September 2011
12 posts
Kickstarter Goal Reached!
3 days 15 hours and 5 minutes.
That’s how long it took us to reach the goal of $7500 on Kickstarter. I’m particularly surprised (pleasantly, of course) that the vast majority of pledges were at the levels for which the reward was the actual kit. That tells me that, not only do people think this is a good idea, but that they actually want one too!
Even though we’ve reached the...
World Maker Faire NY Round-up
I finally managed to get a good night’s sleep last night. These past couple of weeks scrambling to get ready for Maker Faire were intense, but I’m glad I made it out here to New York.
A lot of people were interested in the kit, and judging by the number of people who said “I want one!”, I probably could’ve sold a few if they were available. In fact, the...
Kickstarter Campaign is UP! →
Become a Fan!
Hello and welcome Maker Faire people! (Also hello to you old timers… I guess.)
To stay up-to-the-minute on news about BootstrapSolar, “Like” the brand new Facebook Page I set up this morning. When the Kickstarter campaign goes live (probably tonight), I’ll post it there, and you’ll be able to get in on limited quantity specials, like the whole kit for only $75!
Hello New York!
I made it to New York safely! As I was packing my luggage, I worried the TSA might mistake all those electronic components, wires, and foil-wrapped-blocks (batteries) with something more nefarious. To hedge my bets, I put one prototype unit in my check-in luggage and put the other unit in my carry-on. Fortunately, I encountered no problems, and all my stuff arrived safely. Tomorrow, some laser-cut...
Approved!
Kickstarter approved my proposal after all. While the original rejection message didn’t seem like there was room for reconsideration, I posted some messages on my proposal page (as well as through their support form) and was able to follow-up with the moderator. The review process certainly felt klunky and was quite frustrating, but at least I eventually got the go-ahead.
I’m working...
Funding Plans A & B
I was frankly surprised (and upset, and disappointed, and angry) that Kickstarter rejected my proposal, so I did a little digging to see if I could figure out why.
On their start page, they say:
We’re not screening for taste at all, we only take this step to ensure that no one violates our guidelines
The rejection message I got did indeed make it sound like they were filtering for...
Rejected
I got a response from Kickstarter on my project proposal:
Hi Ryo,
Thank you for taking the time to share your idea. Unfortunately, this isn’t the right fit for Kickstarter. We receive many project proposals daily and review them all with great care and appreciation. We see a wide variety of inspiring ideas, and while we value each one’s uniqueness and creativity, Kickstarter is...
To infinity! And beyond! (Well, New York...)
I hadn’t even had a chance to wash off my playa dust when I found out my entry to the World Maker Faire in NY had been accepted. With less than 10 days to go, I’m scrambling to put together a booth and some schwag. Not to mention, planning a trip to the other side of the continent…
Also, I just submitted a Kickstarter campaign proposal. Phew. We’re going places! (Maybe.)
