2013–2026
1,475 posts
2026 87
October 2026
- Top 7 Big Conclusions from Your 800+ Comments
- Random Booster Packs: Is There Any Way They Serve Customers?
- Can a Ready-to-Ship Launch Ever Capture the Magic of Crowdfunding?
- Pricing: Launch Secrecy and Convention MSRP
- The Stonemaier Strategy Magazine
- Is Growth Good?
- Questions for The Bits: My Answers (Part 2)
- Questions for The Bits: My Answers (Part 1)
- Why? Why? Why?
September 2026
- Announcement Trailers: Our Current Method (2026)
- Design Day 2026 Recap
- Spending Big Bucks on Prelaunch Ads: Worth the Squeeze?
- Marketable vs Aspirational Funding Goals
- How Do You Ask Rule Questions?
- Bits and Bobs: 5 Recent Thoughts About Tabletop Publishing
- Labor Day 2026: What’s New This Year
- The Current State of Crowdfunding Marketing (2026)
August 2026
- Admirable Goals vs Successful Crowdfunding
- One Thousand Ratings in One Month
- 4 Examples of Good, Bad, and Mixed Communication from Our Iceland Trip
- 10 Ways to Offer VIP Status Without Exclusion, Gatekeeping, or Elitism
- Quick Update, Review Recap, and Gen Con Video
- Providing the Complete Package for Customers
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #171-175
- A Surprising Opinion About Promos (and Game Store Customers)
- This Question About Our Games Stumped Me
July 2026
- The Proof-of-Play Model: My Thoughts
- Gen Con 2026: Stonemaier Games and 2 Hidden Gems
- What Puts You Over the Edge to Buy/Back a Game?
- What Is Your Go-To Self-Awareness Question for Internet Interactions?
- Launch Day Results: Wingspan Pocket, Duel of Meloch, and Heroes & Villains
- What Do We Really Want from a Sequel?
- The Current State of Digital Versions of Tabletop Games (2026)
- Elevating Wingspan Pocket: PPC Product Design Playtests
- A Unique Strategy for Creating and Crowdfunding Games: 6 Questions for Best With 1
June 2026
- Why Ala Carte Isn’t Feasible at Scale
- Duel of Meloch: The Most Cross-Compatible Product We’ve Ever Made
- A Sneak Preview Worth Paying For
- How Do We Decide Which Games to Publish?
- Naming Podcast/Video Episodes so People Actually Listen/Watch
- A “New” Twist on Showcasing Our Games on Facebook
- The Face of a Brand: A Delicate Balance
- 2 Years Later, and I’m Still Not Interested in Generative AI
- 10 Product Design Mistakes That Cause the Most Replacement Parts Requests
May 2026
- The Perils of Selling Scarcity: Some Recent Thoughts on Magic
- Games that Shine in Play-and-Win
- Panda’s p20: A No-Brainer for Indie Game Designers?
- Geekway to the West 2026: My Thoughts from an Amazing Weekend
- What’s Your Favorite Thing a Game Publisher Is Doing?
- 5 Standout Business Insights from Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse
- Customer Service in Ireland
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #166-170
April 2026
- Crowdfunding Potential Games vs. Launching Fully Produced Games
- 4 Things I Learned from the Savannah Bananas
- When to Make an Essential Edition (Featuring Euphoria)
- 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Turned 30
- Announcing Finspan: Sharks & Reefs!
- Are Standard Editions Still Relevant on Crowdfunding in 2026?
- Mystery Boxes, Blind Booster Packs, and Surprise Subscriptions
- Wine, Games, and Books: The Power of a Well-Designed Label, Box, or Cover
- Stonemaier Soap: Our April Fools Surprise
March 2026
- The Only Game You Play
- Can a Publisher Serve Backers with Different Budgets?
- 12 Steps to Publish a Tabletop Game
- Introducing: Tabletop Power Rankings
- Top 5 Games of Gamers Ranch 2026: Why These Types of Games Shine at Events
- One Year of Weekly Podcasting
- What Is Your 10-Year Project?
- The Current State of Worldwide Fulfillment (2026)
- 2025 Behind-the-Scenes Stakeholder Report for Stonemaier Games
February 2026
- 5 Japanese Ideologies I’m Trying to Follow
- Tariff Tax Update: February 2026
- Express Crowdfunding: A Backer-Focused Gamechanger from Gamefound?
- The Essential Human Problem Solved by Games
- 5 Questions About the “Almighty” Kickstarter Project
- 10 Things to Do When You’re Completely Caught Up at Work
- A Peculiar Data Point for Product Launches (and Pledge Managers)
- Results of the Stonemaier Company Retreat
January 2026
- We Stand with Our Community
- For the Love of the Game
- Available Now: Wingspan and Viticulture Expansions
- State of the Channel (2026)
- Working with Localization Partners in 2026
- The Current State of Play-and-Win (2026)
- Zillow for Board Games (and the Wingspan Americas Expansion)
- Our Current Approach to Board Game Reviewers and Content Creators (2026)
- Spilling the Beans: The Full 2026 Stonemaier Games Lineup
2025 104
December 2025
- The Current State of Instagram Strategies (2026)
- Our Most Important Articles of 2025
- Meaningful Creations, Play, Elevation, and Connections (2025-2026)
- Is This Really the End of Reprints?
- 5 Things I Learned at Universal Epic Universe About Immersive Customer Experiences
- Business Travel Tips from Our Chief Operating Officer
- 5 Insights from Our 2025 Demographic Survey
- 8 Crowdfunding Mistakes I Made that Wouldn’t Fly Today
- Love Language Gift Guide (2025)
November 2025
- 27 Types of People for Whom I’m Thankful (Stonemaier Games 2025)
- How Do You Feel about Meta-Connective Elements in Games?
- Setting a Reasonable Campaign Funding Goal
- Webstore vs Retailer Packaging for Wingspan Promo Birds
- What Makes a Great Rulebook?
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #161-165
- More Important Than Selling: Helping You Table the Game
- 3 Takeaways from the Most-Watched Tabletop Game Videos
October 2025
- Top Lessons Learned from Our 2025 Releases
- Essen Spiel 2025: What We Tried and Learned
- How Tabletop Content Creators Pay the Bills (2025)
- 2 Simple Ways to Sell Your Product
- Design Day 2025 Recap
- 10 Years Without Crowdfunding
- Introducing the Third-Party Accessory Showcase
- The Pros and Cons of Owning/Leasing an Office
- The Origin Story of Origin Story
September 2025
- 4 Most Popular Questions Asked About Any New Tabletop Product
- 5 Highlights from the 100 Best Books for Work & Life
- Announcing: Wingspan Fan-Designed Bird Promo Packs
- Day One Expansions and DLCs
- Publishing Takeaways from Each of My Current Top 10 Favorite Games
- Tariff Tax Update: September 2025
- Revisiting All Easter Eggs of Biddy and Why They Matter
- Triple Play: Crucial Decisions for the Launch of Wyrmspan: Dragon Academy, Tokaido Duo, and Smitten 2
- Labor Day 2025: What’s New This Year
August 2025
- The Ultimate Testing Ground: Game Changer
- What Do You Think of the Back-in-Stock Ad Strategy?
