If you read the headline, “Portland Entrepreneur Raises $13 Million by Enticing 62,000 People to Buy His Cooler,” which part fascinates you?
How about, “7,000 Hungry Folks Raise $55,000 for Potato Salad Project?”
I imagine, if you’re anything like the majority, those large amounts of money stand out. After all, $13 million is a gigantic amount of cash, as is $55,000 for potato salad.
But whenever I come across crowdfunding campaigns like these, it is the crowd of people who band together that captures my attention.
As a content creator, imagine what you could learn from 62,000 individuals. Or the 25,000 people who supported Amanda Palmer. Or the 15,000 enthusiasts who helped Ryan North bring Shakespeare to life.
Don’t get me wrong, watching your bank account bulge with cash must feel wonderful, but if you focus on the crowd — well, that’s a source of valuable content.
Turning crowdfunding into crowd-publishing
Cramped on the end of a table in a stifling London pub, I sat across from my buddy, Arnold.
“You were my inspiration for The Successful Mistake,” I said, referring to my latest book.
“How so?” he asked.
“After our Skype chat the other day, I thought about your story. You know, the one about your big mistake. I realized everyone I’ve asked for advice shared similar mistake-riddled tales.”
“Okay, so what’s that got to do with your book?”
Sipping my pint of London-expensive beer, I smiled.
“Think about all the entrepreneurs with similar stories to share. Imagine the journey I could craft, full of anecdotes