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A Crowdfunder’s Strategy Guide: Build a Better Business by Building Community
More Than Money
Jamey Stegmaier knows crowdfunding. He's a veteran of seven successful Kickstarter campaigns (and counting) that have raised over $3.2 million, and he's the proprietor of the widely read Kickstarter Lessons blog. In this book he offers a comprehensive guide to crowdfunding, demonstrating that it can be a powerful way for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses by building community and putting their customers first.
This book includes over forty stories of inspiring successes and sobering disasters. Stegmaier uses these examples to demonstrate how to (and how not to) prepare for a campaign, grow a fan base, structure a pitch, find new backers, and execute many other crucially important "nuts and bolts" elements of a successful crowdfunding project.
But Stegmaier emphasizes that the benefits of crowdfunding are much more about the "crowd" than the "funding." He shows that if you treat your backers as people, not pocketbooks--communicate regularly and transparently with them, ask their opinions, attend to their needs--they'll become advocates as well as funders, exponentially increasing your project's chances of succeeding.
Jamey Stegmaier knows crowdfunding. He's a veteran of seven successful Kickstarter campaigns (and counting) that have raised over $3.2 million, and he's the proprietor of the widely read Kickstarter Lessons blog. In this book he offers a comprehensive guide to crowdfunding, demonstrating that it can be a powerful way for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses by building community and putting their customers first.
This book includes over forty stories of inspiring successes and sobering disasters. Stegmaier uses these examples to demonstrate how to (and how not to) prepare for a campaign, grow a fan base, structure a pitch, find new backers, and execute many other crucially important "nuts and bolts" elements of a successful crowdfunding project.
But Stegmaier emphasizes that the benefits of crowdfunding are much more about the "crowd" than the "funding." He shows that if you treat your backers as people, not pocketbooks--communicate regularly and transparently with them, ask their opinions, attend to their needs--they'll become advocates as well as funders, exponentially increasing your project's chances of succeeding.
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 14, 2015
61 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
Jamey Stegmaier
9 books42 followersJamey Stegmaier is the cofounder and
president of Stonemaier Games, publisher of Viticulture, Euphoria, Tuscany, Between Two Cities, Scythe, and several Treasure Chests of realistic components. He writes a crowdfunding blog along with a personal blog and the occasional work of fiction. Jamey is an avid gamer, a voracious reader, a lover of movies, and a lifelong soccer player. Having graduated from Washington University
in St. Louis in 2003, he now lives in St. Louis with his two cats, Biddy and Walter.
You can find Jamey on Twitter at @jameystegmaier, on the Stonemaier Games Facebook page, at www.kickstarterlessons.com, and at www.jameystegmaier.com.
president of Stonemaier Games, publisher of Viticulture, Euphoria, Tuscany, Between Two Cities, Scythe, and several Treasure Chests of realistic components. He writes a crowdfunding blog along with a personal blog and the occasional work of fiction. Jamey is an avid gamer, a voracious reader, a lover of movies, and a lifelong soccer player. Having graduated from Washington University
in St. Louis in 2003, he now lives in St. Louis with his two cats, Biddy and Walter.
You can find Jamey on Twitter at @jameystegmaier, on the Stonemaier Games Facebook page, at www.kickstarterlessons.com, and at www.jameystegmaier.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 31, 2017
Jamey Stegmaier is a Kickstarter rockstar, and he wants you to be a rockstar too.
Stegmaier is a renowned game designer and his games - Viticulture, Euphoria and Scythe - are benchmarks in the industry. Jamey marries great concepts (running a winery, running a futuristic dictatorship, balancing farming, development and warfare in an alternate 1920s Europe) with and a level of attention to quality and detail that stands out in the crowded boardgame marketplace.
Whenever I play one of Jamey's games I get the feeling that he genuinely cares about the experience his customers have, and is genuinely motivated by making his games the best they can be. Scythe in particular is a stunningly beautiful game, and currently ranks number eight on the boardgame geek all time ranking of games.
Every one of these games (among others) was first launched on Kickstarter. Viticulture, the first game from Stegmaier's company Stonemaier Games received 65,000 dollars in backing. Scythe, their most recent project, was backed by over 17,000 people who collectively provided 1.8 million dollars in funding. Jamey Stegmaier knows how to crowdfund.