- How Did You Find Your Gaming Group?
- The Fascinating Symbiotic Ecosystem of Disc Golf
- The Current State of How We Work with Local Retailers (2025)
- What’s Bringing You Joy Recently?
- I Recommend Melio for Paying Monthly Royalties
- 5 Hours at Gen Con for the First Time Since 2018
July 2025
- One Month, Half a Million Plays of Wingspan Digital: What the Data Reveals
- Making a Product Specifically for Your Core Audience: Root, Arcs, and Cole Wehrle
- Why We Accelerated the Launch of Vantage’s Optional Digital Storybooks on Rulepop
- Two Simple Rules from Michael Schur and Marco Arment
- What’s the Worst Boss Trait You’ve Experienced (and Would Never Do Yourself)?
- The Tariff Offset Gift Card: An Unexpected Outcome
- An Epic Journey: BGG@Sea Norway 2025 (Part 2)
- An Epic Journey: BGG@Sea Norway 2025 (Part 1)
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #156-160
June 2025
- If You Ran Stonemaier Games from Now On, What Would You Do Differently?
- How Do You Feel About Storybook Apps in Games?
- Are You a Superfan?
- Your Favorite Things Publishers Are Doing (2024-2025)
- 7 Lessons My Dad Taught Me About Entrepreneurship (Revisited)
- Have You Ever Attended a Company Retreat?
- Tariff Update: Legality, Lobbying, and Local Stores
- Does a Project’s Popularity Increase Your Interest?
- I Was Hacked Again (Last Wednesday)
May 2025
- Interview with Kickstarter’s New Head of Games
- Do You Care About a Company’s Beliefs and Values?
- Choosing a Company Name and Impersonation
- The Tornado, Geekway, and Vantage
- The Precarious Balance Between Past Successes and Future Experiments
- 10 Steps to Design Your First Tabletop Game
- Questions, Answers, and More Questions About Tariffs
- How Do You Browse YouTube?
- Results of Releasing a Game that Already Exists (Tokaido, but with a Solo Mode)
April 2025
- How Can We Fix This Together? (Tariffs, Manufacturing, and a Solution)
- Does Crowdfunding Help or Hamper Creativity?
- We Are Suing the Executive Branch
- Finalizing, Typesetting, and Proofreading Vantage
- The Joy and Validation of Listening to Someone Talk About a Game You Already Love
- Viral in 8 Questions: The Marketing Power of Personality Quizzes
- The Math of Tariffs
- The Darkest Timeline
- April Fools 2025: Bingo!
March 2025
- Finspan at Great Rivers: Building Local Community
- Build a Better Community…with Moderation
- The Compelling Allure of Free Preview Decks (ala Hubworld: Aidalon)
- We Now Sponsor a Professional Athlete!
- Extreme Ownership and MrBeast
- 5 Questions with Chris Porter
- 2024 Behind-the-Scenes Stakeholder Report for Stonemaier Games
- Instagram Famous: Creating Games for Niche Brands
February 2025
- Plaid Hat Games Is Forging the Future of Card Games
- Boardssey: Project Management for Game Designers & Creators
- A Wild 24 Hours for Vantage (and a New Easter Egg)
- 4 Impactful YouTube Experiments
- Valentine’s Special: Relationship Advice That Applies to the Publisher/Customer Dynamic
- 650+ Ways to Donate Games to Support Students and Marginalized Youth, Families, and Communities
- 10 Cool Things Other Publishers Are Doing
- 4-Question Showdown with the Creator of Everstone
January 2025
- What’s the #1 Change You Want for the Tabletop Game Industry and Community?
- The 4 Biggest Challenges to Creating Anything (and How to Overcome Them)
- The Impact of a Free Shipping Threshold
- The Current State of Play-and-Win (2025)
- The Fun of Tales from Production Videos
- Proposals, Babies, and More: A Visual History
- Finspan’s Origin Story and What’s Different Compared to Wingspan
- The Current State of Gamefound (2025)
- Our Current Approach to Board Game Reviewers and Content Creators (2025)
2024 105
December 2024
- What’s Your Achilles Heel?
- Our Most Important Articles of 2024
- Meaningful Creations, Play, and Elevation: Looking Back at 2024 and Forward to 2025
- What Do Dropout, Spotify, and Bindery Have in Common?
- Launching with an In-Person Event
- Can a Publisher Offer Rarity Without Using FOMO Tactics?
- 5 Insights from Our 2024 Demographic Survey
- Tariffs: Impact on Tabletop Publishers, Consumers, and US Manufacturing
- 3 Steps to Self-Publish a Tabletop Game
November 2024
- 27 Types of People for Whom I’m Grateful as a Business Owner (2024)
- Black Friday Week and Gift Giving
- Board Games on a Boat?
- Cult of the New or Longevity of the Old?
- 3 Key Insights from a Year of Social Media Advertising
- Two Weeks in Japan: What I Learned About Business
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #151-155
- Stonemaier Champions (7-Year Update)
October 2024
- Our New Retrospective System
- Hidden Tips and Tricks for Maximizing BoardGameGeek
- 3 Conversational Methods to Learn More About People
- Productivity Hacks for Staying Focused on Work
- A Secret Experiment at Essen 2024
- Why Don’t All Games Have This? (Part 2)
- The Design Studio Partnership
- Why Don’t All Games Have This? (Part 1)
- Stonemaier Games Is the New Publisher of All Tokaido Brand Products
September 2024
- 10 Unexpected Things About Tabletop Customers I Learned After Starting Stonemaier Games
- Design Day 2024 Recap
- 3 Customer-Facing Webstore Improvements
- Distilling Feedback in Game Design and Business
- Publishers’ Approach to Tabletop Reviews
- The Truth About Tabletop Game Reviewers
- 5 Recent Controversies and How to Prevent Further Harm
- The Problem (and a Solution) of Shipping Lower-Price Products
- Labor Day 2024: What’s New This Year
August 2024
- 10 Steps to Announce, Promote, Launch, and Release a Product (2024 Edition)
- The Power of Games at Gatherings
- The Formula for Wingspan’s Longevity, Replayability, and Success
- Support, Symmetry, and Secrets
- Friendship, Games, and Business
- Indie Game Publishers: What Do You Need the Most?
- The Current State of Game Conventions (2024)
- How Much Money Does a First-Time Crowdfunder Spend Before Launching?
- A Huge Reviewer Boost for Indie Game Publishers
July 2024
- Bedside Manner and Tabletop Games
- A Celebration of the Tabletop Games Industry
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #146-150
- How to Survive and Thrive at Gen Con (or Any Big Convention)
- Rolling Realms Redux: Did the Month-by-Month Reveal Work?
- Horizons Fellowship and SpeakPipe
- Make the Trailer Before the Game?
- From What Do You Declare Independence?
