Listen

Description

Why do Comic-Con attendees provide better market research than focus groups, and how can trade shows become your product development laboratory?

Crowdfunding isn't just about money—it's about community validation and smart risk-taking. In this episode of B2B Breakthrough, host Ciara Cristo chats with Nathan Nalevanko (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-nalevanko-29014133), Senior Design and Tech Outreach Lead at Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/), about what makes for a successful campaign. Learn how to validate product-market fit through live community feedback, build lasting relationships with passionate backers, and navigate the challenges of bringing physical products to market. Whether you're testing your first idea or scaling your third product launch, Nathan breaks down the strategies that turn side hustles into million-dollar businesses.

Tune in to learn:

• (00:00) Introduction: Crowdfunding as Community Validation and Smart Risk-Taking


• (02:17) Case Study: Christian Reed's $1.2M Recon Tools Success Story


• (08:06) Understanding the Passionate Backer Community and Customer Loyalty


• (15:59) Managing Product Evolution and Setting Expectations


• (21:10) Capital Requirements and Supply Chain Challenges


• (25:22) Post-Campaign Growth and Second Launch Success


• (28:01) Common Pitfalls and Product Development Requirements


• (33:06) Resources and Getting Started on Kickstarter

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• Scaling a Purpose-Driven Brand: Inside HoneyBug's Growth Journey
  (https://b2b-breakthrough-podcast.castos.com/episodes/scaling-a-purpose-driven-brand-inside-honeybugs-growth-journey)


• How Mid-Day Squares Disrupted Snacking Through Storytelling (https://b2b-breakthrough-podcast.castos.com/episodes/not-final-audio-how-mid-day-squares-disrupted-snacking-through-storytelling)


• Disrupt or Be Disrupted: Future-proofing your Supply Chain with Kerim Kfuri
  (https://b2b-breakthrough-podcast.castos.com/episodes/disrupt-or...

Chapters

• (00:00:00) - B2B Breakthrough: Crowdfunding
• (00:00:46) - Crowdfunding for Design: B2B Breakthrough
• (00:02:14) - Kickstarter Success Story: Recon Tools
• (00:05:03) - How to Marketing Your Kickstarter Campaign
• (00:07:33) - What Kind of Unifying Features Do You Find in the Backer
• (00:09:18) - What Would You Say About Long Term Customers on Kickstarter?
• (00:11:29) - The Role of Backers on Kickstarter
• (00:17:21) - Kickstarter Creators on the Supply Chain
• (00:20:55) - Crowdfunding 101: The Challenges Creators Face
• (00:23:58) - Kickstarter and Retail: Where Do Projects Live Post-Kickstarter
• (00:25:05) - What's Their Take on Round 2 of a Kickstarter Campaign?
• (00:27:27) - What are the Biggest Pitfalls on Kickstarter?
• (00:32:25) - Kickstarter: How to Start a Campaign on the Internet