Art of the Kickstart

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Nycol and Matthew Bevis, the siblings behind Top Shelf. Top Shelf is the first open-layout sling bag that allows you to access your gear in 1.1 seconds. Learn how these photographers secured over 3,600 backers and raised over $1 million on their first product launch. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways * How Nycol and Matt's photography experience led them to notice a gap in the market when it came to the styles of bags offered for photographers * Why it was so important for Matt and Nycol to get their product patented * Why the pair used pre-campaign advertising to test the viability of their product * The difficulties Nycol and Matt faced when trying to find a manufacturer and how they found the perfect manufacturer for them * What the siblings would do differently the next time they launch a product Links * Top Shelf on Kickstarter * Top Shelf on Indiegogo * Bevis Gear Website * Bevis Gear on Instagram Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Roy Morejon: Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the kickstart. Today we are joined by brother and sister, Nycol and Matthew Bevis. Bevis. God, I messed it up right there too. That is my bad because I didn’t practice that well enough. Matthew Bevis: It can happen. Roy Morejon: So Nycol and Matthew, you guys are the founders of your very first product launch on Kickstarter. You guys launched The Top Shelf, which is an amazing, super fast all-access camera bag. I’m super stoked to have you guys on the show. Nycol, Matthew, welcome to the show. Matthew Bevis: Thanks. Nycol Bevis: Thank you so much. Thanks to be here. Roy Morejon: Yeah. So you guys are photographers.

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Jack Yao, co-founder of Mobile Pixels. DUEX by Mobile Pixels is a monitor that can slide out of the back of your laptop so you can deploy it anywhere. Learn how Jack raised $1.5 million in pre-sales from 4,000 backers on Kickstarter and Indiegogo during his first campaign and what's to come with his third campaign. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways * How the idea for Mobile Pixels came to Jack when he was a student at MIT on an internship at Amazon * What ways COVID-19 has impacted Mobile Pixel's manufacturing * How Sean incorporated backer feedback into his process of designing and launching more mature versions of his earlier products * Lessons Jack has learned from his previous campaigns, including why he chose to leverage influencer marketing * How Mobile Pixels scaled after signing distribution contracts with Staples, QVC, B&H Cameras, and Best Buy Links * Mobile Pixels Website * DUEX Lite and DUEX Plus on Kickstarter * The Promised Land by Barack Obama Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art Of The kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Roy Morejon: Art Of The Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art Of The Kickstart. Today, I am joined by a very special guest, Mr. Jack Yao co-founder of mobile pixels. Jack, thank you again for being on the show today. It is an honor to have you. Jack Yao: Thank you. It’s nice to be on show again. Roy Morejon: Yeah. So here we are again, we’ve got a new campaign. I’m sure our listeners know all about you, they remember your story, but I think it’s important to revisit that in terms of the roots. So if you would go back down memory lane and talk about the inspiration in terms of creating mobile pixels and the evolution of where you’re at now and why you’re ba...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Sean De Clercq, co-founder and CEO of Kickfurther. Kickfurther works by connecting growing startups to a community of people who help these startups fund the production of their inventory. Learn how Sean solved his own cashflow gap by creating a community that helps entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways * How Sean's background in supply chain management and entrepreneurship led him to encounter inventory finance issues * How Kickfurther connects growing startups to a community of individuals that can help startups raise funds * How guerilla marketing helped Sean and his co-founder launch Kickfurther * Tips Sean has for entrepreneurs looking for funding from investors * What Kickfuther's plans are for the future Links * Kickfurther * Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman * Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman * Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcriptRoy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, we have got an exciting episode for you. We are talking with Sean De Clercq co-founder and CEO of Kickfurther. Sean, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart. Sean De Clercq: Hey Roy, it’s great to be here. Thanks for inviting me. Roy Morejon: Yeah, no really happy to have you. I know you’ve worked with a bunch of our clients that have used you po...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Jill, Nicholas, and Eric from Aurai, an eye massager for those with eye condition. Aurai is eco-friendly, gentle, temperature-controlled and has the feature to fit any face shape. Learn how the Aurai team raised more than $350,000 with 1,900 backers on their first launch and what's to come with their second. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways * How a relative who used Coke cans to relieve eye strain and fatigue inspired the Aurai team to create this high tech eye massager * The process of virtually soliciting feedback from backers during COVID * How the Aurai team applied lessons learned from their first crowdfunding campaign * What upcoming healthcare products Aurai has lined up * Why creators have to be more prepared than ever when launching their products and why working with an agency helps Links * Aurai on Indiegogo * Aurai Website * The Story Factor by Annette Simmons Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcriptRoy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Roy Morejon: Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product-discovery platform that helps you discover, save and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I am joined by the team from Aurai. I have Jill, Nicholas and Eric from the Aurai team with me today. Jill, Nicholas, Eric, thank you guys for joining me today on Art of the Kickstart. Nicholas: Thank you. Jill: Thank you for inviting us. Nicholas: It’s our pleasure. Eric: Thank you, Roy. Nicholas: Yeah. Roy Morejon: You’re very welcome. So I’m really excited to talk about your company. Obviously you’ve formed this team of creative talents, industrial designers, mechanical engineers, you’ve built this full team, and you’re about to launch your second crowdfunding campaign. Roy Morejon:

