# 091: Market Testing Prior to a Crowdfunding Launch

- Show: [Product Startup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup)
- Published: 2021-09-01
- Length: 37m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-09-01-091-market-testing-prior-to-a-crowdfunding-launch
- Listen: https://productstartup.com/

## Summary

Will Ford, Co-Founder of LaunchBoom, explains how his agency uses a pre-launch testing phase called 'Test Boom' to mitigate financial risk and validate demand before committing to a full Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign. Ford details how this two-month test provides critical data on messaging, pricing, and product features, allowing startups to iterate on prototypes and optimize their product-market fit. He emphasizes that successful crowdfunding requires building an audience and maximizing return on ad spend through targeted digital marketing, rather than simply launching a product. The episode also covers the upcoming Crowdfunded Summit, a free virtual conference featuring partners like Indiegogo and Mako Design + Invent, designed to educate inventors on shipping, IP protection, and manufacturing.

## Chapters

- [0:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-09-01-091-market-testing-prior-to-a-crowdfunding-launch#t=47) Introduction: Will Ford and LaunchBoom
- [1:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-09-01-091-market-testing-prior-to-a-crowdfunding-launch#t=104) The Origin of LaunchBoom and Test Boom
- [4:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-09-01-091-market-testing-prior-to-a-crowdfunding-launch#t=279) The Problem with Traditional Campaign Models
- [9:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-09-01-091-market-testing-prior-to-a-crowdfunding-launch#t=560) Using Test Data to Iterate and Improve Products
- [15:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-09-01-091-market-testing-prior-to-a-crowdfunding-launch#t=925) Best Practices for Pre-Launch Testing
- [22:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-09-01-091-market-testing-prior-to-a-crowdfunding-launch#t=1332) Shipping Costs and Margins in Crowdfunding
- [27:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-09-01-091-market-testing-prior-to-a-crowdfunding-launch#t=1676) Leveraging Crowdfunding for Equity and Validation
- [29:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-09-01-091-market-testing-prior-to-a-crowdfunding-launch#t=1794) The Crowdfunded Summit and Pitch Competition

## Topics

- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- LaunchBoom (company)
- Kickstarter (other)
- Indiegogo (other)
- Test Boom (other)
- Mako Design + Invent (company)
- Crowdfunded Summit (other)
- WeFunder (other)
- StartEngine (other)
- Platform88 (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [How to Validate the Market for Your New Product with Ivo Kalburdzhiev of CreatorClub](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2022-04-14-how-to-validate-the-market-for-your-new-product-with-ivo-kalburdzhiev-of-creator) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [2: Launching](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2015-10-05-2-launching) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [How to Validate Your Product Idea Before You Spend Serious Money On It](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-07-13-how-to-validate-your-product-idea-before-you-spend-serious-money-on-it) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [130: Embarrassment, Then Relief](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2026-01-09-130-embarrassment-then-relief) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [How to Build an Audience for Your Product with Craig Rettew](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2021-06-02-how-to-build-an-audience-for-your-product-with-craig-rettew) (Predictable Designs Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-09-01-091-market-testing-prior-to-a-crowdfunding-launch. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Product Startup.