Kickstarter

Perhaps Kickstarter is the apogee of our startup culture. You have an idea, you dream it up, and you get funded by people from around the world. That’s pretty much what happens with Kickstarter — a spot for funding others’ inventions, or seeking funding for your own. You describe your project, post a slick video about it and inform potential backers about the available funding levels and what they’ll receive for backing your project. The website is typically used for creative projects (a board game, a film, a fashion show), but there are also plenty of camera accessories and iPhone gadgets. It’s crowdsourced funding, and it’s resulted in an eclectic bounty of apps, comic books, films, and other artworks and products making the leap from idea to reality. Even if you have no intention whatsoever in jump-starting your own project, or funding someone else’s, don’t skip a visit to Kickstarter. The sheer creativity on display is truly inspiring.