His book A Crowdfunder's Strategy Guide... is an essential map of how you can run a successful Kickstart campaign. Stegmaier is a sharing, collaborative kind of person and has been writing about his Kickstarter experiences on his blog for many years. His book is the distillation of these blog posts and it is a detailed examination of how Stegmaier has made his Kickstarter projects successful, the mistakes he has made, and how you can engage with backers to run amazing campaigns.
Jamey covers everything from shipping to reward levels to graphic design, exploring the reasoning behind his recommendations and providing great examples of both success and failure.
As I am interested in both boardgames and potentially Kickstarting my own project I found A Crowdfunder's Strategy Guide... to be a font of useful information. I learned about at least twenty potential hurdles I had never considered, and finished with a far greater understanding of the realities of crowdfunding.
This is a guide, and contains some long checklists, so it isn't always a gripping read, but if you're looking to make your dream into reality with the help of a Kickstarter campaign you have to read this book before you even start planning. It will save you tens of hours of time and drastically increase your chances of success. You'll also come away with the impression that as well as being a kick-ass game designer Jamey Stegmaier is an all-round nice guy too.
Stegmaier is a renowned game designer and his games - Viticulture, Euphoria and Scythe - are benchmarks in the industry. Jamey marries great concepts (running a winery, running a futuristic dictatorship, balancing farming, development and warfare in an alternate 1920s Europe) with and a level of attention to quality and detail that stands out in the crowded boardgame marketplace.
Whenever I play one of Jamey's games I get the feeling that he genuinely cares about the experience his customers have, and is genuinely motivated by making his games the best they can be. Scythe in particular is a stunningly beautiful game, and currently ranks number eight on the boardgame geek all time ranking of games.
Every one of these games (among others) was first launched on Kickstarter. Viticulture, the first game from Stegmaier's company Stonemaier Games received 65,000 dollars in backing. Scythe, their most recent project, was backed by over 17,000 people who collectively provided 1.8 million dollars in funding. Jamey Stegmaier knows how to crowdfund.
His book A Crowdfunder's Strategy Guide... is an essential map of how you can run a successful Kickstart campaign. Stegmaier is a sharing, collaborative kind of person and has been writing about his Kickstarter experiences on his blog for many years. His book is the distillation of these blog posts and it is a detailed examination of how Stegmaier has made his Kickstarter projects successful, the mistakes he has made, and how you can engage with backers to run amazing campaigns.
Jamey covers everything from shipping to reward levels to graphic design, exploring the reasoning behind his recommendations and providing great examples of both success and failure.
As I am interested in both boardgames and potentially Kickstarting my own project I found A Crowdfunder's Strategy Guide... to be a font of useful information. I learned about at least twenty potential hurdles I had never considered, and finished with a far greater understanding of the realities of crowdfunding.
This is a guide, and contains some long checklists, so it isn't always a gripping read, but if you're looking to make your dream into reality with the help of a Kickstarter campaign you have to read this book before you even start planning. It will save you tens of hours of time and drastically increase your chances of success. You'll also come away with the impression that as well as being a kick-ass game designer Jamey Stegmaier is an all-round nice guy too.
December 21, 2015
Superb read. Jamey is The Man in the crowdfunding space and I'm fortunate his enthusiasm for modern boardgaming interesects with mine so that I stumbled upon his material (and games!). This book is a concise, no-nonsense guide to understanding and participating in crowdfunding. This is absolutely mandatory reading for creators and should be considered an excellent resource for potential backers as well!
November 3, 2016
Jamey is regarded as a guru of crowdfunding, having run multiple Kickstarter campaigns for his boardgame company, and having posted online the lessons learned.
I highly recommend this book as a readable and well-organized account of those crowdfunding lessons.
But can I still recommend it, given that the lessons are available online, that there are platforms other than Kickstarter, and that the book is over a year old now? Yes, yes, and yes. For why, see my look at the book.
I highly recommend this book as a readable and well-organized account of those crowdfunding lessons.
But can I still recommend it, given that the lessons are available online, that there are platforms other than Kickstarter, and that the book is over a year old now? Yes, yes, and yes. For why, see my look at the book.
January 4, 2016
A fantastic book. It'll be by my side when I launch my first Kickstarter in February. Jamey really knows what he's talking about. If you are planning on starting a Kickstarter this book is a MUST READ TITLE.
