Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business, & Beyond!

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business, & Beyond!

Since 2019, Crowdfunding Nerds has helped over 200 crowdfunding creators raise over $30M on Kickstarter and Gamefound. In addition to that, we have generated over $100M in ecommerce sales and had clients featured on Shark Tank, ”As Seen On TV,” and more. We work with IP’s like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Star Trek, Mass Effect, Dune, and more... But we have also helped a TON of first-time creators fund on day 1, too! Our podcast exists to help you with your journey before, during, and after crowdfunding using real-world examples from our clients. We share what’s working and what is not in today’s market. We build pre-launch e-mail lists, get backers during live campaigns, and drive pre-orders and e-commerce sales after your campaign ends! If you’re DIY marketing (doing it yourself), we created the Crowdfunding Nerds Academy to help, which has specialized courses designed to make sure you’re doing it right! Buckle up; it’s about to get nerdy.

Episodes

April 28, 2025 62 mins

Ever wondered what it takes to launch a successful Kickstarter campaign for a tabletop game? In episode 229 of the Crowdfunding Nerds podcast, Andrew and Sean dive into the secrets of Kickstarter success, inspired by Andrew's recent experience speaking at a Kickstarter webinar. Invited by Asher McClanahan, Kickstarter's Head of Games, Andrew shares the strategies that can make or break your campaign. From mastering Kickstarter's re...

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Are you ready to level up your board game design skills? In this episode of the Crowdfunding Nerds podcast, join hosts Donnie and Sean as they dive into the world of board game pitching with the talented Adam Porter, a seasoned designer from Wales. Ever wondered how to catch a publisher's eye at conventions like Essen Spiel or UK Games Expo? Adam spills the secrets on leveraging these events for success. Discover why game mechanic...

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April 14, 2025 113 mins

Ever wondered how tariffs shape the world of manufacturing and international trade? In Episode 227 of Crowdfunding Nerds, Andrew and Sean dive deep with Hersh Glueck, a supply chain expert with boots on the ground in China. How do tariffs impact Chinese manufacturers, and what ripple effects do they have on global trade?  Join us as Hersh sheds light on the ever-evolving tariff landscape, likening its volatility to Bitcoin! From t...

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How do skyrocketing tariffs impact your crowdfunding project? Can you turn these challenges into opportunities? Join us, Andrew and Sean, as we dive deep into these pressing questions with our guest, Ryan Williams. In this episode, we dissect the recent tariff hike from 20% to 54% on Chinese goods and its profound impact on the board game industry. Discover how tariffs are calculated and why they matter, especially when you're manu...

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March 31, 2025 62 mins
Ever wondered how to keep your cool when your crowdfunding campaign is overshadowed by a big name like Blizzard Entertainment? In this episode of Crowdfunding Nerds, hosts Andrew and Sean dive deep into the emotional and strategic hurdles that creators face on their crowdfunding journey. We discuss the mindset needed to tackle demoralization and the unpredictability of success. Andrew shares his personal experience with his Del...
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March 24, 2025 79 mins
Are you ready to dive into the world of crowdfunding with a twist of strategy and resilience? In Episode 224 of the Crowdfunding Nerds podcast, hosts Andrew and Sean team up with Ryan Williams, a fellow Nerd, to unpack the journey of his Kickstarter project, Starclash, inspired by the iconic StarCraft series. Ever wondered how to manage a Kickstarter campaign while juggling life's chaos or how to handle those pesky negative comment...
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Episode 221 of Crowdfunding Nerds is here, and it's a game-changer! Ever wondered how alternate reality games (ARGs) can skyrocket a game's success? Or how a viral phrase like "the cake is a lie" came to be? Join us as we dive deep into the world of game development with the legendary Jeep Barnett, known for his work on the Portal series at Valve. Jeep shares his journey from video games to board games, revealing the magic behind ...

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Have you ever wondered how scammers craft their traps so convincingly? In this gripping episode of Crowdfunding Nerds, hosts Andrew Loewen and Sean take you on a harrowing journey through a sophisticated scam attempt that nearly cost Andrew $9,500 in Bitcoin!  Andrew recounts how the scammers, posing as law enforcement, manipulated real-life events, like a recent jury summons, to weave a believable narrative. Discover how his wife...

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Did you know game specialization can level up your marketing? Join us for Episode 221 of the Crowdfunding Nerds podcast, where Andrew and Sean unravel the complexities of board game publishing and marketing. Sean shares insights from his recent lecture, guiding us through the three pathways for creators: self-publishing, partnering with a publisher, or a hybrid approach. Discover the pros and cons of each, and why having a built-in...