- Imposter Syndrome, Choosing Joy, and Embracing the Present
June 2024
- 9 Burning Questions from Someone Who Read My Book
- S-Corps and Sharing Ownership of Your Company
- Caitlin Clark, Taylor Swift, and Tabletop Games
- 7 Lessons My Dad Taught Me About Entrepreneurship
- How to Serve Customers Whose Collections Are Complete
- Premortems: Back to the Future
- The Current State of Digital Versions of Tabletop Games (2024)
- 3 Marketing Strategies That Are Actually Working
May 2024
- The Worst Writing Advice as It Relates to Entrepreneurship and Game Design
- A One-Stop Shop for Tabletop Creators: Publishing Technology & Solutions
- Kickstarter’s Vision for the Future
- Atomic Habits and Game Design vs Self Publishing: A Chat with Pam Walls
- Trekking the World of Second Editions
- 5 Lessons My Mom Taught Me About Entrepreneurship
- Are You a Character-Driven Leader?
- Full-Service Marketing for Hire: An Interview with Off Duty Ninja
- Mental Health Awareness for Designers, Creators, and Entrepreneurs
April 2024
- Communication Is a Two-Way Street: How We Build This Road
- Vantage: We’re Announcing a 2025 Game Now?
- The Current State of Mergers and Acquisitions (2024)
- Generative AI? Not for Us!
- The Current State of Play-and-Win (2024)
- My Game Publishing Checklist
- Marketing the Eclipse
- The Current State of Worldwide Fulfillment (2024)
- April Fools Week: Chocolate of the Day and Wyrmspan Memes
March 2024
- “Helpful Behavior” Bonuses and Rewards
- I Was Hacked This Weekend
- Passive Information Collection Pays Off
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #141-145
- 2023 Behind-the-Scenes Stakeholder Report for Stonemaier Games
- 10 Marketing Methods Used at Stonemaier Games (2024 Edition)
- You Are Welcome Here: Gender Diversity in Gaming Communities
- Whoever Wrote the Rule That…?
February 2024
- An Open Letter to the Internet
- Interactive Gift Guides and Anonymous Gift Scouting
- The First 48 Hours: 5 Takeaways
- Are You Unreasonably Hospitable?
- Black History Month, DEIB, and Small Businesses
- Solving the Mystery of Forecasting and Gauging Demand
- Why Not Both? Running Back-to-Back Crowdfunding Campaigns on Different Platforms
- Bailouts: Considerations for Rescuing Another Company’s Product
- Wyrmspan: Thoughts and Strategies from Our Biggest Launch Ever
January 2024
- What Mobile Apps Do You Use for Business?
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #136-140
- Selling with Empathy
- 10 Ways to Thrive Without Crowdfunding
- Eco-Friendly Components and a Great User Experience: Are Both Possible?
- Game Counterfeits and What We Can Do About Them
- Our Current Approach to Board Game Reviewers and Content Creators (2024)
- Wyrmspan: Lessons Learned from Our Biggest Announcement Ever
- My Thoughts on Adam Porter’s “Decade of Game Design Wisdom” Video
2023 103
December 2023
- Meaningful Creations and Play: Looking Back at 2023 and Forward to 2024
- Top 5 Articles of 2023 (and a Key Takeaway from Each)
- Installment Payments: Is This a Good Way to Serve Customers?
- Prelaunch Promos, Accessories, and Expansions (KS Lesson #281)
- 20 Questions and Answers About Game Design, Publishing, and Beyond
- Secrets Revealed: Results of the 2023 Stonemaier Games Teaser
- Interview with a Literary (and Game) Manager
- 7 Insights from Our 2023 Demographic Survey
November 2023
- 12 Ways to Overcome the Mid-Campaign Doldrums
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #131-135
- 27 Types of People for Whom I’m Grateful as a Small Business Owner (2023)
- How to Be a Better Playtester
- I Should Have Tried StreamYard Years Ago
- A Fan Designed an Expansion for Your Game: What Should You Do?
- What Impact Would Agents Have on the Tabletop Game Industry?
- My Thoughts on Pam Walls’ “6 Truths About the Board Game Industry” Video
- What Is Your Contrarian Idea?
October 2023
- Top 10 Viewer Suggestions for Our YouTube Channel
- Bees and Seaweed: Recent Advertising Results
- 10 Lessons Learned from Our First Essen Spiel as an Exhibitor
- Design Day 2023 Recap
- Music in Games
- The Most Important Habit for Entrepreneurs (Plus 2 Other Questions)
- 3 Great Questions (and My Attempts to Answer Them)
- Is There a Future for Written Reviews?
- Your Work Matters
September 2023
- Repetition: More Important Than Ever Before
- The Next Big Thing: How to Handle a Product’s Runaway Success
- Why I Recommend Wise
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #126-130
- 10 Vision-Friendly Games…or Are They?
- All Easter Eggs of Biddy and Why They Matter
- 7 Lessons Learned Designing Apiary (by Connie Vogelmann)
- Labor Day: Welcoming Christine and Susannah to Full Time and How I Value My Coworkers
August 2023
- The Voss Way: Is This the Future of Community-Driven FLGS?
- The Bear and Professional Development
- Some Recent Thoughts about FLGS from a Publisher
- What’s the Best Presentation or Panel You’ve Ever Attended?
- What If Distributors Won’t Pick Up Your Game?
- Games in the Classroom
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #121-125
- Tabletop Game Prototyping, Playtesting, and Development
- A Packing Solution for Both the Environment and Customers
July 2023
- Word of Mouth: How Do You Inspire the Best Type of Marketing?
- 15 Ways Publishers Can Support Their Own Games
- Surprises and Signatures
- Seasons of Content: When Are They the Right Fit?
- Enticing, Respecting, and Retaining Early Adopters When You Make Updates
- To Which Famous Creative Person Is Your Daily Routine the Most Similar?
- Teaser, Preorder, or Launch: Our Three Announcement Methods
- The Brilliance of Opening Acts at Concerts
June 2023
- If You Want It, We’ll Make It…but Will You Buy It?
- The Great Puzzle of Logistics, Demand, and Retail
- 3 Easy Ways to Make Game Fulfillment More Eco-Friendly
- The Ladder Approach to Media Coverage
- Let’s Talk About YouTube Face and Clickbait
- Tabletop Publishers, Content Creators, and Audiences: The Inside Scoop
- Do You Use Wishlists?
- 10 Steps to Create a Tabletop Game Company
- Vision-Friendly Cards and Eco-Friendly Packaging
May 2023
- Nike, Ted Lasso, and Invoices: 3 Quick Topics
- Is the Freight Fright Over?
- 10 Highlights and Insights from Geekway to the West 2023
- 10 Ways to Regain Trust After Losing It
- 10 Specific Examples of Companies Making Their Users Feel Awesome
- Creating Hundreds of Cards in Component Studio
- 10 Ways for Creators to Prevent a Mythic Meltdown
- Immersive, Inclusive, and Personal: The Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Experience
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #116-120
April 2023
- Getting More Done Every Day (Slowly and Happily)
- Standard vs Deluxe: Which Version to Send to Reviewers?
- This Doesn’t Make Any Sense
- 4 Brilliant Endeavors by Other Creators
- Are You Motivated by Seasonal Menus?
- What Is Your Most Important Challenge?
- Celebration and Regret: Klaus Teuber
- 2022 Behind-the-Scenes Stakeholder Report for Stonemaier Games
March 2023
- April Fools Week: Cat Cards, Cat Shirts, Cat Charities, Strategy Cats, and Cat Coworkers
- The Current State of Play-and-Win (2023)
- Brené Brown, Vulnerability, and the 5 Critics
- The One Ring and Extreme Rarity in Games
- Ted Lasso’s Enduring Reminder About Kindness
- This or That: What Happens When We Let Customers Choose Which Products Go on Sale?
