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 Everett 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, Everett 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.

They get into:

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How Everette funded his first startup by throwing parties

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What selling his first company taught him about understanding your value

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The differences between donation, equity, and reward-based crowdfunding

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Why Kickstarter can work particularly well for hardware startups

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What crowdfunding can give founders that venture capital can’t

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How Kickstarter can help founders find early adopters and test product-market fit

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Why crowdfunding can give founders more leverage when they eventually raise VC

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What founders need before launching a Kickstarter campaign

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Why Everette says the stigma around crowdfunding is disappearing

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How AI is pushing more people toward entrepreneurship

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Why AI-powered hardware is growing on Kickstarter

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Whether founders actually need venture capital after a successful campaign

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The three things Everette thinks every Kickstarter campaign needs

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How founders can build trust with backers

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Why major brands are increasingly launching products on Kickstarter

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What Oculus, Peloton, and Oura did differently

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Why Everett believes ownership and creative independence matter for founders

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 Kickstarter28:33 — Everette’s favorite projects to back

29:21 — What Oculus, Peloton, and Oura got right

31:15 — The case for ownership over venture capital

Join us at TechCrunch Disrupt October 13-15 in San Francisco. Use promo code: buildmode25 for 25% off your ticket.

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