BackerClub Forums

We just opened the Private Lounges again. This contest will be running through the end of April. Check it out and let us know what you think.

We'd love to hear your feedback about this idea compared to the past things we've done with the Lounges. Do you like this more? Less? What other ideas do you have for the Private Lounges? We'd love your input!

Mark - Co-Founder

So the only way to get entries is to back the three mystery projects?

How will different lounge levels be utilized?

I'm not feeling it. There are too many projects a day/month. I was expecting 3-7 projects a week when a joined with a number of them pre-live. Not up to 5 live, in progress, campaigns a day. Supported 184 BackerClub projects on Kickstarter since October 31, 2014. More than total projects I'd backed from fall 2011-10/31/2014 (161).

I'd much prefer in the future to have it be based on # BackerClub projects backed or $$s spent on BC projects which you should be able to get from creators. Or # backers/projects successfully referred. Or have creators rate quality of our comments on their project page on BC for usefulness. Or the totally random spins.

Yep I might have some strong thoughts on the topic.

Toren wrote:So the only way to get entries is to back the three mystery projects?

Yes, you'll get entries based on the number of Secret Projects you happen to back.

IsrealNahsohn wrote:How will different lounge levels be utilized?

Let's say you back all 3 Secret Projects and get 100 entries. No matter what level you are, you'll get 100 entries in the grand prize drawing ($600 divided up some way to be determined by the survey). If you are a level 1 member, then you'd also get 100 entries in a second drawing for $100 for the lounge 1/2 drawing. But, if you are a level 7 member then you'd get the 100 entries in the grand prize drawing, 100 entries in the lounge 1/2 $100 drawing, 100 entries in the lounge 3/4 $100 drawing, 100 entries in the lounge 5/6 $100 drawing and 100 entries in the lounge 7 $100 drawing...lots more chances to win.

TashaTurner wrote:I'd much prefer in the future to have it be based on # BackerClub projects backed or $$s spent on BC projects

Our thought here was to reward those of you who are most active in BackerClub. The random spins was disconnected from the rest of the Club. So, you could be someone backing lots of BC projects and giving the creators lots of helpful feedback and this didn't boost your chances of winning in the lounges. We noticed that some of you (like you Tasha ) back a ton of the BC projects, even if just for $1 and leave very helpful comments for creators. So, in your case, you'll have a much higher likelihood of hitting the randomly selected Secret Projects. Plus, since a lot of you who are the most active have backed high numbers of projects, you'll get more chances with your entries in the various lounges to win. And, the $1,000 in prizes is intended to make the wining not just trivial, like a $30 prize given by one of the project creators, but substantial so that you can get a lot of BackerBucks to go out and use feeding an ever growing Kickstarter habit.

Appreciate the feedback from everyone so far! We'll see how this goes this month and then decide if it is worth continuing or trying something new. Hey, maybe you 3 will all be $100 or more richer at the end of the month and will want to continue this model...

Mark - Co-Founded

You don't mean richer. You mean able to pay off all the new projects we backed. ROTFL

Isn't it interesting that 3 who fit the profile so well aren't all excited about the prize offering?

This so wasn't the month for this. Too many "manly" man projects. I'm not the only woman commenting on the problem with the language a number of creators are using. A pen for manly men? Really? They may be bringing in money. But having this contest which encourages us to back & comment really makes it obvious how many projects are biased towards white males excluding women and other minorities.

It also reminds me that every rejected project I've recommened had a woman creator and none were manly type projects. All ended up funded. Now I simply post them to the forum. Works better for them and me. I don't feel foolish when they are rejected, they don't get false hope and let down, and they still get BC backers.

You might want to read the book Blindspot by Mahzarin R. Banaji & Anthony G. Greenwald. I'm reading it now & taking tests posted on harvad.edu to learn more about my unconscious biases. Turns out I'm not nearly as biased as I thought about anyone.

If my tone is coming off with anger or frustration it might be from reading so many of the current live projects all at once so I can comment here instead of how I usually do things. Reading a few a day & only commenting on the ones I care about succeeding which look to be in need - frequently over on their project or privately.

Hi,

As a thought, I think that there should be a current maintained list of the projects that join between 3/27 and 4/30 to help BC members. Since this is a mystery contest, I would feel less disconnected from the lounges if I knew there is a list. I know this will take more work from the admins, but this contest is making the BC members also work harder as well.

Isreal

+1 for Israel's comment. This promo seems to be an attempt to encourage different specific behaviors among BC members, so the help would be appreciated.

Be careful what you wish for. Forcing everybody to a particular style/demeanor/interaction may have unintended consequences for the club. Hopefully they're all good. I guess time will tell.


--- Tom

IsrealNahsohn wrote:Hi,

As a thought, I think that there should be a current maintained list of the projects that join between 3/27 and 4/30 to help BC members. Since this is a mystery contest, I would feel less disconnected from the lounges if I knew there is a list. I know this will take more work from the admins, but this contest is making the BC members also work harder as well.

Isreal

++this

I've also had one creator so far tell me they were unable to respond to my comments on their backer page - do they have instructions for how to use the comments? Do they realize its all public and they can't send private responses? I don't know if the creator was attempting that but it wouldn't surprise me as the message he sent me on Kickstarter indicated he may not understand this interface.