Kickstarter is an example of the great inventions of the Internet era. It is a clever funding platform for creative projects: for artists, writers, designers, filmmakers, musicians, journalists, adventurers – or almost any other kinds. One of the most recent examples is the “8-Bit Cities” project which turns real-world maps into 8-bit video games. The 1980s video game nostalgic turns out to be exceptionally successful, since this project reached its funding goal of $3000 in only 24 hours!
Through Kickstarter one can find funding from friends, fans or total strangers. You need to present your idea in the form of an interesting story and promise some kind of reward to the investors – as products, benefits or experiences. If the funding goal is reached, the authors are still guaranteed 100% ownership of their idea. More than a funding tool, Kickstarter is actually a database for a bunch of interesting ideas.
Many of the Kickstarter projects seem to share an urban or community-based goal; projects for urban farming, street-shaped earrings and communal gathering places have found their funding. Therefore, a worthwile tip for anyone wishing to put up their own urban dream project!
The only shortcoming is that the current beta version only works in the US. Who is going to develop the Kickstarter for Europe?
