One of My Craziest Projects Ever.
Back in the early 2010s, crowdfunding was just gaining momentum.
Kickstarter had launched in 2009, and Indiegogo in 2008, giving creators a powerful new way to fund their projects.
By 2014, it was clear that this wasn’t just a passing trend – crowdfunding had become a game-changer in the world of entrepreneurship.
Inspired by the successes I saw on these platforms, I decided it was time to introduce my students to this groundbreaking tool.
But there was one tiny problem – I didn’t actually know much about crowdfunding myself!
So, I dove in headfirst.
I spent six months meticulously analyzing over a thousand successful campaigns on Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
I reverse-engineered their strategies, broke down their perks, and tried to understand what made them successful.
I didn’t just want to teach crowdfunding; I wanted to know it inside and out.
But here’s where things got crazy.
Instead of just creating a course based on my research, I decided to prove my understanding by doing the crazy thing: using a crowdfunding campaign to fund and market the crowdfunding course – before it even existed.
If I failed, I wouldn’t just lose money – I’d risk my reputation as a marketing expert.
Imagine this: I was trying to sell a course on crowdfunding, but the very campaign I was running to fund it would either prove that I knew my stuff – or expose me as clueless.
It was a high-stakes gamble, and to be honest, even some of the top marketers in the world called me “crazy” for attempting such a stunt.
So, on September 1st, 2014, I launched the Indiegogo campaign for my Crowdfunding Mastery course.
I created a fun video with a 5-year-old star, offered tempting perks, and set a goal of €20,000 within 30 days.
And then, I crossed my fingers and prayed to the gods of the internet that everything I’d learned would pay off.
Within 48 hours, we hit 100% of our goal.
The campaign gained so much traction that it was featured on Indiegogo’s homepage, and by the end of the 30 days, we had raised a remarkable €85,571 from 549 backers!
Not only did we more than quadrupled our funding goal, but we also gained hundreds of new clients.
The course became a bestseller, both live and recorded, and inspired annual charity crowdfunding campaigns that raised hundreds of thousands of euros for good causes.
This project wasn’t just about money; it was about proving that crowdfunding could be the ultimate marketing strategy.
It was risky, it was bold, and yes – it was absolutely crazy.
But in the end, it paid off in ways I could never have imagined.
