how did you like the kickstarter??? (free, earth-friendly heat)

It's done.  

For the first time we did a kickstarter less than 30 days.  This was 17 days long.  

And we kinda rushed it to get started.  I think it takes about two and a half months to put a kickstarter together, and we did this one in about ten days.  

I was deeply conflicted when we started this kickstarter.  Equal parts of "will it get funded at all?" and "maybe it will go past $200,000!"

Rocket mass heater stuff is super important.  And the only thing I can think of, that I can do, is to get more attention to kickstarters.


The better world book kickstarter had 2700 backers.  This one had less than 2000.  Did I do something wrong?

 
I would really like to hear from the people that didn't back.  We offered a lot for $1.  Please help me understand what convinced you to not support this kickstarter.  I figure a dollar is less than a tip for tiny meal. Or a tip for the pizza guy, or the barista.  I was hoping that my $1 offering gave more for that dollar than anything else on the internet.  But more than 100,000 people were told about this kickstarter and less than 2000 backed. Clearly there is something I need to learn!

Maybe you could've texted me.

I had no idea about this Kickstarter, as
I haven't been able to watch my email as carefully
lately.

I feel ripped off that I couldn't be invloved.

jon lawrence wrote:Maybe you could've texted me.

I had no idea about this Kickstarter, as
I haven't been able to watch my email as carefully
lately.

I feel ripped off that I couldn't be invloved.

Wow, I'm sorry Jon, I did NOT expect anyone to say that we actually didn't mention the kickstarter enough!  That is great feedback!

Do you know if there is a way within kickstarter, or another 3rd party service perhaps, that provides text functionality?  I have never seen that done, but it seems like it would be very useful.

While I did back, I was hesitant to since while I am interested in rocket mass heaters, I don't know if I would ever be in a situation where I could build one, let alone use one. I would imagine that some of the decline in backers would be just because of the topic - compared to something like gardening which is more accessible - and so it may just be a difference in audience/interest rather than something any marketing technique could solve.

On a related note, I ended up turning off emails from Kickstarter for the project at one point since I was getting 3-4 emails a day just from updates, not even counting the daily-ish and other newsletter emails relating to it.

I didn’t back this one because I couldn’t figure out how it might relate/connect with me and my current living situation (a house in an urban area, but doing my best to do SKIP/PEA? so many acronyms). And though there were a lot of rewards I had a hard time connecting all of them. So those two were the main reasons why I didn’t back this one.

SKIP is kind of like that too: it’s hard to figure out how everything connects. I’m no green thumb and total newbie when it comes to all the stuff I need to do for SKIP. That’s why I waited for the book to show up at my door. But even with the book it’s not easy to find out why I need to learn how to different things and how that fits in with the overall goal of being able to live sustainably so I can be prepared.

I backed it to show my appreciation to permies - but I only chose a lower pledge. The product is irrelevant to me.
I live in the Middle East and a blazing rocket mass heater makes feel boiling just thinking about it!

I assume this is true of many people - we're not all yearning for free, earth-friendly heat.

If your next project is free earth-friendly air conditioning - I will sign on at a high level, I promise!!!

This is different from the Better World book, which is relevant to anyone who cares about Planet Earth - no matter what climate they live in.
I loved that book!

I'm not knocking the rocket mass project. It's hugely important for a lot of people in cooler climates and I honor you for promoting such a needed project.
However it's not a universal need.

Inflation, one kid in college, one kid getting married, medical expenses....just didn't have the cash.  If I ever have the cash to make a RMH, I'll just pony up the bucks for the resources on their own.

jason

I totally understand that you have to pay to provide this wonderful site and advertising is how to reach people. Some bloggers that I follow have added an opt out button to allow subscribers to continue to receive the regular emails but are no longer marketed to for that particular campaign. I really appreciate having it because I can’t always afford to participate no matter how much I want to.

