Crowdfunding Campaign Analysis
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this assignment is to apply some of the entrepreneurship knowledge covered in the course to pre-selected crowdfunding campaigns, and select one that, in your informed opinion, is most likely to succeed.
APPROACH
Make sure that you have read our course material, and in particular chapters 10, 11 and 13.
1. Analysis and selection of the best campaign
- Look and analyse the following four crowdfunding campaigns (your own analysis, not part of the report). You may have to paste the links in your browser.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/nexdock-turn-your-smartphone-into-a-laptop--2#/
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-microfarm-organic-gardening-for-anyone#/
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/824602028/triad-grip-multi-configuration-tray-for-gopro- came?ref=category
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/leydenwatches/the-power-reserve-leyden- watches?ref=discovery
- In your informed opinion (that is using our course content and other resources) select the one you believe is most likely to be successful (campaign and company: ONE ONLY, no explanations required for your selection).
- Give a short description/summary of your selected company. (No more than half a page). Include goal, funds raised, and time left.
- Explain their value proposition - One concise sentence
- Explain if their product meets a customer needs or wants, and why.
2. Explain why you'd invest $500+ in this company.
A couple sentences for each section.
- Timeline: argument that there is proof of want/need.
- MVP: define what the MVP was and why it was sufficient to attract investment or purchases.
- Team: discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the team based on available information, including: backgrounds, experts, education, etc.
- Competition: discuss why the company will be a strong competitor in the market and discuss direct competitors.
- Barriers to entry: first to market, IP protection, etc.
- Finance: why is the company requesting money, do you believe it will be put to good use? Why?
- Scalability: can this company scale? How? Can it scale profitably and in a timely fashion?
- Story: is the story captivating, personal, relatable?
- Funding goal: do you believe the company will reach its funding goal and why?
- Overall quality of the campaign
3. Strengths & weaknesses of the campaign:
write three brief paragraphs about some strengths (one paragraph) and weaknesses (one paragraph) noticed in the campaign. Offer suggestions (one paragraph) as to how they could improve the campaign using ideas and concepts from the text, classroom and other references.
REPORT
Maximum 5 pages (excluding references) single line spacing, TNR 12 or Arial 11, points will be awarded for each section, use subheadings to clarify which section/question you are answering (but do not restate the questions).
Two points will be awarded for quality (spelling, grammar, formatting). No need for a cover page (but do indicate in your document your name, student number, course number, name of prof, name of assignment, date etc). Don't forget to cite your references!!!
Tips on referencing:
To reference our textbook:
- in-text: (Bygrave et al., 2015)
- in reference list: Bygrave WD, Zacharakis A and Wise S. (2015). Entrepreneurship, Canadian Edition. Wiley: Toronto, ON.
To reference a website:
- in-text: (California Institute of Technology)
- in reference list : Hermans-Killam, Linda, 2010. Infrared Astronomy. California Institute of Technology. [Accessed Sept 21 2015]. http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ir_tutorial/