Crowdfunding Field Judgment ⑦ | How Many Potential Backers Do You Need? Why I Count "People" Instead of "Yen" Before Launch
機械翻訳 / Machine-translated
When people consult me about crowdfunding, the conversation usually goes something like:
"If your goal is ¥1,000,000, how are you going to raise ¥1,000,000?"
But I don't just look at the number ¥1,000,000.
My first move is to reframe it:
"How many people will it take to build that ¥1,000,000?"
If the average pledge is ¥10,000, that's about 100 people.
If it's ¥20,000, that's about 50 people.
Only then do I ask,
"Who are those people?"
In 2017, when I ran my own crowdfunding campaign, my goal was ¥1,000,000.
I ended up raising about ¥30,000.
At the time, I had a goal:
"I want to raise ¥1,000,000."
But I hadn't broken it down to:
Who gives ¥10,000.
Who gives ¥30,000.
Who are the first 50 people.
Looking back now,
I was watching the "yen" but not seeing the "people."
I think that made all the difference.
These days, before a campaign launches, I organize people like this:
Existing customers.
Friends and acquaintances.
Business partners.
Past clients.
Local businesses.
People I regularly interact with on social media.
But it's not just about counting heads.
"This person would probably be interested."
"This company might come on as a sponsor."
"I should talk to this person before we go live."
I look at the nature of each relationship too.
So for me, a list of potential backers isn't a sales list —
it's more like a map for building relationships before launch.
Average pledge ¥10,000, goal ¥1,000,000 — that's roughly 100 people.
But I don't think,
"Great, so I just need to list 100 people and I'm done."
Because not everyone on the list will actually back the campaign.
So before launch, I break it down further:
Who is highly likely to pledge?
Who just needs to hear about the project first?
Who might refer others?
For corporate backers, what price tier are they realistically able to join at?
The point is not to fill a roster —
it's to understand how close or far each person is from actually backing you.
Ten corporate sponsors at ¥100,000 each equals ¥1,000,000.
Mathematically, yes.
But before I write down
"¥100,000 × 10 companies,"
I ask myself:
Which 10 companies, specifically?
If you don't have a single candidate in mind yet, that's not a plan — it's a wish.
The higher the reward tier, the more important it is not to search for people from a price point, but rather:
Because these specific people or companies are likely to participate, I'll build a reward tier at that price.
That's the order I care about.
Here's what I look at:
What is the goal amount?
What will the average pledge likely be?
How many backers does that require?
Can I clearly picture who those candidates are?
How much have I already talked to them before launch?
Once I can see all of this clearly,
"I want to raise ¥1,000,000"
transforms into
"I'm building ¥1,000,000 together with these specific people."
The goal amount absolutely matters.
But behind every number, there are always people.
My practice now is:
Once I set a target amount, I convert that number into people.
How many do I need?
Who are they?
Why would they back this?
What do I communicate to them before launch?
Only after thinking through all of that does a target amount become a real, workable plan.
That's how I see it.
If you'd like to consult with me about crowdfunding, please check my profile page.