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Are you ready to dive into the world of crowdfunding tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs)? In episode 220 of Crowdfunding Nerds, hosts Andrew and Sean are joined by Mark Diaz Truman, the CEO and co-founder of Magpie Games, to unravel the intricacies of this dynamic industry. Ever wondered how a Kickstarter project like "Fallen London" can raise over $700,000? Or how to stand out in a market dominated by Dungeons & Dragons? Mark ...

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February 17, 2025 63 mins

Ever wonder why some crowdfunding campaigns soar while others barely get off the ground? In this episode of Crowdfunding Nerds, Andrew and Sean unravel the secrets behind effective product demonstration for crowdfunding success. Andrew kicks things off by sharing his journey as a board game publisher and the hurdles he faced with Kickstarter. Can fresh eyes breathe new life into your marketing strategy? Sean thinks so, and he share...

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Episode 218 of Crowdfunding Nerds is here, and we're diving deep into the world of crowdfunding platforms! Have you ever wondered how Kickstarter and GameFound stack up against each other? Or what goes on behind the scenes of our podcast? Join us  as we tackle these questions and more!  Andrew is determined to address your feedback and share insights from recent episodes featuring GameFound's CMO, Alex Radcliffe. We’re not about h...

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February 3, 2025 59 mins

Ever wondered how a simple email subject line can make or break your crowdfunding campaign? In this episode, Andrew and Sean unravel the secrets behind crafting compelling subject lines that boost open rates and ensure your emails land where they belong—in the inbox, not the spam folder. Join us as we introduce the Crowdfunding Nerds Academy, where we offer a treasure trove of courses, including our latest on email marketing. ...

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Ready to dive into the world of crowdfunding with a twist? In Episode 216 of Crowdfunding Nerds, Sean and Andrew, unravel the mysteries of Gamefound's new advertising platform, AdFound. Could this be the game-changer creators have been waiting for, or is it just another player in the crowdfunding arena?  We dissect AdFound’s competitive edge—offering a mere 5% fee on conversions compared to BackerKit’s 15%—but is cheaper always be...

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Curious about the next big thing in crowdfunding? Join us on Crowdfunding Nerds as Andrew and Sean dive into a fascinating conversation with Alex Radcliffe, Gamefound's CMO, who spills the beans on Gamefound's explosive growth and ambitious goals for 2025.  From its humble beginnings as a pledge manager to raking in over $85 million in 2024, Gamefound is making waves. But can it dethrone Kickstarter? We explore the pros and cons o...

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Ever wondered how to turn your contractor relationships into thriving partnerships? In Episode 214 of Crowdfunding Nerds, join Andrew and Sean as they dive deep into the art of managing contractor relationships with finesse!

 

How do you ensure fair treatment and open communication with your contractors? What’s the secret to setting boundaries without stifling creativity? Andrew and Sean share personal stories—from being undervalue...

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Dive into Episode 213 of Crowdfunding Nerds with Andrew, Sean, and Donnie Chase as we tackle a crucial question: How do you handle negative feedback without letting it derail your creative process?

 

Join us as Donnie opens up about his decade-long game development journey, sharing his fears about public reception and the fine line between constructive criticism and negativity. Andrew sheds light on his experiences with Deliverance...

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December 30, 2024 73 mins

Are you ready to dive into the secrets of a successful crowdfunding campaign? In this episode of Crowdfunding Nerds, Andrew and Sean unravel the mysteries of timing your campaign launch. Is September really the golden month? And why does March have an edge? Discover how tax refunds and fresh paychecks can boost your backer count!

 

We also explore Kickstarter's latest blog post on optimal launch times and compare it with our own da...

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December 23, 2024 62 mins

Episode 211 of Crowdfunding Nerds is here, and it's packed with insights and predictions! Ever wondered how accurate our 2024 forecasts were? Or what the future holds for crowdfunding in 2025? Join us as we take a deep dive into our past predictions and unveil our new ones for the year ahead. We kick things off by revisiting my bold 2024 predictions, like the surge in hobby-level gaming and the economic recovery under the Biden ad...

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December 16, 2024 51 mins

Ever wonder how to keep your creative flame burning when the spark starts to fade? Episode 210 of Crowdfunding Nerds is here to light the way! Join Sean and special guest Donnie Chase as they dive deep into the art of maintaining motivation and overcoming creative blocks, especially in long-term projects. Donnie, a member of the Crowdfunding Nerds team, shares his enlightening journey with his novel "Serafima: The Convergence of F...

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