June 27, 2025
Very good read. I’m super happy that Jamey Stegmaier ended up being such an influential voice in board games - I think the whole industry is better for it.
Some concepts seemed out of date which makes sense since the book is a decade old.
Some concepts seemed out of date which makes sense since the book is a decade old.
July 14, 2024
Good stuff, very helpful
September 16, 2017
This little book packed a lot of information. I am not looking to crowdfund a project, but respect the concept a lot more after reading this book. The voice and tone of the author is similar to Seth Godin.
March 9, 2018
A very dense and practical book. If you like lists and processes this is the book for you. The author has a ton of practical experience in Kickstarters and he made a ton of really useful lists.
It helps if you're familiar with board games. If not some of his examples will go over your hear.
It helps if you're familiar with board games. If not some of his examples will go over your hear.
April 7, 2024
When I started an internship with a boardgame design company, I was given this to read for research. At first I was put off reading it, thinking it would be more money-focused and not useful to the creative side of board games. I was very surprised when I started reading to see not only how relevant it was to my internship, but also to many of the things I wanted to achieve in life. My favourite part of this book was its emphasis on building community above all else, and I came to learn how Kickstarter projects are less about profit and more about getting your ideas out to others. There were so many small details, tips and planning advice that I would have completely overlooked had I just decided to launch a campaign by myself. For that I am extremely grateful to this book and I can't commend the author enough.
August 20, 2021
Right from the start, I noticed the writing was clean and clear. I didn't know what to expect in a book by an independent board game company CEO and from an independent press. But the content was presented with confidence. And Mr. Stegmaier was sharing some good stuff! I had to read on.
I'm glad I did. It's super insightful, direct, helpful, and interesting throughout. I recognized some things that I see crowdfunders doing very well -- and now I understand how they're doing so well and why they continue to flourish. And I recognized some mistakes I see people making on crowdfunding platforms. They [all] should read this book.
MPA PG for mild language
I'm glad I did. It's super insightful, direct, helpful, and interesting throughout. I recognized some things that I see crowdfunders doing very well -- and now I understand how they're doing so well and why they continue to flourish. And I recognized some mistakes I see people making on crowdfunding platforms. They [all] should read this book.
MPA PG for mild language
August 12, 2023
I am a filmmaker and I was looking into how to approach crowdfunding. Although this book is geared towards crowdfunding for games creators, the wealth of knowledge and tips generously shared by the author Jamey Stegmaier is absolutely worth the read. Although I am still intimidated by crowdfunding, this book and developed strategy made me feel inspired and having a plan. I’ll add to it that the layout of chapters, lists, and how information is delivered is pretty well done.
May 28, 2021
Qua lời kể của nhà gọi vốn cộng đồng kỳ cựu Jamey Stegmaier, cuốn sách này sẽ đem lại cho bạn đọc những thông tin bổ ích cùng nhiều bài học xương máu xoay quanh lĩnh vực còn đang mới mẻ này. Từ đó, bạn có thể hiểu tường tận hơn về triết lý “xây dựng cộng đồng vững mạnh là nền tảng để vận hành doanh nghiệp bền lâu.”
July 5, 2021
Granted this book is from 2015 and Jamey's perspective is crowdfunding quality boardgames (seriously his games are great), but in 2021 this is still a must read for anyone considering a crowdfunding campaign. I enjoyed his clear and friendly writing style, and love his philosophy and approach to crowdfunding.
July 3, 2018
A good place to start
This book was a good introduction to crowdfunding. There isn’t anything groundbreaking here, but that’s okay. The book is obviously aimed at newcomers. It was a quick and informative read.
This book was a good introduction to crowdfunding. There isn’t anything groundbreaking here, but that’s okay. The book is obviously aimed at newcomers. It was a quick and informative read.
January 5, 2020
Actually it's an amazing book primarily for First World residents, who can start a Kickstarter campaign in their home country. For others there are some information missing, nevertheless a thorough, ingenious worth to read book for everyone planning to start via crowdfunding.
October 7, 2021
“Community Building is more significant than cash.”
“Make it about them.”
///
Excellent!!! great advice in a story format. Specific to gaming but that’s ok! I loved this. Lots of great ideas like $1 backers. Short and sweet. 4.5 stars.
“Make it about them.”
///
Excellent!!! great advice in a story format. Specific to gaming but that’s ok! I loved this. Lots of great ideas like $1 backers. Short and sweet. 4.5 stars.
