Crowdfunding campaigns can be expensive, and it's critical to manage your budget carefully to ensure you have enough funding to see your project through to completion. Make sure you have a detailed budget in place before you launch your campaign and stay within your means. We only increased our ad spending after we had already raised more than our initial goal of $10,000.- and once more when we hit $50,000.-. Don't overspend on advertising if you don’t see traction. But after the campaign was over we were too confident with the profits and made suboptimal decisions, such as spending thousands on a fancy website which was unnecessary, at least at that time.

Takeaway: stay lean and spend wisely.

8. Don’t Get Lost In Translation

Although I can converse in 6 languages, my Mandarin is definitely not business-level. In the period leading up to our launch campaign, it seemed that the entire communication process with our manufacturer went quite well, despite their mediocre English. But when it was time to place the final order we realized that we had misunderstood each other regarding the production timeline - we couldn’t keep the timeline we had promised publicly and therefore had to apologize to all our backers and ask for patience. Meanwhile, we switched manufacturers to reduce the delay - but that decision brought with it a whole different set of problems.

Takeaway: Triple-check that you will be able to fulfill orders as promised. Hire external people for translation and quality control when necessary.

9. Be Transparent

Transparency is a fundamental aspect of any successful crowdfunding campaign. It is crucial to be open and honest with your backers regarding the project's progress, challenges faced, and any delays or setbacks encountered. This transparency fosters trust and credibility, instilling confidence in your backers' support. However, we faced a significant issue during the shipping process that highlighted the importance of clear communication: several backers contacted us, expressing frustration over high tax amounts required to receive their orders. Some even refused the deliveries, leading us to issue refunds. Although we had mentioned this information on our campaign page, we acknowledged that we failed to communicate it clearly enough.

Takeaway: Clear communication is crucial to ensure transparency and avoid misunderstandings with backers.

A word of caution: Crowdfunding campaigns can be deceptive. I once believed that a great video and an appealing campaign page would naturally attract global attention. However, platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo primarily serve as sales channels. Through firsthand experience, we discovered that many interested individuals lacked an understanding of crowdfunding. This led to missed opportunities and potential loss of customers. Seasoned crowdfunders recommend allocating one-fifth of the target amount as ad spend. For instance, reaching $100,000 in funding typically requires a minimum ad spend of $20,000. However, the ratio may vary based on product quality, virality, and PR.

In conclusion, the journey of Exerbell has been a profound learning experience, highlighting the immense power of crowdfunding. Through meticulous planning, diligent data gathering, and assembling a talented team, we successfully connected with fitness enthusiasts worldwide. Launching a successful Kickstarter campaign takes time, effort, and hard work. But with the right approach, you can raise significant funds and bring your product to market. I hope you find these lessons valuable and applicable to your own venture.

In case we haven't met: hey, I'm Tommy. Nice to see you here. You can find out more about me on my About Me page.