rocket ovens kickstarter

I knew I wanted the Rocket Mass Heater downloads also, so I didn't even look at the stretch goals until I had figured out how to fit an extra 60$ into the budget this month. Those are some great stretch goals.

edit:  This Kickstarter was actually the perfect timing for me. I was looking at the possibility of a cob oven. It took some mental preparation for how to deal with the blazing heat of much of the year on top of a wood fire. The shorter burn needs of the rocket oven will make using an wood fire oven much less of a test of endurance. The solar dehydrator is another natural part of a hot climate outdoor kitchen. Both appliances can share a food prep area.  

Dan stops by my place to get some of the last bits of video for the rocket ovens dvd, plus get some video for some of the stretch goals.  We visit about the kickstarter, the stretch goals and a few other projects!

And $25k is cracked with 622 pledges at 9:46pm Mountain time. Better line up some more candy!

ETA: Not bad for a someone who "you look kinda like a big bear."

We are now at page 19 of "popular"

Today's experiment is to leave a comment.  Please leave three comments, each representing:

   - best kind of pie

   - best kind of pizza

   - best kind of cake

This might also be a good time to ask:

  - how much wood does it take to bake _____

  - where can i find more information on _____ (some reward)

Maybe make suggestions for

   - future stretch goals.

   - future kickstarters

Question the ending of the video.  Star wars, star trek, firefly and .... superman?

In fact, every imaginable question you can think of.  Especially questions where the answer is "42".

And fiddle with your pledges.  

And for people that haven't pledged, we learned that that bumps things too, so pledge something so we can compound lots of comments with more pledges.


click here! for the kickstarter page

here is a bit of a shortcut to get to the comments:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paulwheaton/rocket-ovens-feature-length-documentary/comments


I pulled this up in a different browser (where I was not logged in) and saw a message that says

Only backers can post comments. Log In

If you have already backed, you have to make sure to log in.  

If you have not backed, then now is a good time!

That was a really cool Kick start video with Paul and Little Buddy! )

paul wheaton wrote:We are now at page 19 of "popular"

One hour later, and about a dozen comments, and we are on page 17 ....

More comments!  It's working!

If you have a rocket oven:  indoor or outdoor?   Offgrid?

paul wheaton wrote:

paul wheaton wrote:We are now at page 19 of "popular"

One hour later, and about a dozen comments, and we are on page 17 ....

Now on page 13 ....

I thought I had already answered this question, but maybe I haven't.

What I'd really like is a way to download all of the goodies, not just have access to streaming versions. Will a download option be available?

Once you have access to the PDC and ATC stuff there will be options to purchase an upgrade to download.  

But there is currently not an upgrade path for the rocket mass heater 8-DVD set.  So that would remain HD Streaming.

Somebody once said that they wanted all of my stuff on a jump drive.  And then there were a bunch of people that said they wanted it too.   So I offered the jump drive and there was exactly one buyer.  So I don't offer that anymore.  

With the kickstarter, there is the constant balance between offering too many rewards and too few.   And right now I have already had a lot of feedback that I am offering too many.  

Right now you can buy the 8-DVD set as tiny download, and you can buy the PDC and ATC as tiny download or HD download.  

I managed to put up a couple of comments and Erica already answered one of them for me.

paul wheaton wrote:

paul wheaton wrote:

paul wheaton wrote:We are now at page 19 of "popular"

One hour later, and about a dozen comments, and we are on page 17 ....

Now on page 13 ....

Now on page 11.

Almost to $27K at this point with 661 backers - with 205 it says haven't pledged before. Thinking some sweet dailyish action happening there.

596 are from ten countries, with the remainder probably in onesies or twosies from other countries.

Like I said in my latest comment, I haven't been this excited about a funded Kickstarter in a long time.

Bill, where do you get your stats?

I get a lot of my stats from here:  http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/paulwheaton/rocket-ovens-feature-length-documentary/#chart-daily   -- I can get stats like this for any kickstarter.

Yesterday was a super full day.  I think that all of us added over 100 comments.   And the results are:  if comments affect "popular" then it is less of an effect than pledges.   So, we do know that pledges have a large impact.  

