# Backerkit Announces Crowd Funding Platform



## Staffan (Jun 14, 2022)

Cephalofair (of Gloomhaven fame) is one of the companies moving to crowdfunding via Backerkit, with Miniatures of Gloomhaven launching early 2023.


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## Ryujin (Jun 14, 2022)

Not sure how I feel about this. They were well positioned as a service provider for crowdfunding campaigns on the back end, but what does that mean for the other platforms? We might find that they try to do what Backerkit was, previously, and poorly with Backerkit perhaps not doing the funding end well.


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## Von Ether (Jun 15, 2022)

In a way, this is not much different than when Piazo's online store went retail. They don't advertise it much, but you can get WotC products. from their website.


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## Dungeonosophy (Jun 15, 2022)

Typo: at ENP [?] it's 'Backerkit Launch' feature for every campaign)


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## Rabulias (Jun 15, 2022)

Dungeonosophy said:


> Typo: at ENP [?] it's 'Backerkit Launch' feature for every campaign)



EN Publishing.


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## Staffan (Jun 15, 2022)

Ryujin said:


> Not sure how I feel about this. They were well positioned as a service provider for crowdfunding campaigns on the back end, but what does that mean for the other platforms? We might find that they try to do what Backerkit was, previously, and poorly with Backerkit perhaps not doing the funding end well.



Given some of Kickstarter's dubious decisions lately (like trying to use blockchain technology), I'm glad they're getting some more competition.


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## Ath-kethin (Jun 15, 2022)

I'm interested.

As I disagree with many of Kickstarter's recent decisions/revelations, I'd be happy to move on to another platform. But given the frequency with which sites are hacked and personal information stolen, I'm always very hesitant to sign up for new services/websites. 

Of course, I'm already signed up for Backerkit. If they can get good projects going there, I'm in.


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## Morrus (Jun 15, 2022)

Ath-kethin said:


> I'm interested.
> 
> As I disagree with many of Kickstarter's recent decisions/revelations, I'd be happy to move on to another platform. But given the frequency with which sites are hacked and personal information stolen, I'm always very hesitant to sign up for new services/websites.
> 
> Of course, I'm already signed up for Backerkit. If they can get good projects going there, I'm in.



For me it’s more the way every other platform is better than Kickstarter in every measurable way… except they don’t make money. Our IndieGoGo campaign is currently on track to make 1/45th of a similar Kickstarter (yup, a nearly 50x difference). I really want to see real competition.


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## Ryujin (Jun 15, 2022)

Morrus said:


> For me it’s more the way every other platform is better than Kickstarter in every measurable way… except they don’t make money. Our IndieGoGo campaign is currently on track to make 1/45th of a similar Kickstarter (yup, a nearly 50x difference). I really want to see real competition.



Yeah, Kickstarter just has the biggest brand recognition. As you said they certainly aren't objectively better than others, but they're your best chance for success. Something like Seed&Spark is objectively better from the standpoint of an indie film production, for example, but hardly anyone knows about it. I know some folks who have a pretty good following of dedicated supporters, so much so that they had created a Patreon equivalent before Patreon existed, in order to support their production company between tentpole films. They tried using one of those 'secondary' crowdfunding sites for one of their smaller productions and had to cancel the fundraiser, then reopen it on Kickstarter, because it was getting almost no play.


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## MatthewJHanson (Jun 15, 2022)

I'm intrigued. I've used Backer Kit for pledge management and the experience has been much better than Kickstarter. More tools, and they actually provide real feedback as opposed to the cut and paste notes I usually get from Kickstarter. 

And since they are already have a relationship with so many backers and creators, I think they might actually be able to give Kickstarter a run for its money funding wise.


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## Dungeonosophy (Jun 15, 2022)

Rabulias said:


> EN Publishing.



That wasn’t the typo. Was missing the word “use”. It’s fixed now


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## MoonSong (Jun 16, 2022)

I hope they work with people in my country, otherwise KS remains my only option.


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## Parmandur (Jun 16, 2022)

Offering aa total package with front end and back end support makes a lot of sense to.me. Backerkot has handled just about every Kickstarter thst I have been involved in.


