K is for KickStarter

I spent the day wracking my brain in vain, trying to think up a "k" word to write about.  As I sat in despair, staring at my Krystals and deciding that writing about fast food would be a last resort,  I received a weekly email update from a site I visit.  Looking though the links, I found something great. It was awesome.  It was so great it was beyond awesome.  I wanted to write about it.  I had to write about it. But alas...it did not start with a "k".  So as I was bookmarking it to save for another letter further in the month, and feeling rather sad, I came to realization that while it might not start with a "k", the website sure did!  Suddenly there was joy, my blogging mind was at peace, and all was right with the world once again.

I present to you the awesome website kickstarter.com .  KickStarter  is basically a funding website.  You come up with an awesome idea, an idea so great that it will radically change the world as we know it.  Okay, so maybe the idea's not quite at that level, but it's rather awesome none the less.  However, you find yourself lacking funds to pull off said idea.  This is where KickStarter comes into play.  Submit your idea for funding, set a goal of how much and when, and if enough people support you, your dream just became a reality.

So I can already hear you say, "well gee, that's neat and all, but what do I get out of it?"  This is the fun part.  when you donate money, you become a "backer".  Backer's usually recieve some form of compensation depending upon the level of their donation.  What the compensation is varies for each project.

"But wait!" you say, "what's all this about setting a goal of how much and when?"    A monetary goal is set in the vary beginning.  If this project can raise X amount of money within this allotted time frame, it's a go.  If the project fails to raise X amount of money within the allotted time frame, the project's dead.

"So what happened to the money I donated?" This is the genius of it all.  When you become a backer the money you give is put on hold. It works in the same way a hotel reservation does; you give them your credit card number (or paypal in this case) in order to reserve your room (funding level) however they don't process the payment until you get there (the project is a go).  So if the project receives enough money from backers, you pay, and if the project fails to get enough backers, it drops your hold and no money changes hands.

Since this site is open to anyone, you should really research the various projects to find the ones that are right for you.  Below you'll find some projects that I find rather interesting, even if I'm not backing them. 

SketchChair: Furniture Designed by You

Urbio Vertical Garden

Once Upon a Time

 Portable Fortitude: 54 Talismans; Reprint of unique deck

 June 4, 2011: Drawing Day (1 million drawings in 1 day)