- Chargebacks: What I Wish More Customers Knew
- An Experimental Twist on the Money-Back Guarantee
- Do You Want a Personalized Version of a New Game?
February 2023
- Do You Enjoy Talking About Your Creations?
- Coworking Spaces as a Complement to Home Offices
- The Value of Design Diaries (and Eco-Friendly Expansion Packaging)
- Do Digital Board Games Outsell Their Tabletop Counterparts?
- The Gold Rush for Game Names
- The Crisis of Crisis: Our Support of Earthquake Victims in Turkey and Syria
- Reprinting a Game: How the Process Works
- Eager Mechs: Exploring the Expeditions Surprise
January 2023
- How Do You Track Your Crowdfunded and Preordered Games?
- The 10 Best and Worst Decisions I’ve Ever Made
- Crowdfundr: What’s Unique About It?
- A Matter of Scale: What Changes Between $64k and $25m?
- Announcing the Wingspan Fan Art Challenge
- This Too Shall Pass
- The Nesting Box Preorder Experiment
- Game Publisher Instagrams to Study
- Our Current Approach to Board Game Reviewers and Content Creators (2023)
2022 104
December 2022
- Play Something Meaningful to You in 2023
- What Did You Create in 2022 that Was Meaningful to You?
- Top 5 Articles of 2022 (and a Key Takeaway from Each)
- Have You Experienced Unreasonable Hospitality?
- Results of the 2022 Stonemaier Teaser Preview
- Are You a Category Nerd?
- 2022 Year in Review (Stonemaier Games)
- 5 Insights from Our 2022 Demographic Survey
- Can You Find the St. Louis Arch in Each of Our Games?
November 2022
- 10 Things I Learned Last Week from Best-in-Class Customer Service
- 27 Types of People for Whom I’m Grateful as a Small Business Owner (2022)
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #111-115
- Do It Yourself or Outsource: The Master List
- A Price Formula for Your Product (Direct and Retail)
- Why I Quit Twitter (It’s Not You; It’s Me)
- It Isn’t Too Late
- The Great Nesting Box Debate
October 2022
- Every Customer Is Unique: A Magical Encounter
- Is Old School Crowdfunding Still Possible?
- 3 Ways to Better Serve Customers and 2 Ways Customers Can Help Publishers Serve Them
- Design Day 2022 Recap
- Then and Now: How Expensive Is Freight and Parcel Shipping?
- Are the Reasons We Quit Kickstarter Still Valid 6 Years Later?
- Duets, Flocks, and the 2-Player Conundrum
- 10 Great Content Creators and Their Charities of Choice
- No Designer, Publisher, or IP Is Foolproof
September 2022
- An Inspiring Publisher Pledge for Crowdfunding
- This Project Creator Wants to Respect Your Time
- Our Two Most Eco-Friendly Games to Date
- The Marketing Power of Effort and Earned Rewards
- Stonemaier Scoring App and Wingspan on BGA
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #106-110
- 10th Anniversary Celebration: What’s Happening Now and Later
- Wages, Inflation, and Labor Day
- One Surprise After Another: The Rolling Realms Story
August 2022
- Top 5 Videos from the Past Year: Is There a Pattern?
- Do You Eat Lunch as a Staff?
- Game of Thrones, My Open-World Game, and External Pressures on the Creative Process
- Do Only 3% of Gamers Sleeve All Cards?
- Is This “Note from the CEO” Approach Worth Replicating?
- Are Our Games Eco-Friendly? (Part 3)
- My Latest Attempts at a Compelling Catch-All Infographic
- 3 Cool Things Other Publishers Are Doing
- 10 Million Views: The Results of an Advertising Experiment
July 2022
- “Ancient” Artifacts as a Marketing Strategy
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #101-105
- Mixing Up the Game Design Formula: An Indie Art Studio’s Experience
- Pay What You Want for This Kickstarter Project
- What Is Your Preferred Way to Consume Content?
- Your Best Work, Mediocrity, and Creating for Creation’s Sake
- How Do You Typically Discover New Crowdfunding and Preorder Campaigns?
- BackerKit Enters the Crowdfunding Fray!
June 2022
- Why We Started Teasing Wingspan Asia Now
- First Contact with a Stranger in Your Industry
- The Current State of Worldwide Fulfillment (2022)
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #96-100
- 10 Ways to Support Your Backlist
- $600 Games, FOMO, and Fans: Who Is Responsible?
- Pride in the World of Viticulture
- The Current State of Stretch Goals (2022)
- Viticulture World and the Wine Crate: Stalling for the Preorder
May 2022
- How We Sell Some Inventory Directly to Local Retailers
- 2 Ways to Take Care of Yourself at Conventions
- Top 5 Mistakes That May Sink Your Crowdfunding Project
- An Insider’s Perspective on Gamefound vs Kickstarter
- What Happens When You Ask People Why They *Didn’t* Preorder Your Product?
- All-In Bundles vs Ala Carte
- 10 Ways to Be Aware and Supportive of Your Mental Health as a Creator
- Puzzles, CMON, El Dorado, and Grey Gnome: Talking Points from Recent News
- How the Best Discords Are Run
April 2022
- It’s Always Sunny in Crowdfunding: A Book Club Invitation
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #91-95
- South America, Cultural Consulting, and Fixing a Big Mistake
- Bundling, Upselling, and Selling the Wrong Feature: Farmer’s Market Observations
- The Big News: Lessons Learned from Announcing Viticulture World and the Wine Crate
- A Guide to Board Game Illustration
- 2021 Behind-the-Scenes Stakeholder Report for Stonemaier Games
- Building Something from Nothing: The Legacy of Thracks Story
- Silly but Real: April Fools 2022 for Stonemaier Games
March 2022
- Inclusivity at Events: How to Create a Welcoming Environment This Convention Season
- Evergreen Games: What Do They Have in Common?
- Segmentation and the Pitfalls of Not Knowing Your Customers’ Region
- Evaluating the Announcement-Review-Preorder-Fulfillment Gap
- How Does a Board Game Appear on a TV Show?
- Celebrating the Women at Stonemaier Games
- 11,000 Champions: Four Years of Stonemaier Games’ Membership Program
- The #1 Takeaway from Brandon Sanderson’s Mega-Kickstarter
February 2022
- Stonemaier Games Stands with Ukraine
- 6 Tips for Fulfilling a Kickstarter During Supply Chain Disruptions
- 3 Ways to Rekindle Kickstarter Buzz Upon Release
- 4 Steps to Pitch Your Game to a Tabletop Publisher
- How We Lose (and Gain) E-Newsletter Subscribers
- How an Advertising Typo Led to Algorithmic Success (guest post)
- We Don’t Talk About Spoilers (or Bruno)
January 2022
- The 5-Year Plan for Stonemaier Games
- The Game Within the Game (and Other Notes for Gamers)
- Building Community: The Narrative Project, Buy Nothing, and Death
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #86-90
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #81-85
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Game Industry
- 3 Inspiring Links, 2 Questions, and 1 Experiment
- My Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021
- My 2022 Resolutions for Stonemaier Games
- How Do You Measure Accessibility?
