KickstarterForum.org

Hi, my name is John and I love old trucks. All kinds of classic vehicles, in fact. Especially my 1949 Chevy pickup. It has been in our family since 1981 and we're getting ready to put it on the road for the first time since 1984. When it finally happens I will be driving this truck for the first time, after being in love with it for 33 years. But to make it last for our family's next generation, we're going to need a full ground up restoration.

As I began to consider what kind of tangible outcome I could offer prospective backers, I knew very quickly that I wanted to employ my professional broadcasting, video production and writing skills and slightly wacky sense of humor in the process.

Excuse me, looks like my wife wants to chime in:

“SLIGHTLY wacky, John?”

Okay, how about 'generally twisted?'

“You're getting warmer, honey.”

Thank you, my dear. Can I finish introducing myself now?

“Go ahead, truck boy.”

Okay, where was I? Oh yes, the tangible result... It hit me after I had gone to a local car cruise and posted a few pictures that resulted in a lot of chatter from my Facebook friends... There are millions of people around the world who love classic vehicles of all kinds, but we need only tiny percentage of them to make this project a success!

If you could check out the preview to see what I came up with and share any feedback and/or questions you may have, I would truly appreciate it. And of course, please feel free to share the link!

Thank you!

I've visited your draft of a Kickstarter page, previously. I visited it, again, today, which is probably my third time popping in to check it out. Today, though, I spent a little more time actually looking at it.

The first video that I watched was not the one on your project page. Rather, it was one that I picked from your YouTube page. It was this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbh9in8 ... jugt-NzUEA

After I watched it, I decided to watch your project page video. Again, I know that this is only a draft of a Kickstarter page, but for feedback purposes, that is largely irrelevant.

Your project page video is deficient. I say it that way, rather bluntly, because you need that video to work for you - as you set your funding goal for this draft page at thirty-five thousand dollars. Good luck with achieving that goal, using that video as your project page video.

To be honest with you, I think that you're going to be very hard pressed to raise that amount of cash, with what you have on visual display on this draft page. The main problem is, your page isn't very interesting to me.

It's not a pretty page, so the visual stimulus is pretty much non-existent. It's detail-scarce, so it likely won't appeal to the technical folks, to those who build and repair old cars and trucks. The question that I ask myself, when looking at this draft page, is - Just who, exactly, will this appeal to?

You seem to have put more effort into instilling some humor and light-heartedness into your project video than you did in the rest of the project page, combined. The wallet part, I liked. The puppies and Clydesdales part got old, really fast. The irony of it is that you want people to become interested in this project about an old truck, but here you are (or somebody else, depending upon who the voice in the video belongs to) talking about puppies and Clydesdales. I'm not trying to rain on your parade of humor attempts. But, are you seeking to fund a project about comedy or comedians or Superbowl commercials, or are you wanting to generate a ton of interest in a project about rebuilding an old truck?

This project made me think about an old Johnny Cash song. Namely, this one, here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbh9in8 ... jugt-NzUEA


But, your project page isn't as interesting as that song.

In that first video that I watched, where various guys are trying to get the engine on that truck to start, there's a brief glimpse of a social aspect to such undertakings. I remember my own daddy trying to start some old cars, in the past. So, i can relate to that kind of activity. But, your page isn't clicking with me.

Your Facebook page is vastly more interesting than your draft Kickstarter page. I like that "Personal Blog" touch that you put on your Facebook page.

Your Facebook page is interesting, because it has content of substance on it. Your Kickstarter page, by comparison, is like an old truck or car sitting out in the woods, somewhere, whose engine won't even turn over, at all. That's the visual equivalent of what I am seeing, when I look at your draft project page. Where the generation of interest is concerned, your project page isn't even getting my interest engine to turn over, much less to get it up and running and wanting to track and back this project.

Hmmm.....Track and Back - I like the sound of that.

Anyway, where your pledge levels are concerned, I think that it's always good to have some low pledge levels. That helps to ensure that average, ordinary people can join your effort, even if they only have a passing interest, or if your project page catches their eye and retains their interest, even if only briefly.

For people who encounter it, and enthusiasm bubbles over for it, you might want to add some higher levels.

But, this project page made me think of something else. Have you considered pledge levels that equate to funding actual, specific parts for the truck? Whether for individuals with sizable amounts of money to spare, or for the equivalent of auto or truck clubs, what if people could fund not just the project, generally, but individual parts, specifically? Say, a bumper, or a tail light, or just whatever the truck needs.

Instead of forking over some dough to help you fix yourself up a nice truck, what's your Plan B, as far as creating a broader sense of pride that would emanate from helping to make this project a reality?

