Gone are the days where hopeful entrepreneurs can simply post an idea to Kickstarter and wait for the cash to start rolling in. With so many projects competing for dollars and eyeballs these days, Kickstarter creators need pre-launch supporters to help “prime the pump” on launch day.
It’s similar to building a fire: collect enough tinder (i.e. early pledges from your personal network) before striking your match and your fire could eventually spread to Kickstarter’s combustible “What’s Popular” page. From there, Kickstarter’s 3.9 million repeat backers can provide all of the fuel your fundraising fire could need.
– Thomas Schroder, Krowdfund.com