A while ago I tried using Kickstarter to fund a project I was considering. I have an older 1960's home that needs a lot of updates. At the time I was looking at doing a full Air Conditioning system and I was considering using http://www.younits.com to purchase my Unico equipment and do the majority of the install myself. For a lot of reasons including the fact that I only had one person kickstart the project that failed and I wound up hiring the project done by a local company. This is where the story gets interesting.
I wound up choosing a middle bid of 4 companies. The low end bidder was offering a Goodman compressor which at the time I was nervous about. The high end price was using all high end equipment, but was double the price of the low end. The middle end bid was using Trane equipment and promised to not use wall space to run the High Velocity vents for the lower level. The price was double what the equipment would have cost me, and the majority of that was labor. I was told the project would take a week.
At the end of the first day of work the majority of vents were pulled into place. This was supposed to be the time consuming task. The team came out the next day and installed a few pieces in the attic. My electrician came by and installed everything they needed electrically to finish the project. At that point everything stalled for a week. They would come by and make a few adjustments then leave. Reasons varied from they were missing equipment (they weren't. I found it for them in my garage where they left it) to workers were sick (looked fine the day before and the next day). So my install wound up taking a month and a half. The final product is a mixed bag as they damaged a lot of drywall in the process. Some done as part of the install, not disclosed at the beginning as a possibility but was in the contract so that's on me, and some caused when the worker stepped through my ceiling. They were responsible for the patch and did a terrible job. They also drilled through walls carelessly almost damaging clothing in my closet and sawing through my hardwood floor accidentally just past the trim in one spot then tried to pin the damage on the install of a wooden banister.
The Air Conditioning works, and after having a great dry wall contractor out to repair the damage I'm mostly past the project. I've used various review sites to spread this tale and warn others away from this company, but that's not what this is about. My lessons learned here in regards to the Kickstarter are two fold.
1) Don't use Kickstarter for a continuing project:
What I was thinking of doing, and might pick up the project again on a smaller scale is a poor fit for Kickstarter. As a continuing project something like Patreon is a much better fit. Kickstarter is better for getting a product off the ground as a one time cash infusion.
2) Start the project before asking for support:
Have something to show before you try to get support. Many podcasts use Patreon for funding. Most of which were already in existence.
3) A bad contractor experience gets you a DIY greenlight:
My wife was worried about me tackling the AC project. After seeing how badly contractors handled the install I've got a greenlight for a future project. I'm definitely starting small however. I might kick this off with my bathroom remodel coming up this year. That I already have the products for and won't require financial support to kick the project off.
Anyway welcome back to 1g1k. In years past I've only updated this site when I had something to get off my chest or hammer out once instead of sending out multiple times. This year my goal is to write a few articles a month at least.
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