Thanks Bill for pointing out that we cleared the $25,000 stretch goal.  Yay!

And then while I was trying to update the stretch goal image, we zipped past $26,000 too!


I hope to have the stretch goal images updated in a couple of hours.   For now I can tell you that here are two new stretch goals that will be added:



$40,000 stretch goal:  everybody supporting the kickstarter at $100 or more will have their "gapper fee" covered.  Come on down to wheaton labs, get the tour, maybe tent it for a few nights, or maybe join the bootcamp program for a few days/weeks/months/years.

$45,000 stretch goal:  pizza party!  20 people will be selected from the kickstarter supporters to come out to Wheaton labs for two nights of pizza party in October.   A full tour (about six hours) and  everybody gets to fire up the rocket oven, the rocket mass heaters, the rocket stove tops, the rocket stoves, the rocket kiln, the rocket hot water ...   everything!   We will ask "who all wants to come?" and the top 20 contributors to the kickstarter will get invited!

I would like to better understand why folks don't want to support this kickstarter.   There are over 30,000 people on the dailyish and we have 665 backers.  The open rate of the dailyish is about 12%, so about 3500 people opened it.   About 600 backers came from the empire, so that leaves about 2900 people that decided to not support the kickstarter.  

I feel if I can better understand the reasons why 2900 people opted out, I can make better kickstarters and do a better job on world domination!   So I am going to create a bunch of posts that are possible reasons that are just my lame guesses.   But I hope that the real people with the real reasons will add posts that others can upvote and a picture will form!

click on the thumbs up for this post if you don't support this kickstarter because

   i like gardening and none of the stuff in this kickstarter is about gardening

click on the thumbs up for this post if you don't support this kickstarter because

   i looked it over and i'm just not feeling it

click on the thumbs up for this post if you don't support this kickstarter because

   there are elements of this kickstarter that violate my personal beliefs/standards/philosophies

click on the thumbs up for this post if you don't support this kickstarter because

   the price of the rewards is too high

click on the thumbs up for this post if you did support the kickstarter

click on the thumbs up for this post if you like to click on the thumbs up button for lovely things.

Paul, I thought I went to the stats page, but it is the "community" tab on the project page.

Bill Erickson wrote:Paul, I thought I went to the stats page, but it is the "community" tab on the project page.

Wow!  This is the first time I have ever looked at that page!

(just got this one from email)

click on the thumbs up for this post if you don't support this kickstarter because

  I am only interested in free stuff - even $1 is more than I am willing to spend

putting the widget thing on this page:



To go to the kickstarter page,

   

               click here!

new stretch goals!

click on the thumbs up for this post if you don't support this kickstarter because

   I have the time to glance at the email, but i have not yet had the time to really read and savor every delicious morsel of what is naturally going to be a magnificent piece of art

Hi Paul, I did help fund the kickstarter for a minimal amount. My problem and I'm sure I'm not alone is that I live on a very little amount of money. My husband and I are both disabled: my husband is on oxygen and will most likely not be with me for to long. While he still does his best around our, he is not able to do the things he once did. I am 60 and never have been physically strong (heart problems). So I read the forums, and I try to Permaculture my life where I can.  We grow, can, dehydrate, freeze as much of our own food as we can. Share the surplus, try to inspire others, etc. So while I would love to build a rocket stove some day, it is doubtful that I will have that opportunity. I guess what I'm saying is, that some of us LOVE you and what to do, but sometimes we can't afford to give much, and some projects are just to pie-in-the-sky for us to contemplate. I don't know for certain, but maybe some smaller obtainable projects or plans. Something, a not very strong at all 60 year old Grammy could do? Does this make any sense at all or am I just rambling?

(from my email)

click on the thumbs up for this post if you don't support this kickstarter because

   the kickstarter is now funded, so the product will exist.   I'm going to wait and get it later.

Hi, Paul.  I have limited time to even peruse Permies these days.  The more you focus on permaculture, the more time it takes, and many are real busy doing, and not able to keep learning.

I usually choose to fund kick starters on the basis of:  
Is this new and exciting? (this one is to quite a few), Is it for me? (not at this time),
Do I really have time for this? (not at this time),
Does it further Permaculture in a positive way (this seems to),
Can I afford it? (the kick starter, and then can I find time to get involved with this project, when I still need to build a RMH?).  

