3 Crowdfunding Videos About Co-Founders, Bloggers, and Reviewers – Stonemaier Games

3 Crowdfunding Videos About Co-Founders, Bloggers, and Reviewers

It’s video day on the blog! I’ve added 3 new short videos about Kickstarter, crowdfunding, and entrepreneurship to my YouTube channel. You can find the previous videos on our website or mixed in with my game design videos on YouTube. The corresponding written entries are in the description of each video (click through to YouTube to see them).

What do you agree or disagree with in these videos? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

20 Comments on “3 Crowdfunding Videos About Co-Founders, Bloggers, and Reviewers

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  1. Thanks Jamey for more great advice. You talk about the importance of a great prototype for reviews. What if I don’t have all of the artwork for the game finished yet? is it possible for reviewers to make a review video without actually showing the game? Is that a bad idea?

    1. Duane: In my opinion, having some representative pieces of finished art is important, and it’s enough to cover the review prototype. Box art, the board, a few cards, etc. It’s okay if other cards don’t have art on them. Reviewers understand–and will mention clearly and repeatedly to their audience–that it’s just a prototype.

  2. That’s an interesting question. I don’t know if I would have known how important it was for me to have a business partner, and the company may have floundered as a result. Especially in those early days (and now, even), it’s so helpful to have someone who will always say yes to playtesting. I always feel a little guilty asking friends to playtest, but not Alan.

    So, assuming I somehow realized I needed a partner, I think I would have looked for him or her among playtesters and maybe even backers. I’d look for someone who is very passionate about the game–basically, I’d want someone who seemed genuinely engaged and who I wouldn’t feel like I needed to drag into conversations, playtests, or responsibilities.

    1. Thank you for the reply! It’s really interesting both to know that your prioritised needs (an early playtester) are subtly different to mine, and super-helpful to consider asking playtesters/backers.

      I guess it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that needs will vary depending on the individual. And if folk are already doing a little of that, then they may be best placed to do more, in an official capacity!

      Great thoughts!

  3. Another very useful set of lessons, though presented in a different format.

    I’ve been thinking a lot about getting a partner the past few days. I recognise failings within myself and strong desire for that constant ability to bounce ideas off someone else who’s also invested.

    If Alan hadn’t asked you to partner up, how long do you think it would have taken you to start looking for partners? And how/where would you have started?

    Many thanks!

  4. Thanks so much for doing these content Jamey. As a beginner in this, they are incredibly helpful for me. One question about reviews: do reviews often charge for their review or is it based on interest on the type of games they want to review?

    1. Gustavo: If a reviewer charges for a review (which is rare), please don’t send them anything. Paid previews, overviews, rule explanations, and playthroughs are fine, but if someone is presenting their unbiased opinion, money should not exchange hands.

  5. Hi Jamey, I’m fairly new here. I am really enjoying your blogs and videos. I especially liked what you said about building a relationship with content creators over a period of time. As a new blogger myself, I totally agree how comments are a reflection of content engagement with the audience. It’s almost humorous how it seems no one wants to be the first one to comment, then one person breaks the ice and they start coming in. If only the audience knew how much comments really meant to us.

    1. That’s a keen observation about breaking the ice, Tim! Have you thought about making the first comment yourself? Like, maybe posing a question in the comments?

    1. Dorothy: They’re on YouTube, so anyone can watch them even without an account. There aren’t transcripts–I just talk for a few minutes and then upload. :)

  6. Co-Founders & Partners
    I wholeheartedly agree, and am struck with how crucial your advice is for any core relationship: emotional support and confrontation as needed (and, as Scott says, proportioned depending on context); partners fill in each others weaknesses (to the benefit of the children of parental partnerships as well as the partners); and a BIGGIE—realistic and flexible expectations of the partner, especially over time.

    Connecting with Bloggers
    Ah, yes! And your reception of such outreach efforts supports them even more than your how to suggestions.

    How & When to Contact Reviewers
    Your specific where-to-find suggestions are huge time savers and pitfall preventers.

    Many Thanks!???

  7. Your videos are so poignant and right on point to newcomers in the industry. It’s so helpful to find so many answers in one place. I agree on what you are saying in the prototype video. It’s great to get your game into the hands of the reviewers but I also think it’s a good investment for the designer to really get a truer feel for their game as well.

    1. Thanks Jason! I try to distill a lot of information into about 3 minutes of those videos while hopefully not telling people so much that they won’t remember any specific tips. :)

  8. It is funny, the partner/co-founder video got me to thinking… I can’t remember the last time I had to go it alone.

    My business partner Jason and I have been creative collaborators for over 30 years now. We have collaborated on everything from comic books to RPGs and several business ventures (successful and unsuccessful) . I think being creative partners is a bit different than a business partnership. I find that, in our relationship at least, I have different attitudes and interactions with Jay when we are talking business and when we are being creative. I think we tend to push each others buttons more in business, with a need to get things done at the expense of each others feelings. When we are working on a project it seems to take on more of an encouraging and supportive role. Not pandering to each other, but picking each other up and dusting the other guy off when an idea or game mechanic blows up in their face. I feel very fortunate to have him in my life after all these years and find our collaborative relationship to be one of my most valuable assets.

    Thanks for reminding me of that today!

    1. Thanks for sharing, Scott! It’s interesting to hear how you and Jason interact with each other differently in terms of business versus creative pursuits.

    2. At first, while watching the second video, Connecting with Bloggers, I felt like it seemed kind of disingenuous to be so specific about how you connect to a blogger. Then, at the end of your video when you invite viewers to reach out and respond I felt absolutely amused at the way the video achieve a meta quality and I have to applaud you for breaking down the barriers with such finesse.

      1. Thanks Isaac. For me, I think the key is that as long as you have good intentions to make and develop genuine connections with people–and if you’re perfectly fine with those connections never turning into anything else–it’s okay for the inception of those connections to be somewhat calculated.

        1. Well put. I think it was in that same video that you mentioned that it is a mutual exchange. I really appreciate your perspective. It takes a little bit of bravery, but I am feeling my confidence bolstered already.

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