Hi, I'm Tommaso
I learned all the right things, the hard way. You can now just skip that part and take all the guesswork out of your campaign.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN IN THE COURSE?
The course is divided into five major modules. Each module discusses a variety of key topics, for a total of 40+ lessons created specifically for the kind of product you are trying to fund. There's nothing vague here: I dive into details so you can do everything right at your first try, avoid expensive mistakes, and create a fantastic community around your game.
Module 1 - Research
I look at the data from the last few years, set expectations, discuss why crowdfunding games on Kickstarter and Indiegogo has an edge on preorders, learn how to study other campaigns, how to research numbers, and how to estimate shipping, taxes and payment fees.
I also explain how to use the Pledge Planner, a super-useful tool that makes most of the calculations on your behalf.
Module 2 - Campaign Setup
Campaign Setup: I take a more in-depth look at each gaming market (tabletop RPGs, board games, video games), explain the differences between Kickstarter and Indiegogo, discuss how to pick a launch date, and go over all the key elements of a campaign (body, video, tiers, stretch goals, and add ons).
Module 3 - Pre-Launch
I explain how to build a community, look at all the accounts you need to run a successful campaign, how to get useful feedback and improve the campaign, and how media outreach and coverage work.
You'll also get a complete checklist of what to do three, two and one weeks before the crowdfunding campaign starts.
Module 4 - During the Campaign
I help you plan your Day 1, list all the things you need to keep your eye on, discuss how the body of the campaign will change over time and how you should handle updates.
Module 5 - Post Campaign
I introduce you to Backerkit and explain how to get the best out of it, how to collect extra funding when the campaign is over, how the first backers can help you improve the product, and how to handle shipping and deliveries with or without the help of fulfillment services.
BONUS ANALYSES
As a FREE extra, you also get all a trove of video analyses, each examining one particular Kickstarter game campaign from which lessons can be learned.
Did they do something brilliant? Did they misjudged some aspect of their proposition, or engaged the community in a new way? Find out and learn from the experiences of others!
This bonus section KEEPS GROWING!
PREMIUM ACCESS INCLUDES A CUSTOM 3-SESSIONS ROADMAP
With each Premium Tier, you'll also get complimentary, personalized roadmap calls with me, in three separate sessions.
During each session (60 minutes each), we'll go over the plans for your crowdfunding campaign, review the clarity of your offer, discuss pain points, and how to overcome potential obstacles.
We'll structure these calls according to your convenience and focus on what matters most to you. That said, a typical structure could be something like this:
WE HAVE A PLAN
We discuss your product and what's your overall plan for the campaign page. On top of that, we double-check if your acquisition funnels are sound, and how your marketing calendar looks like.
WE'RE NOT LEAVING ANYTHING TO CHANCE
We'll check progress and any new issue that arose in the time in between 1st and 2nd call. We look at solutions together and write down an action plan on how to tackle those last loose ends left. Your calendar gets an update: how can we spend the time left before Day 1 of the campaign in the most productive way?
THE FINAL CHECK
Once again, we go over the whole plan, making sure all pieces have fallen into place. We make sure our pre-campaign ToDo list is in order, and plan together what happens on Day 1 of the campaign, hour by hour.
YOU NEED A ROADMAP IF:
- You want to make sure your offer is clear to the final backer
- You'd like guidance in creating a personalized structure for your campaign
- You don't want to forget anything important before the campaign starts
- There are obstacles on the way you don't know how to tackle efficiently
- There are gaps in what you need to know to pull this off, and what you actually know
YOU DON'T NEED A ROADMAP IF:
- You have all this stuff figured out already :)
Need more guidance?
12 weeks, 12 custom milestones, full access to the course + I'll hold your hand while you develop a sound pre-launch strategy.
If you'd feel more comfortable with 1:1 crowdfunding coaching, take a look at this option!
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN?
You're determined to learn and implement what I'm going to explain here: there's no magic button to make a campaign successful, but this course will remove every obstacle on your path to victory.
TL;DR
- 40+ video lessons focused on games on Kickstarter and Indiegogo (thinking about crowdfunding a non-game product? These lessons will cover 90% of what you need to know).
- A variety of custom-made tools that will make your life a LOT easier, including:
- The Pledge Planner, to help you calculate tier pricing, manufacturing expenses, shipping, margins, and fees, so you know precisely if your campaign is profitable.
- The Stretch Goals Planner, to put your Stretch Goals in the right order, evaluate unlocking conditions, and keep track of their status.
