CrowdFund Nation

The crowdfunding space is full of success stories. Where else can someone come up with an idea, get it down on paper, build a prototype and open it up to public consumption on a large scale? Today’s episode features David Acosta, a firefighter from Chula Vista, CA, who identified a solution to a very common … Continue reading CFN099 – ChairVisor: An Easy Way To Keep The Sun Off Your Face →

Leave it to the crowdfunding community to create a way to recycle plastic bags in to useful products – and not only can you pledge to receive them – you’ll also receive instructions on how to recycle these bags at home, to keep the recycling going forward! This innovative technique and approach was conceived by … Continue reading CFN098 – Müll: Handmade Goods From Recycled Plastic Bags →

Tom Cruise. The world’s most famous actor. You know the characters and one-liners like the lyrics to any Beatles song. He’s become a cultural icon. Leave it to a group of midwestern filmmakers to put together what may be the first Tom Cruise “mockumentary” short, featuring the best Tom Cruise impersonator in the world, Evan … Continue reading CFN097 – Top Son: It’s About Time For A Tom Cruise Mockumentary →

Partnering with existing brands and manufacturers is a very smart path to success for anyone contemplating entering the hardware business. We’re starting to see more of this across various crowdfunding campaigns, because it can place the “heavy-lifting” part of hardware development on the shoulders of proven partners who have both the processes and costs under … Continue reading CFN096 – The Pagaré NFC Payment Smartstrap: Pay With Your Pebble! →

It’s really pretty amazing to have designers attacking the travel bag market. No more boring barrel bags or ubiquitous ballistic nylon bricks that display a zero aesthetic! Crowdfunding has inspired designers to take creative risks and to create carry-ons with character – and loads of utility as well. On today’s episode, I’m speaking with Bryan … Continue reading CFN094 – The KP Duffle: The Ferrari of Travel Bags →

The phrase “off-the-grid” used to evoke visions of rustic cabins out in the wilderness somewhere. No more. As more and more people install home solar systems, they are starting to realize their ability to generate enough power to handle most, if not all of their electricity needs. The main issue with solar has been power … Continue reading CFN093 – Orison: The First Plug & Play Home Battery →

You know crowdfunding has hit its stride when one of the most successful online marketing entrepreneurs in the world launches a Kickstarter campaign. Joining me on the show today is John Lee Dumas, who is the man behind Entrepreneur On Fire, which has been ranked one of the top podcasts on iTunes, and is also … Continue reading CFN092 – The Freedom Journal: John Lee Dumas Ignites Kickstarter! →

Architects view the world through a different perspective than most of us. They constantly consider space, form, light and flow, in things that many take for granted. So, when two of them got together to share a passion project, the results were amazing. In today’s episode, I speak with Will Ngo and Alan Silverman, two … Continue reading CFN091 – Microscape: Your Little (3D Printed) Piece Of The City →

It had to happen. Sooner or later, the ability to create wearable clothing from a computer will change the world. That day is here! In this episode, I speak with Xiaoxi Shi, who is the founder of JS Shoe, the creator of the world’s first 3D knitted shoe. The Kickstarter campaign is taking off, and … Continue reading CFN090 – JS Shoe: The World’s First 3D Knitted Shoe! →

As wearable tech becomes more commonplace, we’re starting to see applications that go beyond utility and into pure fun! On the show today, I speak with David Panettiere, who created SYNC Footwear using his experience working for a major footwear manufacturer, combined with his own creativity and tenacity to bring a cutting-edge product to market … Continue reading CFN089 – SYNC Footwear: A Bluetooth Light Show In Your Soles! →

You know you’ve hit the sweet spot, when you hit a 20 multiple on your Kickstarter funding goal. Hitting it without a product video is even more incredible, but it goes to show you that supplying a popular Kickstarter niche with edible dice can bring crazy success to a pari of gamers! Their company is … Continue reading CFN088 – Lunar Wolf Treats: How Sweet It Is To Hit 20X Your Funding Goal! →

We all know that not every campaign succeeds on Kickstarter. Usually, it’s due to poor planning, a bad product, or just plain lack of backers. Our product today, MotorMood, had none of those issues, in fact, was heavily backed, had almost $120,000 in pledges, and is a very cool product that looked like it would … Continue reading CFN086 – MotorMood: Sometimes, There’s A Good Reason To Cancel Your Campaign →

Never underestimate the kids! Sometimes, the biggest innovations come out of the children’s market, and many times, kids are the best connected most tech savvy members of a household. Today’s product was specifically designed for children, and it solves a couple of problems – the first is safety. Every parent wants to know where their … Continue reading CFN085 – The dokiWatch: Your Kid’s Watch Will Be Smarter Than Yours! →

There’s a race to develop the best wireless earbuds. There are a couple of products on the market that have a wire connecting each earbud, but I haven’t seen anything on the shelves yet that works without any wires. Our product today not only is completely wireless, but promises to stay in your ears in … Continue reading CFN084 – Phazon Wireless Earbuds: Run, Swim, Play With No Wires! →

PR has been one of the biggest mysteries for crowdfunders since the Kickstarter and Indiegogo launched. The campaign trail is littered with empty promises from PR firms who typically take a monthly retainer with minimums for access to their Rolodex. The guys at top crowdfunding promo firmJellop (see CFN episode 026) dropped me a note … Continue reading CFN083 – Proper Propaganda: Finally! Performance-Based PR →

Sometimes, it’s the simple things that bring us the most pleasure. There’s something almost soothing about watching a top spin, and something even more satisfying when it’s a well-crafted design piece. Savvy entrepreneur Viktor Grabovskyy sought to create the perfect spinning top, and used the Kickstarter platform to fund his dream and build his brand. … Continue reading CFN082 – ForeverSpin Tops: Building A Brand With Precision Craftsmanship →

Stand-up desks have become the new standard in many office environments, and anyone who has one can also attest to the fact that while standing may be better than sitting, it still poses issues with, well, standing… Enter another entrepreneur who just can’t sit by and wait for others to solve the world’s problems – … Continue reading CFN081 – The Wurf Board: The Perfect Companion To Your Stand-Up Desk →

These days, everyone is shooting stills or videos of almost everything. You have a smartphone in your pocket, a Go-Pro on your helmet, a DropCam in the nursery and a dash cam in your car. What if you could simplify your life a little and use one camera for all these uses? Our product today … Continue reading CFN080 – The YoCam: The Swiss Army Knife Of Cameras →

Having experienced the era when the music industry shifted from analog to digital, I can tell you that what you’re hearing now out of cell phones and ear buds is markedly different from what was originally recorded by the artist. In just a few years, we’ve gone from relatively high-quality sound to “just good enough,” … Continue reading CFN079 – AfterMaster TV: Pro Audio Enhancement For Your TV →

With popular waterways and marinas getting more and more crowded, there’s a move toward getting out into more remote lakes, rivers and streams. The issue with these is the lack of launching facilities and infrastructure, and getting your boat into these off-road areas in the first place. Today’s campaign might just be the first crowdfunded … Continue reading CFN078 – The Flycraft Stealth: The Go Anywhere Boat That Fits In Your Trunk →