You are quite generous with your rewards and I thank you deeply, and it does not take long to gather many of the things you offer.  I would not worry that so many can't find the time to respond and help out in so many directions.  Each is unique and will jump in at different times.  Thanks for all you do.  I'm leaning toward doing permaculture on a new plot now, and less toward building community.  Each of us will find out spot.  Mine is "I'm moving, and having to start over".  Keep being AWSOME!

Admittedly, my head is full of snot this week and probably also my thought processes... I think part of the "problem" for me is too much to do, timing, and confusion.

Too much to do:
My email box is usually over-full and I do a quick scan, deleting things I am not going to read or followup on, responding immediately to bills and family, leaving the "review later" until reviewed or deleted.  For example; we have full-time jobs, home/field/garden/you-name-it maintenance, help parents, and physically disabled teen to launch. Plus 4 in-laws stayed with us for a week and now we are all sick. While I support what you are doing, the permies projects and forum are recreational for me, not a high priority (sorry Paul). I did read the emails and will fund.

Timing: It is summer here in orchard country/Central WA with lots to do outdoors, fence, refinish decks, fix ramps, build tomato cages, etc. Not so much time for web-surfing and e-mail perusing. I am even slow to respond to my family and friends.

Confusion: First thing I see on Kickstarter is the project is well over-funded; stopped reading (refer to "too much to do"). Third email went back and read Kickstarter plus this thread, see the stretch goals,  and now have better understanding of the thing. Might be better to create separate Kickstarter campaigns for each stretch project. For me, who works in a perpetually understaffed engineering department --and it's a good fit, ha, ha-- and being short on time, seeing an overfunded campaign means "be happy for them, stop reading, go to the next thing."

Edited to add: We run on a monthly budget and if we are not willing to alter current budget midstream, the spending will have to wait for the next month.

Hi Paul,

I plan on supporting this one too. I just have been very busy lately and look at emails maybe once or twice per week and only glance at them. I'm going to buy to support you, because I appreciate what you do for permaculture, I've built a few rocket ovens now and helped with others to build theirs, so I wasn't too anxious to sign up for this one. I hope this will give me a different design as different points of view are great for expanding horizons and by the way-- the stretch goals are great. Regardless, I want to help so I hope to have the time within the next few days. I apologize for not being able to help earlier.



Jason

I put in $1 after getting your world-domination email. But I wanted to chime in on the "why people don't donate" regardless.

Had your request come between June 2017 to June 2018, $1 would not have been affordable for us. The value of rewards you set up is great, but the bottom line is if you don't have a dollar, you can't give one. And if you only have a dollar, your very focused priorities do not include kickstarters.

And although your stretch goals are great - I am very tempted - I will not be donating more because your project is already funded. I only jumped in with the $1 because the popularity experiment interested me. This is probably short sighted considering the value of educational items you're offering, but it will be years before we are ready to utillize the additional information.

When you asked for a dollar, i donated a little further down. Not sure if that would have been counted in your totals.

Paul, plotskeer King, I did add a couple bucks and that was all I could spare right now. Love the permie stuff at Wheaton labs. You guys and gals rock! ) If I could would do more, but right now things are tight with no or little rain for pasture here in central NM. I saw the Pizza party part, how fun would that be! )

Just watched and shared that short video with little Buddy and his dad on the rotational grazing. Have to admit, know my ewes would love that tall rye and vetch. Right now it's hay as the pasture needs the rest until we get some significant moisture.

You got me dreaming again about real pasture and being able to rotate grazing. I have taken classes(HMI), gone to ranches and farms and read more than a few good books on the subject as well as doing some here as could.

You may find a crazy Shepherdess looking in the Missoula area for a new home for her and her ewes and pups.

Thank you again for your persistence in Permaculture.

Patricia

click on the thumbs up for this post if you don't support this kickstarter because

   you don't see blueprints, and even with them, you fear you might not be handy enough to make a rocket oven.

click on the thumbs up for this post if you don't support this kickstarter because

   you'd rather buy a prebuilt rocket oven rather than a video about them.