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Nate Thuli, founder of HAVA Mug, a self-heating smart mug. HAVA uses a swipe sensor to allow you to control exactly what temperature you want your coffee to be, and over time, the mug will discover your custom preferred temperature. Learn about how a hot beverage aficionado went from breaking open mugs to discover their thermal properties to smashing his Kickstarter goal in just a few days. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways * How Nate wants to improve the social coffee drinking experience through the HAVA Mug * What HAVA Mug has in common with dating apps like Tinder * How HAVA Mug differentiates itself from its competitors * Why HAVA Mug relied on customer feedback to find the perfect temperature for a hot drink * How HAVA Mug overcame initial product design and technology challenges Links * HAVA Mug on Kickstarter * HAVA Mug Website * The Lean Startup by Eric Ries * The Startup Way by Eric Ries Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Roy Morejon: Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today we are talking with Nate Thuli, founder of HAVA Mug. Nate, thank you so much for joining us today. Nate Thuli: Hey, great. Nice to be here. Roy Morejon: Yeah. I’m really excited to talk about this truly advanced self-heating smart mug. We have a lot of smart products on our show and that launch on Crowdfunding and Kickstarter. Some of them don’t necessarily need to be made smart, but I think a product like this that you’ve innovated to keep the drink at you...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Ben Hui, founder of Lonowear, a sockless, eco-conscious sneaker. Lonowear is made without glue and uses breathable and odo-resistant tree fiber. Learn about how a shoemaker whose grandfather started one of the first shoe factories in Hong Kong turned his passion for shoes and sustainability into a novel product. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways * How Ben saw his perfect niche after being in the shoe game for 10 years * The process of making an eco-friendly shoe differs from making a traditional shoe * Why Lonowear decided on a zero-inventory model * How to solicit and manage customer feedback when launching a new product * Why Lonowear chose to partner with an agency to launch their project Links * Lonowear on Kickstarter * Lonowear Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today!! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today we are talking with Ben Hui, founder of Lonowear. Ben, thank you so much for joining us today. Ben Hui: Hey, thanks for having me. Roy Morejon: So I’m really excited to talk to you for one, because obviously you’re pretty excited because you just hit the launch button on Kickstarter. So really excited to get your overall initial thoughts and get all those butterflies out of your tummy in terms of the campaign being live. You’ve already got thousands of dollars coming into the campaign right now. So let’s talk about Lonowear and creating this sockless, odor busting, eco-conscious sneaker. Where did this all start? What was the inspiration to create LONO? Ben Hui: Well, I’ve been in the shoe business for over 10 years now so I’ve done a lot of shoes. Most of them are really low quality, like with the cheap materials, without any consciousness in mind. So a couple of years ago I was like, maybe I should start doing something different, something better. Something that fits into my profile. So I had this idea of creating eco-conscious sneakers with good quality, good materials,

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Manuel Schönfeld, founder and CEO of PowerX, creators of comprehensive energy optimization solutions. Through a suite of smart home devices and an easy-to-use app, gain insight into your home's energy usage to pinpoint inefficiencies, reduce monthly costs and minimize your carbon footprint. Listen in and learn about the brand's product development journey and how they're bringing PowerX to market. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways * Manuel's extensive background in the energy industry * The dual inspiration behind PowerX * The difficult product development process, especially during a pandemic with so many international teammembers * How Manuel compared raising capital to a horse race * Why he choose to go into crowdfunding as well as work with Enventys Partners on the campaign * The biggest surprise Manuel has encountered so far in the pre-campaign marketing phase Links * PowerX on Kickstarter * Beyond Weird: Why Everything You Thought You Knew about Quantum Physics Is Different by Philip Ball Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am being joined by Manuel Schonfeld, the founder and CEO of PowerX. Manuel, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart. Manuel Schoenfeld: My pleasure. Pleasure to be here. Roy Morejon: I’m really inspired by, not only your product, but also your story. This company that you’ve launched, truly has a mission to combat climate change overall. You’ve got previous work experience at some of the biggest companies in the world, Harvard, been there, you’ve got a TaeKwonDo black belt. Let’s start at the beginning I guess, and give the audience a little bit of your background and how you’ve ended up here launching PowerX. Manuel Schoenfeld: Sure.