2021 102
December 2021
- Create Something Meaningful to You in 2022
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #76-80
- Our Current Approach to Board Game Reviewers and Content Creators (2022)
- The Fascinating Difference Between the Future Visions of Kickstarter and Gamefound
- 2021 Year in Review (Stonemaier Games)
- 5 Insights from Our 2021 Demographic Survey
- An Open Letter to Non-Gamer Journalists Researching Modern Tabletop Games
- BIPOC Voices in the Tabletop Game Industry
November 2021
- Black Friday and Cost-of-Living Raises
- 26 Types of People for Whom I’m Grateful as a Small Business Owner
- Customer, Gamer, and Viewer Retention
- Co-Publishing: Is True Collaboration Possible?
- The Impact of Repetition
- Villains Result in Clicks (and Other Insights from Thumbnail Images)
- Are Our Games Eco-Friendly? (Part 2)
- A Spooky Warning About Font Rights
- Horror Stories of Freight Shipping
October 2021
- How to Make an Introduction by Email
- A Video for Every Stretch Goal: City of the Great Machine
- 3 Ways to Maximize Prelaunch Signups
- Random Acts of Freeness
- Spur-of-the-Moment Marketing
- An Epiphany About the Sides of Game Boxes
- Stonemaier Games 2021 Charity Auction: What’s Different This Year?
- What Type of Social Proof Is Most Effective? (KS Lesson #281)
September 2021
- The Current State of Game Conventions (2021)
- You’re Already Awesome…but Do Your Customers Know Why?
- Customer Service Obsession: Kayenta Games
- Two Insightful Articles About Tabletop Game Costs and Prices
- Bookkeeping: The Best Service Ever?
- Design Day 2021 Recap
- This Is the End State (KS Lesson #280)
- Moving Beyond Gender Assumptions in the Board Game Hobby
- Are Our Games Eco-Friendly? (Part 1)
August 2021
- Top 10 Viewer Suggestions to Keep and Improve on My YouTube Channel
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #71-75
- Designer Advances and Some Corrections to that Slate Article
- Strategic Delay in Newsletter Notification at Launch (KS Lesson #279)
- The Future of Campaign Games
- I Prefer My Hogwarts Invitation by Mail
- The Opposite of FOMO
- Exploring an Alternate Future of Manufacturing
- Display Your Laurels (KS Lesson #278)
July 2021
- Lessons Learned from Simultaneously Printing a Collector’s Edition and a Standard Version of Red Rising
- Exactly How Much Does a Kickstarter Campaign Cost?
- Geekway Scholarship, Internal Diversity, and BIPOC Declaration Update
- Is It Unethical to Pay the Media to Form and Broadcast Their Opinion?
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #66-70
- What’s Your Exit Strategy?
- Top 10 Reasons Your Kickstarter Campaign May Fail
- Mental and Physical Health Awareness: A Creator’s Thoughts
- Stuff We Love Right Now
June 2021
- Target Acquired: How a Hobby Game Appears in a Big Box Retailer
- The Current State of Freight Shipping (2021)
- Now, Never, or Already Ordered?
- 10 Actionable Ideas to Boost Your Kickstarter Funding Mid-Campaign
- Public Libraries and Game Publishers
- Mamas, Papas, and Pride
- Our New Proofreading and Product Oversight Process (2021)
May 2021
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #61-65
- A Review (and Recommendation) of GTG Operations
- Specialization vs Diversification: A Farmer’s Market Observation
- 3 Inspiring Concepts from Recent Kickstarters
- Cultural Consulting for Tabletop Games
- What Should You Do?
- Stunt Philanthropy, Nekonomics, and SPFBO
- Our New 20-Day Price Guarantee
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #56-60
April 2021
- Jobs and Careers in the Tabletop Game Industry
- 3 Ways to Inspire People to Post Photos of Your Product
- Notification Emails: How You Can Avoid My Mistake
- If Tomorrow You Became the President of Stonemaier Games, What Would You Do?
- Using Freight Marketplaces for Your Board Game Kickstarter
- What I Learned from Breaking Down on Facebook Live
- 2020 Behind-the-Scenes Stakeholder Report for Stonemaier Games
- Is Clubhouse a Must-Have Tool for Entrepreneurs?
- A Shift in Responsibility at Stonemaier Games
March 2021
- Why I Don’t Give Away Our Products for Free (and an Experiment)
- Multi-Product Campaigns: Are They Successful? (KS Lesson #277)
- YouTube Channel Memberships: Better Than Patreon?
- Say Yes to Every Interview (KS Lesson #276)
- Vaccinations, Conventions, and Webcam Gaming
- Everdell: Is There Such Thing as a Price That’s Too Good?
- Finding Your Style and Growing as an Instagram Board Game Content Creator
- Price: Secrecy, Flexibility, and Patience
- Do You Support Small Content Creators?
February 2021
- Day 1 Editions: Amazon Is Now Crowdfunding?
- Advanced Review Day for Red Rising!
- 5 Quick Thoughts About Sponsorships, Brexit, the ACLU, and More
- 5 Stonemaier Sales in 2021: Methods, Data, and My Thoughts
- Red Rising and Working with a Major Intellectual Property
- Tinder, Reddit…and Kickstarter? (guest post)
- Red Rising and Our $10,000+ Gift to the ACLU
- “Load-and-Plays”: The Next Generation of “Print-and-Plays”
January 2021
- A Friendly Reminder: Unless It’s Confidential, Let’s Discuss in Public
- When Was the Last Time You Felt Like You Were Part of a Story for a Non-Kickstarter Game?
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #51-55
- Is the Kickstarter Mindset Blurring Reality?
- 2 Things to Know Today About Kickstarter
- What’s the Most Eye-Catching Format for YouTube Thumbnail Images?
- Our Current Approach to Board Game Reviewers and Content Creators (2021)
- 5 Surprises and Insights from a Digital Board Game Survey
2020 104
December 2020
- 2020 Year in Review (Stonemaier Games)
- How I Try to Be a Decent Client (Especially When I Make Mistakes)
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #46-50
- Gamefound’s First Launch: Is This the Future of Tabletop Game Crowdfunding?
- 17 Sales Techniques Worth Exploring
- Jackbox and the Moment of Mirth (Business Brilliance #25)
- Growth or Endurance: What Does Your Organization Value More?
- 5 Observations from Our 2020 Demographic Survey
- What’s the Most Indispensable Negotiation Tactic?
November 2020
- The Horror (and Joy) of Transitioning to a New Computer
- 25 Types of People for Whom I’m Grateful as a Small Business Owner
- Harry Potter, Customer Appreciation, and Loyalty
- Renewals, Cancellations, and Treat Boxes
- Show Me the Money: Progress Report for Stonemaier Games BIPOC Support
- Kickstarter Integrates Add-Ons and BackerKit Welcomes CrowdOx
- Do You Update Products Like Tesla or Like Every Other Car Company?
- Stocks, Mentorship, and the Future: Q&A Day!
- Performance Reviews: What’s Your Approach?
October 2020
- New Strategies and Lessons Learned from the Wingspan Oceania Preorder (so far)
- How (and Why) I Blurred My Recent YouTube Video
- This Flash Sale Technique Has Amazed Me…Twice!
