For years, crowdfunding had a reputation as the place founders went when they couldn’t raise venture capital. Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor thinks founders should look at it very differently.

In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Everette to talk about crowdfunding as an alternative and sometimes a precursor to traditional venture funding.

Everette’s own path into entrepreneurship was unconventional. Growing up in Richmond, Virginia, far from Silicon Valley, he says he didn’t know what venture capital, SaaS, or ARR were when he started his first company. Instead, he threw parties to make enough money to fund the software he was building. He eventually sold that company at 21, an experience that taught him some hard lessons about understanding the value of what you’ve built.

Today, as CEO of Kickstarter, Everette is making the case that founders don’t necessarily have to choose between crowdfunding and venture capital. A successful Kickstarter campaign can help founders raise non-dilutive capital, find their first customers, test demand, and establish product-market fit—all before giving up a piece of their company. And for founders who eventually do want VC backing, Everette argues that traction can give them considerably more leverage at the negotiating table.

He also explains why Kickstarter is increasingly attracting established companies and creators, what makes hardware particularly well suited to crowdfunding, how AI is changing who can become an entrepreneur, and what founders need to have in place before launching a campaign.

Chapters:
00:00 — Why founders should consider crowdfunding
01:36 — Everette Taylor’s unconventional path to entrepreneurship
03:25 — Learning the value of what you’ve built
05:08 — How Everette became CEO of Kickstarter
07:11 — The different types of crowdfunding
10:32 — Equity crowdfunding vs. Kickstarter
13:01 — Can B2B startups use Kickstarter?
14:34 — What crowdfunding can offer that VC can’t
16:29 — What founders need before launching a campaign
17:36 — Is there still a stigma around crowdfunding?
18:56 — How AI is changing entrepreneurship
20:46 — Using Kickstarter as a path to venture capital
22:56 — Three tips for launching a Kickstarter campaign
25:19 — How early is too early for Kickstarter?
26:39 — Why big brands are coming to Kickstarter
28:33 — Everette’s favorite projects to back
29:21 — What Oculus, Peloton, and Oura got right
31:15 — The case for ownership over venture capital

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