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Patrick, Director of Commerce, and Christian, Director of Market at KALEA, creators of the fully automatic kitchen composter. No matter where you live or how much space you have, KALEA turns your organic waste into nutrient-rich compost in only 48 hours. Listen in to hear about the brand's product development journey and how they came to crowdfund on Kickstarter. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways * The inspiration behind bringing KALEA to life * Why they had to change the name of the product initially * What led them to crowdfunding for the brand's first product launch * The marketing prepwork that went into releasing KALEA on Kickstarter Links * KALEA on Kickstarter * Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins * Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another addition of Art of the Kickstart. Today we are talking with Christian and Patrick from the KALEA campaign. Christian and Patrick, thank you so much for joining me today. Patrick Nennewitz: Thanks Roy. Yeah, it’s a pleasure for us being here. Christian Gärtner: Thank you for having us, Roy. Roy Morejon: Absolutely. Well, thank you for creating such an innovative product. I’m really excited about this, just the way the world is and how I think we need to be doing more for ourselves, and you guys have created a truly innovative product that turns kitchen waste into real compost in only a couple of days. So this fully automatic kitchen composter,

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Lars Christain, creator of Tiny Treehouses, the DIY miniature wonderland kits. Spruce up your plants and pots with these adorable yet sophisticated DIY flat pack model kits. Available in multiple hanging options and difficulty levels, each Tiny Treehouse also comes with an LED light (batteries included!). Learn about the product's inspiration, the development journey and its road to Kickstarter. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways * How the 3D designer's love of plants and architecture led him to imagine Tiny Treehouses and how the pandemic allowed him the time to bring it to life * The prototyping process Lars went through to come up with the final designs on the Kickstarter page * With over 3,000 backers on this campaign, how he's used their feedback to adjust the product * The marketing prepwork that went into the launch including PR, social media as well as digital advertising which ultimately helped the project reach over $300,000 in funding * The challenges that came along with overfunding the campaign and why Lars would have included early bird pricing if he could do it over again Links * Tiny Treehouses on Kickstarter * Tiny Treehouses on Indiegogo Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over 100 million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today we are talking with Lars Christian, the creator of Tiny Treehouses. Lars, thank you so much for joining us today. Lars Christian: Thank you very much for having me. Roy Morejon: So Lars, I know you’re calling me in from Sydney, Australia, the other side of the planet, but you’ve created this really cool product that truly does transform your plant pots into these truly miniature wonderlands with your DIY model kits. And we know that Kickstarter has a huge community around the DIY space. So I think you really created a product that really resonates with the overall Kickstarter audience, given the fact that you were able to bring in over 3,700 backers into the campaign,

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Ismail Miah, founder and product designer of Burger Buddy, a mess-free eating experience. Burger Buddy is an interactive, hygienic and eco-friendly way to hold your burger (as well as bagels, doughnuts, pies, and so much more) together, and keep all of the fixings inside. Learn about how a passionate pair of engineers turned their love of burgers into a successfully crowdfunded campaign. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways * How the idea for Burger Buddy came from a search for the best burger in London * Why silicon was the best material to accommodate all the product's features * How they were able to use influencer marketing as part of their communication strategy * Which marketing effort became their biggest return on investment * The biggest surprise they learned during the course of their Kickstarter campaign Links * Burger Buddy on Kickstarter * The Laws of Simplicity (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life) by John Maeda</a Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by ProductHype, the leading crowdfunding newsletter. Publishing weekly, ProductHype showcases five of the best, most innovative and exciting crowdfunding projects in an absurdly unique way. Their audience of more than 300,000 crowdfunding fans regularly back featured products and eagerly awaits the newsletter to learn about the new ideas that creators are bringing to market. Learn more about having your project featured in ProductHype, or join the HypeSquad today! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, President of Aventus Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, we are talking with Ismail Miah, the founder and inventor of Burger Buddy. Ismail, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart. Ismail Miah: Thank you very much for having me, man. Appreciate it. Roy Morejon: Ismail, I absolutely love this product, because who doesn’t enjoy a good burger? But obviously, there’s a big mess that comes around with that. And then for all of us who have kids, you know that eating is always an experience. Not only the food, but the clean-up afterwards, and usually, most of the food ends up on the floor anyway. So I’m really excited to have you on the show. Please give our audience a little bit of background in terms of what inspired you to create Burger Buddy. Ismail Miah: Yeah, of course.