March 12, 2018
Great advice and strategies. Still let down by linking to a website but a good introduction to this exciting community.
November 6, 2019
Great
Great read I loved it and I hope it works for my food pantry and delivery of products to the homeless.
Great read I loved it and I hope it works for my food pantry and delivery of products to the homeless.
February 24, 2020
It got a bit overwhelming at times - but it probably changed me in more ways than I would like to admit.
June 12, 2020
Crowdfunding Made Simple
The author does everything but hold your hand with this concise walkthrough of the steps to take for a successful crowdfunding launch
The author does everything but hold your hand with this concise walkthrough of the steps to take for a successful crowdfunding launch
June 13, 2021
A must read for anyone launching their first crowd funding campaign.
December 14, 2023
Definitely more for the tech world or a product based business. Not really for creatives. Some interesting notes but overall not worth the read
March 30, 2020
I am about to run a crowdfunding campaign of my own and this book is the best thing that ever happened to me. Let's see how it goes.
March 6, 2017
Very well written. Very concise guide to develop and launch a crowdfunding campaign. I came up with interesting ideas to improve my campaign and will read this book over and over again until my campaign launch day to come up with more ideas and make sure I've not missed anything. The references to owners and others' blogs and resources are great as well.
November 22, 2015
First a disclaimer. I am a fan of Jamey Stegmaier's. I like the games he makes and I like the clean and professional way he runs his Kickstarter campaigns.
It is not a surprise then that I was interested in this book when it came out. It is cleanly written and is full of examples and anecdotes. The only reason I felt it should loose stars is it has such a very narrow target audience. If you aren't already familiar with crowd funding or especially crowd funding board game start-ups then you might not truly appreciate this book. There are plenty of non-board game examples and I feel Jamey offered ample evidence to show that crowd funding is really about building community unless you have a totally amazing, can't-live-without-it product that you are practically giving away for free.
So as someone interested in crowd funding board game start-ups, I was very interested. Your mileage may vary.
It is not a surprise then that I was interested in this book when it came out. It is cleanly written and is full of examples and anecdotes. The only reason I felt it should loose stars is it has such a very narrow target audience. If you aren't already familiar with crowd funding or especially crowd funding board game start-ups then you might not truly appreciate this book. There are plenty of non-board game examples and I feel Jamey offered ample evidence to show that crowd funding is really about building community unless you have a totally amazing, can't-live-without-it product that you are practically giving away for free.
So as someone interested in crowd funding board game start-ups, I was very interested. Your mileage may vary.
November 12, 2015
If you have any interest in crowdfunding a project on Kickstarter or any other platform, then this book is a must read. Jamey Stegmaier is a master of the art form, and he shares an incredible amount of information, as well as providing the reader with his behind the scenes methodology that has brought him such great success.
The section "125 Crowdfunding Lesson in 125 sentences is alone worth the price of the book. This is the work of a master and should be required reading for anyone interested in publishing their own game or product. Brilliant book... highly recommended!
Side note: When this was written, Stegmaier was looking to raise $33,000 for his game Scythe… he wound up raising $1.8 Million dollars!
The section "125 Crowdfunding Lesson in 125 sentences is alone worth the price of the book. This is the work of a master and should be required reading for anyone interested in publishing their own game or product. Brilliant book... highly recommended!
Side note: When this was written, Stegmaier was looking to raise $33,000 for his game Scythe… he wound up raising $1.8 Million dollars!
July 7, 2016
This is the book I wish I had read before running my own Kickstarter. Not just a book by the numbers; Jamey's personality really shines through, giving it a personal feel.
If I run another crowdfunding event, I will definitely re-read this entire book beforehand. It's that good.
Easily recommending this to anyone considering a Kickstarter, Indiegogo, etc.
If I run another crowdfunding event, I will definitely re-read this entire book beforehand. It's that good.
Easily recommending this to anyone considering a Kickstarter, Indiegogo, etc.
January 15, 2021
This definitely got me started on my journey to launching a board game on Kickstarter. There are still a lot of details I need to figure out, but the overview and advice in this book is a wonderful starting point.
January 5, 2016
great approach to the crowdfunding and how to deal with the tons of decisions you need to make. A great book that opens the most personal side of Stegmaier
January 23, 2016
Great idea to get you on the right path for crowdfunding
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews