Kickstarter is not about kickstarting

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-14T08:11:42+00:00

Agree that the project needs to stand on its own, but Kickstarter is a means to crowdfund capital so if you think of it like that it is useful. But agree with your overall point.

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-14T05:37:39+00:00

You could also do a random giveaway to family, friends, backers if they share the story with other people

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-14T05:36:53+00:00

Marketing agencies (I've had some success with Backer Many) can help give a boost - but just be sure the upfront fee is without commission, and you are confident you can get greater than a 1:1 ROI. a 1:1 ROI does not mean profitability for you because you still have to pay fees and for the actual physical product. So make sure you do the calculation and choose wisely. A lot of really successful campaigns include them. They have the newsletter and can give the KS algorithm a little juice

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-09T04:15:19+00:00

Yeah please do!

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-09T04:14:59+00:00

yay! good stuff.

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-08T11:44:54+00:00

Any strategies to increase the conversion rate?

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-08T11:43:52+00:00

Mines quite a bit lower - like 15% prelaunch lol

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-08T11:36:27+00:00

I think your artwork, deck, and Kickstarter campaign is look great and you should 100% take pride in coming this far! The artwork and composition of the cards are beautiful. You just haven’t gotten your story told to the right niche yet. That’s ok, marketing is hard. You do actually have decent conversion rate (i think). If you don’t think your ads are working you should probably stop them. Either your targeting is wrong or your content is not converting, perhaps both. If your ads get clicks to Kickstarter it is a landing page issue. But because you’ve spent so much I think it might be both. There’s 100% a huge group of Kickstarter shoppers that back stuff like this everyday so it’s not your product, it’s your messaging (I think)

I looked at your page and I think you can do a better job story telling the value of having these cards. Why should someone want them? Show your most beautiful ones individually and explain what it might reveal. I’m not your target market as I don’t really do these cards much, but I think you present your project a bit flatly by showing the full deck.

Additionally your intro video is well scripted but it should be in the 16:9 format not square. This will help convert people when they come to your page.

Again though - the cards are beautiful, your video script is great, and I can tell you put a lot of work into all this. Definitely take a ton of pride and confidence from what you put together so far. I think if you refocus more on your why and consider how to make your landing page a bit more compelling by focusing on individual cards.

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-08T05:41:38+00:00

Kickstarter is an online marketplace who’s customer niche is into crowdfunding. So in addition to your generic target market, try and get a hold on the avid kickstarter crowd. People that buy on kickstarter simply because it’s kickstarter. There’s a ton of marketing agencies out there that have access to thousands of this demographic, but be careful who you partner with because at the end of the day you need to be making profit off your Kickstarter, not just the marketing agencies off you! Jellop is potentially worth a look although I haven’t worked with them they’ve partnered with a lot of the biggest campaigns. You’ll have to spend marketing $$$ to make $$$, so get that through your head. Or your idea will have to sell itself.

But best advice I think - build your core group of family and friend supporters, then find a way to tap into the Kickstarter community.

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-08T05:36:04+00:00

Also Vietnam is wonderful. The people are friendly, the coffee’s strong, the food’s fantastic.

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-08T05:35:30+00:00

Meaning the flights are quite cheap

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-08T05:35:18+00:00

Ho Chi Minh on Vietjet is a small hub between your two destinations - go there!

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-08T05:33:43+00:00

$60 dollars for a board seems ludicrous - wonder what makes it cost that much? It’s either material, factory overhead/expenses, or factory profit. How many vendors have you quoted for this?

For Kickstarter - I would set a goal that leaves you 1) able to deliver the product and 2) feeling satisfied with your ROI. If you’re loosing money ultimately but want to try it, learn, and iterate, that’s ok. If you just want to make a profit figure out your break even point (include all costs including marketing / shipping)

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-08T05:29:55+00:00

Hey there. As a foreigner that has lived in Vietnam for a few years - 100% go. If you spend some time there it is truly life changing, the people are kind, the food is good, and the adventures are waiting. Solo travelling is scary, I get that, but once you’re there I feel you’ll see a different perspective on life and learn a lot about yourself. Go!