For me it's all about bad timing; I get paid fortnightly. The campaign started the weekend after I'd already paid bills and ended within days of getting paid again. So no bonus materials for me this time. I'm holding out hoping the next kickstarter I'll be more prepared and it might include the previous materials and i can play catch up. Although right now I'm not on my forever site, i really really want to add a completely independent outdoor kitchen with the rocket assisted dehydrator, stove+oven and rocket mass water heater at the center of my project plan so that there is an alternative if all hell breaks loose (see current events)

I would have loved to have made the $65 pledge but just didn't meet the cut-off sadly.

I am a prime canidate for a RMH.  I've burned wood as my sole source of heat for over twenty years.  I want a RMH ... but after reading dozens and dozens of articles and watching video clips, etc., it seems way too artsy-craftsy for me to attempt.  Seems every heater is an experiment.  Or the last one had this problem or that problem so we are doing this or that.  I read your short write-up about the types of tubes.  Every one had a fault.  Or couldn't be found, or costs a fortune, etc.  Makes me tired just thinking about it.  Don't get me wrong, I do a lot of building.  I single-handedly put a foundation under a 1905 house and turned it into a two-story duplex.  I built an aquaponics system.  I built a two-story pole barn.  I just finished an outdoor ADA-compliant shower.  But the million variations, and multiple failure points of a RMH have kept me from the attempt.  I don't read much about them any more, and probably will never build one.  I watched the short video you made for your kickstarter when you first advertised it and didn't find it encouraging.  Sorry .

I didn't back this kickstarter. So I give you feedback instead.

RMH is awesome. But it's not accessible for me at the moment and it's questionable at what point in the future it would be accessible or worthwhile. My heating costs are minimal compared to cold-climate folk.

I'm not rich or benevolent enough to back projects that have no direct or immediate positive impact on my life.

If in the future someone figures out how to do RMH level efficiency for cooling, let me know.

I hope the project is a great success though!

I backed at a lower level because I just don't have disposable income.  I love the idea of the RMH and if I can ever build my greenhouse I want to use one to heat it.

It was odd to see Paul's statement about only getting 2000 backers and seeming disappointed.  As I got each email about the next stretch goal being reached, and all the extra goodies being offered to $100+ backers, I was under the impression that this kickstarter was a rousing success beyond your wildest dreams!  Of course this is the first one I have been around for so I had nothing to compare it to.

If greater numbers of backers are what was wanted, perhaps adding incentives to the lower levels of donations would have gotten more of us po' folks to ante up.  I only ever saw increasing freebies for the $100+ level.  Surely many lower income permies covet certain publications or downloads that would have enticed those who otherwise would not donate to consider it an investment rather than just a giveaway.  Or perhaps a choice of downloads or publications instead of "you get this one whether you want it or not."

Looking forward to my incentives!

I liked the shorter duration.  It must seem like you're beating a dead horse in the middle of those longer campaigns.

I would have upped my pledge if the stretch goals were around $50-$75.  Something about that three digit number scared me off.

I also think you've done a couple other RMH kickstarters so differentiating this movie from the previous ones could have been an issue.  People who've backed several RMH kickstarters (or ones with lots of RMH goodies) may not think this one will have enough new content to be worth it.

I was getting a lot of kickstarter emails, many from past campaigns.  It was hard to want to look at them after a while.  So maybe updating the old kickstarters should be reserved for 2-3 times max during the campaign.  Once in the beginning, once at the 24 hour-to-go mark and maybe once in the middle.  

Might there be a way to collect up all the emails from all your kickstarters and just send one update to all of them?  Instead of updating each old campaign?  Then folks that backed one and others that backed 10 campaigns would both just get one message?  Maybe that's a dumb idea...

The local law doesn't allow untested home heating devices unless you're away from urban centres or on >2ha of land, which I sadly am not. Emissions tests are very expensive (maybe NZ$60,000). This means I'm not in the market for such a device.

Although the material would not be applicable for me, I considered backing anyway, but decided against it for three reasons:

1) Too much stuff at the $1 level; it felt intimidating to look at. I'm strapped for time at the moment and know I probably wouldn't read/watch any of the resources anytime soon. I told myself I'd look into some of the resources later to see if one or two was worthwhile, but didn't because of:
2) The barrage of e-mails about the kickstarter. Already being quite busy, this extra doorknocking put the endeavour from the "maybe" to the "just going to ignore it" bin.
3) Don't want a "K" by my user info in every future post I make.

