Well, the Kickstarter was unsuccessful in that we didn’t hit our target goal in order to get to 10% of the downpayment of the Glass Block Building. However, it was successful in other ways, most notably that the people who donated to the cause have stated that they want to continue giving that support to the store specifically for purchasing the building. We have a plan for that, because one of the things with Kevin that you will rarely, if ever hear him say is “I’m out of ideas.”
Why Did the Kickstarter Fail?
It failed because there wasn’t the devotion of time, resources, and labor to it that it needed. Kickstarters are incredibly complex things that require near constant social media presence, advertising, awesome graphics, a solid vision, stated goals, an understanding of how crowd-funding works, a rabid fan base numbering in the thousands, committed fans that already know when the Kickstarter will launch, and utilizing resources for the Kickstarter that may make it look like it’s more successful than it actually is (statistically someone is more likely to donate to a Kickstarter that they believe is going to hit it’s goals than to commit future dollars to something that might work). They are massive events. The previous Kickstarters that I have worked on were successful only because at the beginning and at the end, I took days off work to make sure they were going to work. That’s a luxury that I don’t have here. So why did it fail? Because Kickstarters are enormous projects, I didn’t lay the foundation work, and I couldn’t commit to the time required after it had started. I could mention that we were also establishing the 3D print lab, getting new tables designed for the Open Gaming Area, and half of a dozen other store projects, all at the same time. It feels both redundant and spectacularly understated to say that it’s been a busy few months.
How Did the Kickstarter Succeed?
It succeeded because it brought attention to the store on an international level (okay, so to that one international person who pledged), but also spread the name through out the Midwest. It worked like advertising in that way; which was not the point, but it was definitely a result. It highlighted areas within the store itself that we need to work on. It created positive buzz in the community about the future (hopefully soon) purchase of the building. It was the final push to do something like add Table and Locker Sponsorships to our Square store. I’ve said for a long time that we built the store because we love the store, but we didn’t build the store for us, we built it for you. We built it for the community, to be a safe place for people to be themselves, and for a gathering space for like-minded people to get together and forget the outside world for a time and play some games and enjoy some hobbies together.
What’s Next?
Next we’re going to break the Kickstarter down and have some opportunity for you to do the exact same thing that you already pledged money for (or didn’t have the chance to at the time). Table Sponsorships, limited edition t-shirt preorders, limited edition dice, and other items branded with either the Game State or the Glass Block Building logo. The goal is to still stay on track, run the special items through the month of May, and then hopefully in June get the building bought!
Stay tuned for more information as we keep doing what we do, only do it better!