創業小故事 (3) - 從群眾中取得資金

This is a special case of “sell it before you build it”. The basic idea is simple: launch a crowdfunding campaign on platforms such as Kickstarter, IndieGoGo and RocketHub. Not only will you validate if customers want to buy your product, but you will also raise money.

有一個特別的案例，「在有產品之前先賣」。這基礎的概念是簡單的。取得群眾資金從平台 KickStarter, IndieGoGo 以及 RocketHub. 這不僅確認客戶要不要買你的產品，而是你能否募得資金。

And the benefits do not stop there. What you win in a successful crowdfunding campaign is a tribe of early adopters and raving fans. In this ReadWriteWeb article, Scott Steinberg advises to “embrace them and stay in constant contact. Not only are they likely to help you spread the word, but many times they’ll also offer to contribute to your business in other ways”.

然而，好處不僅止於這樣。你用什麼贏得群眾資金在早期的使用者與胡言亂語的粉絲所集中的一個部落。Scott Steinberg 建議擁抱他們同時保持緊密的聯繫。不僅只是他們可以幫助你散播關鍵字，而是他們將透過不同的方式對你的商業提供貢獻。

Of course, crowdfunding will not work for just any type of product. Most products seem to have a strong consumer focus, and a value that is easy to communicate. Just have a look at the Kickstarter’s 10 Biggest Success Stories.

當然，群眾資金將不僅是為了任一型態的產品工作。大部分的產品看起來像是強力聚焦在消費者上，有一個價值很簡單去溝通。可以看看 Kickstarter's 10 個最大的成功故事。