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Josh Ermias, CEO of Door Robotics, creators of VISTA Drone. As an easier solution to getting immersive content in the air, VISTA Drone captures 360-degree footage, stitches your video to remove the drone and converts it into standard video. Plus, with autonomous navigation, the drone can quickly navigate outdoor and indoor settings on its own. Listen in and learn about the brand's product development journey and their road to Kickstarter. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways * How a drone food delivery project and a 360-degree video app project from a university incubator led to VISTA Drone * How they decided on its features after speaking with realtors and real estate photographers * The prepwork that went into building an email list, like sending letters of intent, before the campaign launched * Why Josh Ermias thinks VISTA Drone garnered so many European and first-time backers * The biggest surprise Josh encountered throughout the Kickstarter campaign Links * VISTA Drone * Door Robotics * Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon President of Enventys Partners. The top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for [inaudible 00:00:46] gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I’m super excited because I am talking with Josh Ermias of Door Robotics. Josh just launched a campaign with us, the VISTA drone, and this drone is super unique, right? This is the first drone with a fully integrated 360 degree camera. This totally makes it absolutely beautiful, incredible, all inspiring immersive content from your drone. Right? So Josh has been working on this for years. He and I have been going back and forth. I was looking through my email chain for over two and a half years. So Josh, I’m really excited to have you on the show today. Josh Ermias: Thanks Roy. Roy Morejon: So Josh, give out audience a little bit of background if you would. Tell them where did this start? What inspired you to create VISTA drone? Josh Ermias: Sure. So way back in 2016, I was a part of this incubator on campus at the University of Maryland called the startup shell. I was working on this drone delivery project.

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Dean Alms, founder of Swish, creators of the twist on the cocktail jigger. All while keeping your bar clean, Swish will accurately measure and easily dispense a single shot, pony shot or double shot. Dean Alms and the rest of the team just completed Swish's first-ever Kickstarter campaign, a fully-funded success. Listen in and learn about the brand's product development journey and their road to crowdfunding. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways * How the inspiration for Swish came from Dean Alms' love of cocktails and tools * Some challenges his team encountered along the way while designing this product * Why they decided to release Swish through a crowdfunding campaign * How the team prepared the marketing for the campaign's launch and what help Enventys Partners provided * The biggest surprise Dean encountered during the crowdfunding campaign Links * Swish on Kickstarter * The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to another edition of Art of The Kickstart. Today we are talking with the founder of swish, Mr. Dean Alms. Mr. Dean, Thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart. Dean Alms: Thank you. It’s great to be here. Thank you. Roy Morejon: So you’ve got a really cool product, not just because I enjoy a cocktail or two, but this is truly a full twist on the original cocktail jigger, if you will. Swish is this amazing product. It’s an active Kickstarter campaign right now. So definitely go out and check it out. It’s got over 400 backers, raised over 20 grand so far, but really a very cool tool for the homemade bar. I think a lot of people with the current pandemic are certainly mixing more drinks at home. So really excited Dean to have you on the show. And if you would, give our audience a little bit of background here, where did it all start? What inspired you to create swish rocks? Dean Alms: Yeah, you bet. I have always been a lover of craft cocktails. I love Manhattans, I love old fashions and the list goes on. I’ve also always been a tools guy. If you were to look inside my garage, you would see a huge assortment of tools.

