Kickstarter may not be a store, but it is not an investment either. VC knowingly take risks in pursuit of significant returns. I've always wondered just what people are getting when they back kickstarters. Basically just the vague hope that they might get a product some day.
I do too, which is why I only back projects that deliver an open source/free software/creative commons product in the end. I'm not going to invest in your company for zero equity unless you're doing something meaningful.
I agree with you, but my definition of what I think is "meaningful" is broader than "open source/free software/creative commons". It is more like "is this a thing that I would like to see exist in the world?"
Same here. I treat Kickstarter like I do the Awesome Foundation grants I help fund (one of the original founding members)- I just give money away to make awesome stuff happen in the world. If I get a benefit in return that's nice, but really I just want the world to be a more interesting place.
