Hardware Podcasts

#014 - Brick-and-mortar stores for crowdfunded projects to help reach consumers, with Damien Ng of Backers, Hong Kong

The Hardware Entrepreneur · 22 Feb 2017 · 23m

What this episode covers

Damien Ng, co-founder and CEO of Backers, a Hong Kong-based chain of physical stores for crowdfunded products, explains the gap between online crowdfunding campaigns and offline consumer experience. He details how Backers tests products in-store to bridge the communication gap between creators and backers, citing a specific incident where a laser razor project was removed from Kickstarter due to demo inaccuracies. Ng discusses the challenges of entering retail without prior experience, the funding landscape in Hong Kong, and provides tips for crowdfunding success, emphasizing early PR and transparent communication.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Backers
Also
Kickstarter, Indiegogo, MOMA, Cyberport, Influence

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 17m

    An Interview with Josh Lifton

    Chris Gammell, co-founder of CrowdSupply, explains how the platform differentiates itself from Kickstarter by vetting creators and handling fulfillment to ensure 100% delivery rates. He details the company's founding story, which was inspired by early crowdfunding failures, and discusses their logistics, pricing strategies, and post-campaign supply chain management. Gammell also introduces his side project, the Stenosaurus, an open-source stenography keyboard designed to make professional transcription more accessible.

    Crowdfunding & preordersLogistics & fulfilment
    8 chapters

  • Product Startup · 38m

    033: Top Crowdfunding Mistakes with Khierstyn Ross of Crowdfunding Uncut

    Khierstyn Ross of Crowdfunding Uncut explains that successful crowdfunding requires building an audience and validating positioning before launch, citing her early failure with Thin Ice where she raised only a third of her goal due to poor customer connection. She contrasts this with her $600,000 success with TapLock, a fingerprint padlock, which succeeded by targeting gym users and using real-world surveys to refine its message. Ross advises founders to treat crowdfunding as a sales channel for an existing audience rather than a way to find one, warning that platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo bury campaigns that lack early momentum. She emphasizes the importance of transparency, detailed budget breakdowns, and addressing FAQs to reduce perceived risk for backers.

    Crowdfunding & preordersValidation & product-market fit
    9 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 20m

    Kickstarter, IndieGoGo & Ignite - Jasperated Jimswinger Jobbery

    Hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss the challenges of crowdfunding physical products, using the failed MuOptics thermal camera campaign as a primary example of 'shonky' hardware that lacked a working prototype. They analyze the economics of ultra-low-cost consumer electronics, such as a $12 cell phone, to illustrate the disparity between industrial and consumer hardware markets. The episode also covers the launch of the BeagleBone Black, the hosts' own t-shirt crowdfunding campaign, and a review of listener-submitted workbenches.

    Crowdfunding & preordersPricing, margins & unit economics
    9 chapters

  • Product Startup · 26m

    117: Successful Equity Crowdfunding for Hardware Startups

    Peter-Paul Van Hoeken, founder of FrontFundr, explains how hardware startups can use equity crowdfunding to raise capital and build a community of brand ambassadors. He distinguishes equity crowdfunding from product-based platforms like Kickstarter, emphasizing that investors become co-owners and share in the company's upside. Van Hoeken outlines three key pillars for success: demonstrating tangible traction through sales or prototypes, putting in the hard work to prepare and execute the campaign, and maintaining transparent communication with investors to build trust and leverage their networks.

    Crowdfunding & preordersFundraising & investors
    7 chapters

  • EE Times Current · 22m

    CES 2019 Special: Stas Gayshan, CIC-Boston

    Stas Gayshan, Managing Director of the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC), discusses the role of shared physical spaces in fostering hardware innovation and collaboration. He highlights specific companies like Travis the Translator, which successfully launched via crowdfunding, and Vesper, a maker of tiny microphones for smart speakers, as examples of successful ecosystem members. Gayshan also addresses the reality of startup failures, citing a 'Uber for Vans' concept that failed due to infrastructure scaling mismatches, emphasizing that the collaborative environment helps founders regroup and iterate.

    Starting a product companyCrowdfunding & preorders
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Hardware Entrepreneur. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.