Thirty-five grand is a large chunk of money. That's a lot to swallow at one time, John. Have you considered funding the restoration via phases, rather than in one lump sum attempt? That would allow you to set a much lower (and, consequently, much more attainable) funding goal.

Who are the people out there with you, trying to get the truck started? Your project page doesn't showcase them. Yet, they are part of the story that you want to build. For people who pledge, you need to showcase them, as well. After all, what you are wanting to build is a general store sort of atmosphere, an old garage where the grease monkeys and backyard auto mechanics hang out and shoot the shit and share camaraderie and a sense of esprit de corps.

You could incorporate a sponsor technique. Think about how Nascar cars have sponsors. Your page has no Nascar look, no racing look, not much of anything look, to be quite honest.

Back in the day, I was a David Pearson fan. Your project page doesn't connect with me on virtually any level of automotive interest that I have, including the pure nostalgia level. Why? Because, you didn't bother to inject even a morsel of your own personal, first-hand interest in cars and trucks into your draft project page.

The page doesn't elevate the truck, itself, into a personality, and it is virtually bereft of your own personality. That will make ti come across to people as dry, boring, and definitely not very interesting. In its current incarnation, your draft project page will bore people's wallets to death. You want those wallets to be alive, not dead.

As long is looks like the abode of a stranger, it won't connect.

Raising $35,000 is a big deal.

I think you could, as Charles suggested, break it out into different restoration phases/stages, and that could be something that helps engaging your audience.

Start with a smaller goal and list all possible stretch goals to be hit sequentially after you do the first one.

It is good to put some humor in, but you also need to offer something attractive to your backers, otherwise they won't back you. You may briefly mention puppies and clydesdales once, but try not to overdo it...

Work hard on providing more visuals that are appealing, try to make it look really sharp, people have to look at it and think: "this is worth $35,000, let's help him get there" and you are not there right now...

Think about your target audience and try to tailor your message to make it attractive for them...

Thanks so much for the feedback! My complete lack of experience with crowd funding is precisely why we're still in preview mode and will be until the feedback tells me that we're ready. I will be posting a new video that deals specifically with the Kickstarter effort. For the first look I just wanted something to introduce the guy behind the project.

As far as the funding goal is concerned, $30 to $35k is actually quite reasonable for a proper ground up restoration (as any restoration pro will tell you), with the modern updates as mentioned on my Kickstarter page. In going with the $35k, I'm including the cost of equipping the truck for video, also as mentioned in my pitch.

Can't believe I hadn't considered mentioning my own investment to this point, but obviously it's very important. Prospective backers need to know that the person looking for their money has some of his own skin in the game. I haven't added up all the receipts, but we're easily in the $2000 to $2500 range currently. But this is just to make the truck driveable. The full restoration would be over and above that.

Charles, glad you like the Facebook page! You can read the full story of this truck and my attachment to it in the note there entitled "John's Old Truck - The Whole Story." There's also a link to it on the John's Old Truck blog.

Thank you for the comments! I really appreciate them. I'll be making some changes to the preview and will be on he lookout for more feedback soon. Thanks again!

The point that I would underscore is that, while it is true that $30,000 to $35,000 is actually a quite reasonable figure for an automotive restoration, Kickstarter's funding model is an all or nothing approach.

Thus, if your project fails to meet the goal that you set, then what you will receive at the end of your project's campaign cycle will be zero dollars.

Keep your project from entering the Dead Zone typical to Kickstarter cycles, and you should be fine. If it enters the Dead Zone, then that very same goal that you set for yourself can very quickly begin to look quite daunting, indeed.

Personally, I hope that all Kickstarter projects succeed in meeting their funding goals. Realistically, though, quite a few fail to do so.

Thanks again, Charles. I know the odds are not on my side, but I won't let that keep me from taking my best shot. If I'm remembering correctly from my research, the Kickstarter success rate is about 45%. Not bothered in the least by that or the all or nothing model. I've always loved a good challenge!

I will continue to post here as I update my presentation, and of course I'll be looking for any and all feedback I can get along the way. And speaking of that, I have a question I hope you (and anyone else who happens to read this) will consider: What do you think of the idea of a subscription model for the video series mentioned in my pitch, and changing to the single reward of a free subscription for all backers? Or perhaps longer subscriptions for higher donation levels? Just thinking “keep it simple”...

Main page has been rewritten, and new video posted that should provide a good idea of the presentation I'm envisioning after a successful Kickstarter effort. Still considering different ideas for a new reward structure. I would really appreciate any and all further ideas and feedback. Thank you again!