I actually would have preferred to tip you $1 for hosting this site instead of supporting the above campaign. It's a great site--tons of people share all the cool stuff they're up to. Haven't used PayPal in years, though (my account seems to have been deleted due to inactivity)--have you considered alternatives?

I read the above thread and replies last night, went to sleep, and woke up  with what I think is the big key to why this one didn't get as fired up as other kickstarters.

I think it's because of the timing - summer!  Heating is not urgent on people's minds right now.

I've noticed that I get different spam emails seasonally.  In fall, I get spam about  "Free heat".  In spring and summer, I get spam about "simple cooling, cheap colling, cool your house with this tiny device, etc".  This has been every year for about the past 5 years.

I think the spammers know what they are doing.  Seriously so... that's their business.

So I believe this kickstarter suffered the most from poor timing.  It didn't occur to me earlier, or I would have mentioned it, of course.  I literally woke up with this answer in my mind this morning, which is how the best ideas I experience usually appear.

Kim Goodwin wrote:"Free heat".  

I have a couple rocket mass heater books.  I find them interesting, and I'd like to build one as an experiment, but the cost to build one is more than it is worth to me to invest right now.  I would like one, but I don't need one, and in my current living situation, it isn't as practical as it could be.

I quoted Kim and "Free heat" because that put me off immediately.  Very little in life is free, and building a rocket mass heater certainly isn't.  I may be the only one, but that rubbed me the wrong way instantly.  

Why can't you have paypal as an option for payment?

Trace Oswald wrote:"Free heat" because that put me off immediately.  Very little in life is free, and building a rocket mass heater certainly isn't.  I may be the only one, but that rubbed me the wrong way instantly.  

That's so funny, Trace.  Like I said above, that's some of the spam email I get every fall.  So interesting point there... "free" can make something sound very spammy nowadays. Too good to be true. That sort of thing. That's a good point.

I backed this kickstarter because I feel like it's something big that could, and will, shift things in the world, particularly in developing countries where it seems the most interesting innovation and successful large permaculture projects are happening anyways.  Then secondarily, I also want to build one in the future.  I think we are starting with RM oven.  I already backed that one and have the DVD. The newest kickstarted excited me because of all the different versions shown. I actually want to do an outdoor kitchen with a rocket mass oven and either RMH or just rocket cooktop.

My husband and I intentionally moved to an AZ county where that is possible (Cochise). I've asked about the code for it, it's under masonry stoves.  So it seems doable here.  We don't need one indoors, though!  Hot enough already.  Plus we are building a small, passive solar house designed to be heated enough with heat from cooking, hopefully...

Another point on e-mails. I didn't do anything, but google started shifting some of the Kickstarter (and -ish) e-mails to my spam folder. I didn't even realize until the other day.

Something to think about I suppose. Machines are heartless in their learned algorithms.

The KickStarter seems to be achieving Paul's goal of spreading knowledge of RMHs already. I've noticed a number of new members whose first posts are asking about how to build an RMH. So here is a big welcome to some of our newest members!

Rich Cool's first thread

Cj Solomons' First Thread

The big issue I see (I pledged...) is that it was too fast. I got the mail with the information about goodies for pledging only 1$ until end of friday or something. Since I'm starting a new job, I didn't had a salary yet and so couldn't really afford to put more than 1$... but had there been more time (as in, it would have happened between two months), I'd have been able to budget and put more money in it. I would have pledged 10$ minimum, maybe more. Since it kind of happened suddenly, I had no money available for it.

For those saying it was too short and you couldn't scratch up the money in time, would a big permies blitz a month prior that tells you it's coming and to stick some extra money under your mattress do the trick?

Running a 30 day kickstarter is a real chore.  If we can find ways around the (few?) downsides, the 14 day ones are a fair bit easier on Paul and his team to run.

I can't speak for everyone, but for me, having that information earlier could do the trick.

Last year kickstarter, there was a lot of time to pledge more.