Mike Strickland, designer of Tau Ceti, and I talk about his Kickstarter failure and what he did to relaunch the campaign to wild success. After an unsuccessful first attempt, Mike regrouped and brought in over $100k the second time around. We discuss what led to the dramatic difference.
Please note that Mike was in a spaceship while recording the episode, so you’ll notice the slight hum of the warp drive in the background. Or maybe it’s just the sound of his computer’s overzealous fan. But since we’re talking about a space game, let’s just pretend he’s on a spaceship.
7 comments on “How to Turn Kickstarter Failure into $100K+ Success with Mike Strickland”
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Mike, in a couple sentences would you tell how you did it. What were your focuss points. I had indiegogo and flopped. Was thinking of Kickstarter. Thanks for advice. Maureen
Hi Maureen,
I’m sorry to hear about your indiegogo campaign, and I’d certainly encourage you to try Kickstarter. Our main focus points for successfully relaunching our Kickstarter were:
1) Build a crowd and create buzz around your product. A big part of this is understanding who your market is, and also knowing how much of that market is going to realistically pledge for your “core product” within the first 48 hours of your campaign (this is your initial crowd size).
2) Create a funding goal that is obtainable. We recommend you garner 50% of your funding goal within the first 48 hours. This is where you need to understand what your initial crowd size is, in order to calculate a goal you can obtain.
3) Ensure the presentation of your product and campaign page is top notch. Everything must look professional, and eye-catching. If this is something you don’t specialize in, you can find many professionals who can on sites like Fiverr. For example, we found someone to do our voice-over for our project video on Fivver.
4) Communicate with your backers and potential backers. Relay your excitement for your product everywhere, as passion is contagious. We are in constant communication with our backers, and they really appreciate it. It goes a long way, and reassures them your commitment to your project, which helps establish trust.
Cheers,
Mike
Gabe,
Thanks for taking the time to interview Mike ~ watching the game evolve over time to what it is today proved truly remarkable. I’m blessed to have been a part of this endeavor.
Cheers,
Joe
It was an absolute pleasure. I think it’s awesome how you guys bounced back and put together something pretty great. And thanks for all you’ve done to help so many people.
Gabe,
It has been an absolute pleasure to work with so many designers over the years. I’m pleased to assist them in all of their endeavors.
Cheers,
Joe
So sad to hear that episode for the first time, knowing that most talented guy, and get informed during the listening that he’s no longer walk among us 🙁
This episode is actually a beautiful heart breaking memorial.
It somehow comforting to know that his dream of designing a game came true.
Not many people out there can say the same.
Such a tragic lost.
Thank you Gabe, for the opportunity to know him.
Rest in peace, Mike.
Oh, wow. I wasn’t aware he had passed away. I really hate to hear that.