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Dr. Shafiq Zaib (aka Dr. Zee), founder of Baxbag, a sustainable and posture-correcting backpack. Made from eco-friendly materials, BaxBag's patent-pending design help reduce back pain related to carrying traditional backpacks. Listen in and learn about the brand's product development journey and its road to crowdfunding. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways * Dr. Zee's background in naturopathic medicine and what inspired her to come up with Baxbag * The process of finding the right manufacturer to create a sustainable backpack * What led Dr. Zee to crowdfunding and why Indiegogo was chosen as the platform to launch Baxbag * The biggest surprises that Dr. Zee encountered in the product development process Links * Baxbag on Indiegogo * The Diary of Anais Nin, Vol. 1: 1931-1934 by Anais Nin Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon president of Enventys Partners, the top, full service, turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert, in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am really excited because I’m talking with Dr. Zee. Dr. Zee is the founder of Baxbag about to launch an Indiegogo or likely when you guys are listening to this episode, it’s already live on Indiegogo. So make sure to go and check it out. And Baxbag is really unique. I mean, not only is it good for your health, but it’s good for the planet. And I think we can all agree that we need more products out there in the world that are good for the planet. Baxbag is a sustainably engineered posture backpack. So it’s designed to be the most comfortable backpack for whatever your day has in store. And many people today don’t even know what today looks like, or what they’re going to be doing. So Dr. Zee, thank you so much for joining us today on Art of the Kickstart. Dr. Zee: Thank you so much Roy, for having me. I’m excited to talk about this and its need and everything else that comes with Baxbag. Roy Morejon: Absolutely. So, yeah, I mean, just for the audience’s sake, give us a little bit of your background and what inspired you to create Baxbag. Dr. Zee: Okay. So I’m a naturopathic medical doctor, and I specialized in biochemistry. I got my bachelor’s of science in biochemistry. So I had to carry it around really heavy books...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Adrien Beyk, co-founder and CEO of Quanta Vici, creators of smart heated gloves and socks. Through integrated, real-time temperature sensors, Quanta Vici wearables (and smartphone app) let you maintain an exact temperature of your hands and feet for up to 6.5 hours. Listen in and learn about the smart wearables' product development journey and their Kickstarter experience. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways * The inspiration behind Quanta Vici came from living in chilly Toronto and wanting to help those with medical conditions negatively affected by cold weather. * How finding gaps in the electric heated glove and sock market led them to design a more precise, longer-lasting glove and sock that looked good too. * Why the team started working with Enventys Partners, a marketing agency, when figuring out how to find a broader audience, beyond the initial (and smaller) target of the medical market. * The challenges that came with designing a fashion item (instead of just a lining) as a tech company and how they were able to come up with truly smart and wearable gloves and socks. Links * Quanta Vici on Kickstarter * The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist's Guide to Success in Business and Life by Avinash Dixit * Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill * Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a $100 million for our clients since 2010. Each week I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Roy Morejon: Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I am really excited because I’m talking with Adrien Beyk, co-founder and CEO of Quanta Vici. And if you haven’t heard about Quanta Vici yet, you’re going to want to check this out because for the winter time and potentially the crazy winter that we’re about to have around the world, just because 2020 has been a crazy year already,

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed Adam Pener, co-founder and CEO of Sniper Bladeworks, creators of award-winning EDC tactical knives. Founded in 2009, Sniper Bladeworks pioneered ergonomic “pistol grip” handles and cutting-edge knife designs that catapulted the company to the top of the custom knife-making game. Today, the brand has launched on Kickstarter the 2020: Reload Signature series, designed to exceed your everyday needs and excel in tactical and frontline use. Learn about the inspiration behind Sniper Bladeworks, its crowdfunding journey and how they positioned themselves for a successful campaign. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways * The long-standing history Adam has with Sniper Bladeworks co-owner and designer, Lance Abernathy and how company started * After being in business for over 10 years, why they choose to launch a series on Kickstarter * With multiple knife "flavors" available for pre-sale, how Adam suggests a company that has a single-skew product create a larger skew catalog * How they prepped for the Kickstarter campaign despite not being able to advertise on Instagram or Facebook * The marketing effort that has garnered the biggest ROI for the campaign Links * Sniper Bladeworks on Kickstarter * Sniper Bladeworks * Principles by Ray Dalio * The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome to Art of the Kickstart, your source for crowdfunding campaign success. I’m your host, Roy Morejon, president of Enventys Partners, the top full-service turnkey product development and crowdfunding marketing agency in the world. We have helped startups raise over a hundred million dollars for our clients since 2010. Each week, I’ll interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur, or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level with crowdfunding. Art of the kickstart is honored to be sponsored by Gadget Flow. The Gadget Flow is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. It is the ultimate buyer’s guide for luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Now, let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today, I’m really excited because I’m talking with Adam Pener, the co-owner and CEO of Sniper Bladeworks. If you don’t know Adam, really smart, super sharp guy. Sniper Bladeworks, family business, overcome a lot of loss and adversity right now, they’ve got an active Kickstarter campaign that’s going on, raised over $100,000, hundreds of backers on there. Adam, I’m really excited to have you on the show today. Thank you for joining us. Adam Pener: Oh,