Crowdfunding can be a good source of startup revenue, if you know what you are doing. Most seeking crowdfunding capital do not. There are several crowdfunding websites, such as Kickstarter.com and IndieGoGo.com, among others. Some projects are wildly successful. Those are the ones you see on the opening pages of the crowdfunding websites. Most projects are not successful, so don’t get your hopes too high.

What you are not told is what you need to learn to turn your project into one of those wildly successful ones. What defines successful is far more than just achieving your funding goals. Your objective is to use crowdfunding to pay for the first run of production for your product. You must provide a first rate product to your buyers in a timely manner. Have you ever funded a crowdfunding campaign only to wait many months to get the product, if you ever get it at all?

I have encountered many projects that were crowdfunded or intend to be crowdfunded. Nearly every one of these were so poorly organized they have no chance of being successful in the long run. In every case, the funds needed for startup were either a wild guess, or were based on incomplete or faulty engineering designs. Every campaign was underfunded.

You must have a complete design and all production manufacturing costs to accurately know the monetary goal of your campaign. Spend your out-of-pocket money up front for a properly designed product with accurate manufacturing costs, and a production quality prototype. What money you have left should be spent on a professionally produced promotional video.

Now you are ready to start your (soon to be successful) campaign!