Sunday, 29 August 2021
Kickstarter Context
Before COVID and depending on the project, I got to travel. I also work in an office, and for many years I had been searching for the perfect versatile, professional-looking backpack or tote that would carry my laptop and gym gear.
While searching out the Internet or was it YouTube, oh, it doesn’t matter. I came across this beautiful ad for the bag of my dreams. The bag was terrific! It was a 6-in-1, elegant, medium-sized and looked marvellous. Therefore, I had to have one. I clicked on the link, and it took me not to a professional bag site but Kickstarter.
Really? This was a Kickstarter project? This site was my first adventure into the Kickstarter universe. My focus was solely on this superb example of bag design. And after doing my research into the company, I discovered it was three young girls who had not only found a similar situation regarding the lack of professional-looking bags, but they took action to design the 6-in-1. It’s also fortunate; they had the skills to make it a reality.
What the La Mansio trio probably hadn’t expected was the overwhelming success their bag would attract. The goal was to reach AU$15,000 from backers to make a run of these bags when last I looked; they had got AU$2.5 million! I can only imagine the effort to coordinate the unexpected increase in orders for the design.
Taking the Plunge
So, I, too, added my name to the list of backers hoping the girls could pull off such a massive request. It was a little scary for me to back a Kickstarter project because there are no guarantees you’ll get a product at the end of it. There’s a line stating failure to reach the target could result in no reward (product).
With the original goal exceeding its target, the problem is the very success. If you’ve arranged for a manufacturer to produce, say 100, and suddenly you ask for 5000, the original company you selected might not be big enough to cope. Then you need to get the logistics of the bag sorted out, even if you have a manufacturer that can upscale to the Kickstarter’s success.
Having said all that, I can wait! The team at La Mansio seem incredibly competent! I hope the 6-in-1 bag is as good as it looks.
Today's Cards
The Cards - Kickstarter Analysis
Carryover Cards
Three cards carried over from yesterday; No-thingness moved from Hopes & Fears to Goal, The Fool moved from Goal to Future Energy, The Miser went from Recent Past to Hopes & Fears.
Cross
In the Distant Past, I was of the Understanding that a bag I wanted was going to be challenging to find.
I presumed that if I ever came across such a bag, I hoped it was affordable. Thus, sending a message to the universe that I was open to whatever solution it wanted to guide my way. The last sentence encompasses the Goal of No-thingness and the influence of Receptivity.
And here I am now Turning In to reflect on whether it was the right choice to invest in a Kickstarter project. My internal conflict shows in the Recent Past card of Schizophrenia. The Fool in Future Energy serves to remind me of the risk. Fortunately, The Fool is mostly lucky – fingers-crossed.
Base
It’s enjoyable to have a Rebirth of something I had all but forgotten. The Rebirth has an uplifting feeling, and I like that it’s a Kickstarter project; there’s a sense of connection with the project directly. And by investing, it’s certainly opened my eyes to how the whole Kickstarter world operates.
Others’ Views are of me being The Outsider. My guess is, The Outsider is because I’ve now embarked on something, while heard of, isn’t a typical purchasing method.
Now, one of the issues with the Kickstarter is there were multiple funding and reward options; I selected one in the middle around what I thought would be a reasonable cost for such a bag and contributing to the original design and supporting the project.
The Miser is in the Hopes & Fears and aptly applies to my emotions in the situation. I hope not to be The Miser with my purchase but fear I may have given too little. Sadly, it’s one of the areas I spend too much thinking time.
Finally, the Participation is in the Outcome position. I’m not sure how this applies, but on reading the comments and feedback section of the website, it’s nice to see regular responses from the La Mansio Kickstarter trio.
References
- Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
- Tarot Layouts for each the month