- Do You Believe Your Voice Matters?
- 4 Social Media Tips from an Industry Leader
- What to Do If You Run Out of Stretch Goals
- 4 Intriguing Alternatives to Kickstarter
- Self Publishing vs Working with a Publisher (KS Lesson #275)
- Stonemaier Games 2020 Charity Auction: What’s Different This Year?
September 2020
- If You’re Going to Sell T-Shirts…
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #41-45
- How to Choose Realistic Stretch Goals for Your Board Game Kickstarter
- Sharing the Love…of Your Competition
- “Is It Just Me?”: Why Fans Post About Outlier Mistakes
- Is This the Best Time of Day to Launch?
- Perks and Principles for My Coworkers at Stonemaier Games
- 3 Polls about Shipping Options, 3D Printers, and Stretch Goals
August 2020
- A Huge Change for Stonemaier Games: Brokerage, Sales, and Alex Schmidt
- 9 BIPOC Creators I’m Excited About
- Stitch Fix, Personal Stylists, and Board Games
- Journaling the Journey: Do You Chronicle Your Thoughts, Goals, and Ideas?
- What This Video Game and Tech Veteran Learned from Marketing a Kickstarter Board Game (Guest Post)
- Holds vs Callbacks: A Customer Service Observation
- Disc Golf and Kickstarter Reward Nomenclature
- The Pendulum Preorder Is Live!
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #36-40
July 2020
- 5 Low-Tech Tips for YouTube Creators (2020 Edition)
- What? So What? Now What?
- Inclusion, Diversity, and Representation in Board Games and Beyond (guest post by Elizabeth Hargrave)
- 4 Fun and Informative Links for Creators
- Progress Report for Stonemaier Games BIPOC Support
- Wood vs Plastic: The Facts About Custom Tokens
- Retailers, Filtering Feedback, and Making Sense of Your Business
- 4 Publishing Insights About Pendulum
June 2020
- Meepify, Matchmaking, and Knowing the Size of Your Audience
- What If Someone Steals My Idea?
- Rick and Morty, Revisionist History, and Ads I’m Happy to Consume (Business Brilliance #20)
- The First Barrier Is the Biggest (KS Lesson #274)
- The Big Pivot
- Stonemaier Games Black Lives Matter Statement and Declaration of Action
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #31-35
- 10 Brand Extension Strategies for Tabletop Games
- One Piece to the Puzzle: Internal Impartiality
May 2020
- YouTube’s Silver Creator Award and Recognizing Our Top Users (Business Brilliance #19)
- 4 Quick Links About Creativity, Pledge Managers, Taxes, and Game Designers
- What’s Up with Reward Prices on Kickstarter?
- The Current Impact of the Coronavirus on Stonemaier Games
- Is This a Fair Filter for Initiative and Self-Sufficiency?
- The Big Question: What If This Actually Works?
- How I’m Trying to Idiot-Proof Myself
- 8 Points of Contact in Customer Service (6 Too Many)
April 2020
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #26-30
- Everything I Know About Rebranding (Not Much!)
- 5 Ways to Sell Your Brand Despite Social Distancing
- Why We Professionally Photograph Our Games
- Scams, Fraud, and Counterfeits: What We’ve Learned So Far
- The Upsides and Downsides to Easter Eggs
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #21-25
- What Are Your Thoughts on Anniversary Editions?
- Here’s What Happens When You Release Real Products on April Fools Day
March 2020
- Kinship in a Time of Self-Isolation
- Is Now an Okay Time to Launch a Kickstarter Campaign?
- The Profound Impact of Launch Day Timing on Kickstarter
- 10 Ways to Be a Better Leader in a Crisis
- The Marketing of Love and Partners
- 3 Quick Tips About Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and E-Commerce
- Some Thoughts on the Economic Impact of the Coronavirus on Tabletop Games, Crowdfunding, Entrepreneurs, and More
- Pre-Launch Stretch Goals (KS Lesson #273)
- 2019 Behind-the-Scenes Stakeholder Report for Stonemaier Games
February 2020
- The Deluxe Dilemma: What Do You Think?
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #16-20
- Replacement Parts: Why Would (or Wouldn’t) a Company Offer This Service?
- What Can Kickstarter Project Videos Learn from Facebook Videos?
- The Astounding Payday Effect on Kickstarter
- The Starbucks-Inspired Star Stretch Goal System in Practice
- When Does It Make Sense to Sell Directly Instead of Through Distribution?
- 7 Quick Links and Observations About Kickstarter, Games, and More
January 2020
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #11-15
- Could a Designer Use Kickstarter to Demonstrate Proof of Concept?
- The 5-Minute Business Plan (and a Confession About Ours)
- The Wingspansion Charity Scramble and BackerKit Launch
- Is “Return to Dark Tower” a Perfect Kickstarter Project?
- The Business of Staying in Touch (KS Lesson #272)
- Google Voice Is Exactly What I Needed (KS Lesson #271)
- Starbucks Rewards as Stretch Goals (Business Brilliance #18)
- My Current Approach to Board Game Reviewers and Content Creators (2020)
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December 2019
- How Do You Feel About These Webstore Settings?
- Kickstarter Is Not a Preorder Store
- Top 5 Most-Read Articles of 2019
- My Latest Tweak to Working from Home
- The Magic Formula for Publishing an Evergreen Tabletop Game
- 20+ Instagram Strategies and My Recommendations
- Preparing for April Fools…in December
- Results of 2 Holiday Sale Strategies
- Baby Yoda and the Appeal of Cuteness (Business Brilliance #17)
November 2019
- 24 Types of People for Whom I’m Grateful as a Small Business Owner
- 3 Quick Thoughts About Exposure, Pricing, and Logistics
- I’m No Longer the Only Full-Time Employee at Stonemaier Games!
- Lessons Learned from Quitting Kickstarter as a Creator, Part 5
- Seasonal Flavors: Is There a Place for Them in the Board Game World? (Business Brilliance #16)
- 5 Revelations from Our 2019 Demographic Survey
- New Strategies and Methods Used for the Wingspansion Launch and 2019 Charity Auction
- Hobbiton and Paying the Bill in New Zealand (Business Brilliance #15)
October 2019
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #6-10
- Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #1-5
- How to Work from Home with Your Significant Other
- 3 Intriguing Kickstarter Strategies in 3 Minutes
- My New Home Office
- A Few Recent Updates to the Kickstarter Platform
- 4 Kickstarter Lessons Learned from The Ghosts Betwixt
September 2019
- Know When to Stop: How to Turn a Good Customer Service Experience into a Bad One
- A Unique Coffee Blend for Every Restaurant (Business Brilliance #14)
- Design Day 2019 Recap
- 10 Ways Yoga Is Making Me a Better Creator
- Are You More Excited by Leaked Details or Official Reveals?
- Making Your Mark on a Barrel (Business Brilliance #13)
- Damned If I Do, Damned If I Don’t?
- Can a Good-Natured Rivalry Boost Your Business?
- What’s Your Workplace Love Language?
