Crowdfunding Field Case Study ① | Goal: ¥1,000,000. Result: About ¥30,000. Why My First Crowdfunding Campaign Failed
機械翻訳 / Machine-translated
Today, I work as a crowdfunding support consultant.
But I wasn't always good at crowdfunding.
In fact, my starting point was a pretty significant failure.
It was 2017.
I launched my very first crowdfunding campaign.
My funding goal was ¥1,000,000.
The result?
About ¥30,000.
I didn't come close to my goal.
Looking back now, that failure became the foundation of how I design crowdfunding campaigns today.
Even back then, I had connections with people.
I was active on social media, and I was part of community spaces.
So somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought:
"If I launch the campaign and announce it, I'll collect a decent amount."
Create the page.
Launch it.
Post about it on social media.
Support will come in.
That was the order I had in mind.
But in reality, almost nothing happened.
My goal was ¥1,000,000.
But back then, I hadn't thought through:
How many people would it take to reach ¥1,000,000?
Who would be the first to support it?
Who should I talk to before the campaign went live?
Now, the first thing I do is convert that ¥1,000,000 into people.
If the average pledge is ¥10,000, that's about 100 people.
So who are those 100 people?
Who will take action on day one?
That's where I start.
Back then, I was looking at the number — ¥1,000,000 — and I wasn't seeing the people on the other side of it.
I think that was the biggest issue.
When you post on social media, it reaches your followers.
That's how I thought about it at the time.
But the reality is:
Some people won't see it at the time you post.
Some people who do see it won't think it's relevant to them.
And if it isn't clear why they should support you, they won't take action.
Now, I no longer think:
Posting on social media = delivering the message.
Before the campaign goes live, I talk about the project, gather feedback, and build relationships with potential supporters.
Then on launch day, I reach out and say:
"We're live."
A crowdfunding campaign starts before it launches.
Back in 2017, my mindset was:
Work hard after launching.
Now it's the opposite.
By the time you launch, create a situation where support is already ready to move.
Who to contact on launch day.
Potential supporters.
Potential corporate sponsors.
Rewards.
What to communicate.
What infrastructure is in place to keep things moving after launch.
I make sure all of this is in place before going live.
That's why, even when a page is complete, if the preparation isn't there, I'll say:
"Let's wait a little longer."
Of course, I was frustrated at the time.
But if that campaign had easily raised ¥1,000,000, I might have kept thinking:
"Crowdfunding just works if you launch it."
Because the result was about ¥30,000,
I was forced to ask why the money didn't come in.
After that, I spent time in real campaigns, testing things over and over, and built my own framework for making decisions.
Today I've been involved in supporting over 150 crowdfunding campaigns, and at the root of all of it is that very first failure.
Crowdfunding is not a system where you publish a page and wait for support.
Who will cheer you on?
Why will they cheer you on?
How much of a relationship can you build before launch?
That's what I care about most now.
Goal: ¥1,000,000. Result: About ¥30,000.
The biggest lesson I learned from that failure was this:
A crowdfunding campaign doesn't start when you launch it.
What to Prepare Before Launching a Crowdfunding Campaign | Success Starts Before You Go Live
If you'd like to consult about crowdfunding, please check my profile page.