- A ToDo checklist covering the three weeks before the campaign launch.
- A Day 1 ToDo checklist to keep track of everything while the magic happens.
- A Last Week ToDo checklist to make sure your campaign ends with a bang.
- Summaries & Study Guides
- Bonus lessons and updates, released at regular intervals.
Claudio Serena, Publisher of Not The End, 43 679€ on Kickstarter
"The Pledge Planner alone is worth the whole course."
Jacob Wood, Enrolled student
"This is eye-opening, I'm glad you covered these topics."
Samuli Syvähuoko, Game industry serial entrepreneur & investor
"...not only does he understand a lot about marketing, he knows games!"
Course Curriculum
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Learning Objectives & Tasks - Module 1
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Understanding the Market I
(9:38)
-
Understanding the Market II
(8:07)
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Crowdfunding is an Event
(7:37)
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Learn What Other Campaigns are Doing and Why
(6:06)
-
How to Research Campaign Numbers
(6:01)
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How to Estimate Shipping Expenses
(14:05)
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[UPDATED Nov 2019] How to Estimate Crowdfunding Fees
(2:30)
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[UPDATED Nov 2019] How to Estimate Credit Card Fees, Failed Payments, and Taxes
(6:19)
-
Bonus - The Pledge Planner I
(15:56)
-
Bonus - The Pledge Planner II
(7:41)
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Learning Objectives & Tasks - Module 2
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Crodfunding video games, what you need to know
(13:20)
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Crowdfunding board games, what you need to know
(17:27)
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Crowdfunding tabletop RPGs, what you need to know
(18:08)
-
Pick your platform: Kickstarter or Indiegogo?
(14:37)
-
[UPDATED Nov 2019] How to pick the right launch date
(6:19)
-
The ranking algorithm
(10:49)
-
The campaign video - Part I
(9:58)
-
The campaign video - Part II
(12:08)
-
The backend - Kickstarter
(11:13)
-
The backend - Indiegogo
(10:43)
-
The Campaign Body
(23:56)
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How to plan your Tiers I
(12:16)
-
How to plan your Tiers II
(12:02)
-
Stretch Goals
(9:44)
-
Add-Ons
(5:45)
-
Bonus - The Stretch Goals Planner
(2:05)
-
Kickstarter Campaign Analysis - Nostalgia: La Flotta Nomade
(29:08)
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Kickstarter Campaign Analysis - Duelyst
(11:15)
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Kickstarter Campaign Analysis - Chicago by Night
(6:58)
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Kickstarter Campaign Analysis - City of Mist
(10:17)
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Kickstarter Campaign Analysis - Icaion
(9:22)
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Kickstarter Campaign Analysis - R-Type Final II
(10:24)
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Kickstarter Campaign Analysis - Glitch
(10:55)
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Kickstarter Campaign Analysis - Not the End
(7:52)
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Kickstarter Campaign Analysis - Exploding Kittens
(10:55)
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Kickstarter Campaign Analysis - Alder's Blood
(10:02)
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Kickstarter Campaign Analysis - The Wonderful 101 Remastered
(9:41)
-
Kickstarter Campaign Analysis - Dark Souls The Board Game
(9:53)
Hi, I’m Tommaso.
I worked on several crowdfunding campaigns, raising over $200K in combined funds for gaming-related projects, and over €1.71M on equity crowdfunding projects. Since many years I've been running the marketing, community, and production side of both tabletop games and video games. Now, I want to share everything I learned with you!
Check my LinkedIn profile HERE.
One of the Kickstarter campaigns I worked on ended up in a documentary!
This clip is taken from The Name of the Game, a New Dawn documentary about the development and release of Housemarque's Nex Machina. Early in development, we explored the possibility to do a Kickstarter campaign for the game – in the end, it didn't happen, but I learned a lot. You can purchase the whole movie on iTunes or Amazon Prime.
Need more guidance?
12 weeks, 12 custom milestones, full access to the course + I'll hold your hand while you develop a sound pre-launch strategy.
If you'd feel more comfortable with 1:1 crowdfunding coaching, take a look at this option!
WANT MORE?
Join WB Academy - Game Crowdfunding Tips & Tricks, a Facebook Group where you'll find useful links, answers to your questions and meet other likeminded creators!
FAQ
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.
My project is not a game. Is this course suitable for me?
Yes. 90% of the content you'll find here applies to all crowdfunding projects – the principles are the same, you'll just find additional advice focused on games. All tools, checklists, Google Sheets also will work just fine for your non-game project.