August 2019
- Tariffs: 3 Thoughts, Solutions, and Strategies
- Review Embargos, Quality vs Price, and Other Tapestry-Inspired Topics
- 2 Final Crowdfunding Videos
- 10 Details to Include When Inviting a Specific Person to Your Convention or Event
- A Different Type of Project Video: Stopmotion
- Can You Commit Fully to Both a Business and a Significant Other?
- A Brief History of Stonemaier Games
- Teasing Information Before a Big Announcement (KS Lesson #270)
- 9 Observations from Not Attending Gen Con 2019
July 2019
- The Cost of Doing Business (KS Lesson #269)
- Running a Business from the Road
- How Do You Celebrate?
- The Current State of Retailers and Kickstarter (2019)
- How to Post a Facebook Live Video on YouTube
- Overcoming the Sunk Cost Fallacy (KS Lesson #268)
- What’s Your Hit-by-a-Bus Plan? (KS Lesson #267)
- 3 Post-Kickstarter Crowdfunding Videos
- 5 Interesting Strategies in 5 Minutes
June 2019
- Highlighting a Few New Kickstarter Guidelines
- 10 Ways That Climbing Is Making Me a Better Creator
- 10 Ways to Be a Better Conversationalist
- Stay the Course: The Power of Customer Affirmation
- An Ode to James Mathe
- 4 Entrepreneurial Innovations in 4 Minutes
- When Is It Okay to Sell a Kickstarted Product Before Backers Receive It? (KS Lesson #267)
- What Makes You Feel More Special: Building Something Unique or Being Selected?
May 2019
- The Stonemaier Games Style Guide
- Kickstarter Pricing in a World of Different Shipping Fees, Taxes, and Tariffs (KS Lesson #266)
- The Truth About Stonemaier Games
- Play with Celebrities, Brand Registry, and Customer Applications (Business Brilliance #12)
- 3 Crowdfunding Videos About the End of a Campaign
- Cultivating a Lifestyle Brand vs Curating a Focused Brand
- A Coffee Cup Just for You (Business Brilliance #11)
- Kickstarter Fulfillment Explained in One Simple Infographic
- The Current State of Stretch Goals (2019)
April 2019
- At Your Convenience (Business Brilliance #10)
- Kickstarter Analytical Search
- I’d Like to Return This Product
- The Professional, Personal, and Private Lives of a Creator
- The Current State of Mergers and Acquisitions (2019)
- Try, Try, Try Again: How to Fund After Failing Twice (KS Lesson #265)
- The Euphoria Expansion Preorder: Less Ignorance, More Bliss
- I’m Excited About BackerTracker
- 3 Crowdfunding Videos About Marketing
March 2019
- Top 10 Reasons for the Rise in Popularity of Tabletop Games
- Saving an Underfunded Project in the Final Week (KS Lesson #264)
- The Box Matters: How Publishers Can Prioritize Diversity
- Is It Now Necessary to Successfully Fund Within the First 48 Hours on Kickstarter?
- The Current State of Play-and-Win (2019)
- A Heroic Attempt: A Close Look at a Current Kickstarter
- Wingspan Release Day: An Apology and an Explanation
- 2018 Behind-the-Scenes Stakeholder Report for Stonemaier Games
February 2019
- 3 Crowdfunding Videos About Community, Service, and Hooks
- Stonemaier Champion: One Year Later
- Three Weddings and a Baby
- The Mystery Gift (Business Brilliance #9)
- 200+ Artists and Graphic Designers Whose Work I Love
- Kickstarter Potpourri: 4 Things in 4 Minutes
- Is There Such Thing as a Dumb Idea? (KS Lesson #263)
- The Current State of Worldwide Fulfillment (2019)
January 2019
- Kickstarter Potpourri: 5 Things in 5 Minutes
- Our 6-Month MAPP Experiment and Why It Failed
- A Proposal: Let’s Not Talk Business Over Facebook Messenger and Text
- Kickstarter Lesson #262: How Much Is Your Time Worth?
- An Open Letter to Distributors and Retailers from Stonemaier Games
- Backer Poll: Does Your Tax Refund Impact Your Kickstarter Decisions?
- The Wingspan Preorder: Stats, Mistakes, and Lessons Learned
- A Lesson in Focus from Tainted Grail (KS Lesson #261)
- 2018 Year in Review
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December 2018
- The Teaser Trailer (KS Lesson #260)
- The Art of the Buffer (KS Lesson #259)
- 3 Crowdfunding Videos About Project Updates, Cancellations, and Leadership
- Make a Sale Every Day (KS Lesson #258)
- How Wingspan Took Flight in the First Week
- Cronuts and 100 Lovers (KS Lesson #257)
November 2018
- 5 Curiosities from Our 2018 Demographic Survey
- Is the Rising Number of $1 Backers a Problem? (KS Lesson #256)
- 23 Types of People for Whom I’m Grateful as a Small Business Owner
- Is There Value in One-of-a-Kind Products and Rewards? (KS Lesson #255)
- Are You Now Allowed to Use Kickstarter as a Preorder Store?
- Kickstarter Lesson #254: Fried Chicken and Proactive Post-Delivery Service
- 3 Crowdfunding Videos About Launch Day, Engagement, and Hearing Backer Feedback
- 3 New Kickstarter Features
- A Charitable Solution
October 2018
- Top 10 Most-Viewed Articles on This Blog
- Is This a Solution for Kickstarter Backer “Loans”?
- Is Kickstarter an Interest-Free Loan from Backers?
- If I Returned to Kickstarter, Here’s How I’d Do It
- If I Returned to Kickstarter…
- The Profit vs. Stonemaier Games
- Kickstarter Lesson #253: The Psychology of Anticipation
- The Dark and Light Side of FREE
- 3 Crowdfunding Videos About Empathy, Final Week Prep, and Retailers
September 2018
- Gift Commerce and the Stonemaier Games Gift Guide
- Design Day 2018
- Everything I’ve Learned as a YouTuber
- Artist Contracts and Stonemaier Games
- You Are Soliciting My Advice?
- 3 Fascinating Strategies by Recent Crowdfunding Projects
- I Am Soliciting Your Advice
- Labor Day: Fair Wages, Volunteer Compensation, and Job Application Update
August 2018
- The Secrets of Mad King Jamey
- Kickstarter Lesson #252: Group Pledges
- 3 Crowdfunding Videos About Stretch Goals, Shipping, and Worldwide Accessibility
- My Thoughts on the P500 Program
- Game Designer Contracts and Stonemaier Games
- 7 Insights that First-Time Kickstarter Creators May Not Know
- 10 Ratings for Gen Con 2018
July 2018
- A Work Day in the Life of Jamey Stegmaier
- Kickstarter Lesson #251: Why I Sometimes Use the Guest Bathroom
- What Business Are You In?
- Third-Party Accessories and Stonemaier Games
- 3 Crowdfunding Videos About Exclusives, Timing, and Trust
- Why So Many Tuesday Launches?
- The Future of Online Sales Tax Is Coming Soon to a State Near (or Far) from You
- Kickstarter Lesson #250: What Motivates People to Subscribe to an E-Newsletter?
- The Chocolate Factory Tour (Business Brilliance #8)
June 2018
- The Impact of “Back in Stock” Notifications
- 4 Impressive Strategies by Recent Crowdfunding Projects
- Do Backers Prefer Kickstarter’s Built-In Survey or Third-Party Pledge Managers?