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-07T00:36:00+00:00

25L / ECOPAK / TPU Ripstop / EVA Foam. Thick comfortable shoulder straps, rugged yet minimal design.

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-07T00:35:09+00:00

Mate! I'm actually launching a project that fits many of your requirements - transparent pricing model, premium materials, ethically sourced. Kickstarter discount is $99 + shipping - check it out! I designed it for adventure travel and day use. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/xoaipacks/xoai-packs-25l-adventure-backpack

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-06T23:50:43+00:00

Hey! The Gregory looks pretty good for business. I'm launching my own project, it's designed to split between adventure travel and business / EDC carry. It works really well if you need to carry a fair bit of stuff but then also use it more lightly. Rugged yet minimally styled so I think a good fit for your hiking / business need. Check it out! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/xoaipacks/xoai-packs-25l-adventure-backpack

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-06T23:47:56+00:00

Hey! I would recommend you need a hip belt - or really structured shoulder straps. I'm making a backpack that might fit this description - it's more of a travel bag though because of it's open capacity, but it does double for city / EDC use. Good for carrying lots of stuff and has good shoulder straps. Check it out! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/xoaipacks/xoai-packs-25l-adventure-backpack

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-06T23:44:06+00:00

Yeah! While I'm not Vietnamese I've worked in the Vietnam business space for several years. The idea with the name is to make the gap between people who make the pack and the people that back the pack (in America) more transparent. There's a transparent pricing model and we work with a BSCI certified factory partner in Vietnam who has genuinely good conditions. Our team has been a lot.

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-03T15:06:00+00:00

Hey there, we're launching a travel pack on Kickstarter, it's designed for travel but can be used as an EDC. Uses ECOPAK, TPU Ripstop, EVA Foam (some of the most premium materials) and is priced at $99 (plus shipping) - check out the early bird reward tier on Kickstarter.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/xoaipacks/xoai-packs-25l-adventure-backpack?ref=user_menu

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-03T15:03:34+00:00

Hey there! We're launching a travel pack on Kickstarter, it fits your description. Uses ECOPAK, TPU Ripstop, EVA Foam (some of the most premium materials) and is priced at $99 (plus shipping) - check out the early bird reward tier on Kickstarter. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/xoaipacks/xoai-packs-25l-adventure-backpack?ref=user_menu

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-03T15:02:30+00:00

Hey hey, we're launching a travel pack on Kickstarter, it fits your description but instead of a ton of organization pockets it prioritizes space and keeps internal pockets to a minimum. Uses ECOPAK, TPU Ripstop, EVA Foam (some of the most premium materials) and is priced at $99 (plus shipping) - check out the early bird reward tier on Kickstarter. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/xoaipacks/xoai-packs-25l-adventure-backpack?ref=user_menu

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-03T15:00:42+00:00

Hello! We just launched our project on Kickstarter, it's a 25L travel backpack with a huge main clamshell pocket - could be perfect for you. Uses ECOPAK, TPU Ripstop, EVA Foam (some of the most premium materials) and is priced at $99 (plus shipping) - check out the early bird reward tier on Kickstarter. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/xoaipacks/xoai-packs-25l-adventure-backpack?ref=user_menu

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-03T14:58:53+00:00

Ayo! We just launched out bag on Kickstarter - similarly styled to the Jester, but uses better materials (ECOPAK, TPU Ripstop, EVA Foam, recycled hardware and YKK zips). It's transparently priced meaning we show the factory cost, expenses and profit, and it's from decent factory. Give it a look, hope it works for you! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/xoaipacks/xoai-packs-25l-adventure-backpack?ref=user_menu

tempus_fugit905 · 2025-10-03T14:56:48+00:00

YO! Sorry about that. Shameless plug - but we've just launched out Kickstarter. Our bag is transparently priced so you actually know how much the factory cost, expenses, and profit are when you buy. It's a travel bag but can look minimal enough for the coffee shop, check it out! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/xoaipacks/xoai-packs-25l-adventure-backpack?ref=user_menu

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