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## dbm (Jun 16, 2022)

Morrus said:


> Our IndieGoGo campaign is currently on track to make 1/45th of a similar Kickstarter (yup, a nearly 50x difference).



Out of interest, do Kickstarter prohibit cross promotion to other platforms? If they don’t it would seem easy to at least make your past-backers aware of what is coming to a different platform?


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## tmanbeaubien (Jun 16, 2022)

Just backed a project there two days ago!








						Novel Travelbooks: Passport-Notebook Wallets Disguised As Antique Books
					

A Most Excellent Travel Companion. Vegan, Tactile, Suitable For Travel.  Books, Traveling & Writing - All Married Together In a Tasteful Polygamous Fashion. The same magical book mimicry, now enlarged to also contain your passport, a notebook, pen & more.




					www.backerkit.com
				




It is a followup to a successful Kickstarter campaign from a year or two ago. So they were able to use updates to that campaign to drive attention to the new site.


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## ART! (Jun 16, 2022)

tmanbeaubien said:


> Just backed a project there two days ago!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



FWIW, I backed that Travel Wallet Kickstarter, and the people involved were easy to work with and the wallets were quality products.


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## Mezuka (Jun 16, 2022)

Changes nothing for me. Shipping to Canada will remain very expense.


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## Jer (Jun 16, 2022)

Morrus said:


> For me it’s more the way every other platform is better than Kickstarter in every measurable way… except they don’t make money. Our IndieGoGo campaign is currently on track to make 1/45th of a similar Kickstarter (yup, a nearly 50x difference). I really want to see real competition.



Kickstarter is for better or for worse where the people are at.  Indiegogo seems to have a bad rep compared to Kickstarter for folks - a perception that they allow more scammy projects than Kickstarter does seems to exist (based on what I'm not sure).

Backerkit might be able to break that wall.  It's a company that a lot of folks who back projects on Kickstarter already know and might be more comfortable with.  If Backerkit can't do it it's hard to see who could.


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## Morrus (Jun 16, 2022)

Jer said:


> Kickstarter is for better or for worse where the people are at.  Indiegogo seems to have a bad rep compared to Kickstarter for folks - a perception that they allow more scammy projects than Kickstarter does seems to exist (based on what I'm not sure).
> 
> Backerkit might be able to break that wall.  It's a company that a lot of folks who back projects on Kickstarter already know and might be more comfortable with.  If Backerkit can't do it it's hard to see who could.



You literally just repeated my article back to me.


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## Jer (Jun 16, 2022)

Morrus said:


> You literally just repeated my article back to me.



Huh.  Must have been so good it embedded itself into my brain yesterday when I read it and I didn't even realize it


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## Nikosandros (Jun 16, 2022)

Jer said:


> Indiegogo seems to have a bad rep compared to Kickstarter for folks - a perception that they allow more scammy projects than Kickstarter does seems to exist (based on what I'm not sure).



I actually don't know, but the ludicrous LaNasa campaign to raise money to sue WotC wasn't very inspiring...


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## Zaukrie (Jun 16, 2022)

Looks like Gloomhavens maker is moving there. Big boost for them.


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## MNblockhead (Jun 25, 2022)

Bakerkit is half baked right now. And, yes, I know it is in "beta", but they are already running live projects. I am assuming that as it is still in Beta that the projects listed on their landing page are the only projects they have at this point and that once they have a good number of projects they will organize into categories and add search functionality. 

We bothers me, however, is I'm not finding where they post their terms and conditions. Everything on the site seems geared to attract creators, and I suppose that makes sense. But I'm not going to back anything without understanding the rules of the service. Also, it would be nice to learn if they are going to add tools or processes to help bakers better vet creators, better understand risks, and better filter out bad actors. 

Generally I hear about projects I want to back on Kickstarter by posts on other sites. I don't generally go to Kickstarter looking for things to back unless I'm already on the site interacting with projects I've already Backed. If there was a very compelling project by a creator I already have a lot of trust in, I suppose I would back it on Bakerkit, but at this time I'm underwhelmed by Bakerkit, as a potential backer.


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