- The Truth About Digital Board Games
- A Few Manufacturing Secrets
- Let’s Go Streaking: A Kickstarter Experiment
- My Struggle with Premium Pricing
May 2018
- 3 Crowdfunding Videos About the Funding Goal, Rewards, and Early Birds
- My Current Approach to Board Game Reviewers and Content Creators
- GDPR: What It Means for Crowdfunders
- 4 Intriguing Strategies Implemented by Publishers
- 3 Crowdfunding Videos About Feedback, the Project Page, and the Primary Video
- Which Banner Ad Message Gets the Most Clicks?
- Tattoos, Sharpies, & Pancakes: The Power of Honoring Your Backers
- 5 Lessons Learned from a Precise Launch Day
April 2018
- Kickstarter Lesson #249: Referrals and Affiliates
- Lessons Learned from Rhine Valley and Stonemaier Champions
- 5 Insightful Lessons from Recent Kickstarter Projects
- Kickstarter Lesson #248: Break the Internet to Make a Community
- How to Pitch (and Not Pitch) Your Game to Stonemaier Games
- Top 10 Short-Term Ways to Stumble into Long-Term Success
- 3 Crowdfunding Videos About Co-Founders, Bloggers, and Reviewers
- 10 More Indispensable Tools for Every Kickstarter Creator and Entrepreneur
March 2018
- Open Secrets (Business Brilliance #7)
- Kickstarter Lesson #247: How Thick Is Your Skin?
- How Gloomhaven and Xia Encourage Modding and Fan-Generated Content
- Kickstarter Lesson #246: Proactive Social Media Presence
- March Madness and Kickstarter
- Kickstarter Lesson #245: Should You Advertise and Preview Pre-Launch?
- 2017 Behind-the-Scenes Stakeholder Report for Stonemaier Games
- Fulfilling Your Dreams via A Fulfillment Service
- Why We Launched Stonemaier Champion
February 2018
- Funding Quests: A New Twist on the Stretch Goal System
- The Velocity of Customization
- Amazon: How to Survive the Biggest Online Jungle
- A Beginner’s Guide to Facebook Ads
- Kickstarter Lesson #244: Why I Avoid Meetings
- Track the Pizza (Business Brilliance #5)
- Kickstarter Lesson #243: Instagram
- Cut the Cord (Business Brilliance #4)
January 2018
- Breadmaker Games: Would You Use a Tabletop Game-Specific Crowdfunding Platform?
- 3 Crowdfunding Videos About Artists/Graphic Designers, Custom Art, and Accounting
- 6 Quick Links for Crowdfunders and Tabletop Creators
- My 2 Biggest Challenges as a Publisher
- Are You Too Popular? (Business Brilliance #3)
- Kickstarter Lesson #242: How I Run Our Facebook Groups
- Prove That You’re Premium (Business Brilliance #2)
- Top 10 Most-Viewed Articles of 2017
- Kickstarter Lesson 241: Customers Are Not Cows
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December 2017
- Lessons Learned from Charterstone
- Every Day Is Special (Business Brilliance #1)
- Results of 3 Experiments in 2017
- Kickstarter Lesson #240: Why Have a Release Date?
- 3 Crowdfunding Videos About First Contact, BoardGameGeek, and the Humble vs Epic Debate
- Kickstarter Lesson #239: I Was There When…
- Drip vs. Patreon vs. Kickstarter vs. Indiegogo vs. Shopify: A Choice for Ongoing Content Creators
- The Current State of Stretch Goals (2017)
November 2017
- Kickstarter Lesson #238: How to Write a Mass Email
- 20 Types of People for Whom I’m Grateful as a Small Business Owner
- Kickstarter Lesson #237: Entice New Backers with Kickstarter Live
- Kickstarter Lesson #236: Selecting the Best Testers
- Lessons Learned from Quitting Kickstarter as a Creator, Part 4
- Your Thoughts: How to Increase the Accessibility of the Stonemaier Games Charity Auction in 2018
October 2017
- 10 Kickstarter Lessons for Which I Changed My Mind
- Kickstarter Lesson #235: Surviving an Attack on Your Character
- A Different Approach to Job Applications: A Stonemaier Experiment
- 3 More Crowdfunding Videos
- An Open Letter to Gamers from a Growing Publishing Company
- 5 Recent Innovations in the Kickstarter World
- 10 Reasons That Determine Where We Buy
- Do You Really Need a Website in 2017?
- Kickstarter Lesson #234: Batman, The 7th Continent, and Skipping Retail
September 2017
- Kickstarter Lesson #233: The Telepathy of Empathy
- Design Day 2017
- 3 Red Herrings I Experienced While Planning My First Kickstarter (guest post)
- A Procrastinator’s Guide to Getting Stuff Done
- Kickstarter Lesson #232: Everything You Need to Know About Liability Insurance
- You Decide: Should Kickstarter Test This Idea?
- 5 Surprises from Our Demographic Survey
- A Short Note About Wages for Labor Day
August 2017
- 3 New Crowdfunding Videos
- Board Game Supply Chain Basics
- Fulfilling Kickstarter Rewards with Quartermaster Logistics
- Top 10 Highlights and Lessons Learned from Gen Con 2017
- Top 10 Things You Should Know About Gen Con
- New Crowdfunding Video Series
- 10 Simple Skills to Build Today So You Can Be a Better Crowdfunder Tomorrow
- Flatter Your Way into a New Industry
July 2017
- Previews, Reviews, and Everything in Between
- 2 Interesting Strategies Used Recently by Game Companies
- The Methods and Perils of Creating a US-Based Company for Kickstarter if You’re Not in the US
- The Danger of Accepting Pre-Orders via PayPal
- Casting a Wide Net Post-Kickstarter with InDemand
- 10 Ways I Market Stonemaier Games Post-Kickstarter
- Kickstarter Lesson 231: Cult of the You
- Kickstarter Lesson #230: Is Your Crowd Big Enough?
- A Crowdfunding Fulfillment Shipping Partner in Mexico
June 2017
- One Easy Way to Be a Better Emailer
- Kickstarter Lesson #229: When a Company Wants to Acquire You
- 10 Things I’ve Learned About Social Media This Year
- Kickstarter Lesson #228: Incentives and Strategies to Boost Day 1 Backers
- Authenticity, Passion, and a Squishy Red Ladle
- Kickstarter Lesson #227: Click Me! Share Me! Like Me!
- What Do Retailers Really Want?
- Everything Crowdfunders Need to Know About Advertising
May 2017
- 10 Things Kickstarter Creators Can Learn from Street Performers
- Kickstarter Lesson #226: When a Backer Threatens You
- The ROI of Geeking Out
- 5 Lessons from a Kickstarter Expert
- 2016 Behind-the-Scenes Stakeholder Report for Stonemaier Games
- My Big Tax Mistake of 2016
- Lessons Learned from Quitting Kickstarter as a Creator, Part 3
- You Decide: What Should I Write About Next?
- Marketing Products with Spoilers
April 2017
- Top 5 Things to Know About Content Marketing
- 3 Innovative Strategies Used by Current Crowdfunding Projects
- Kickstarter Lesson #225: Customer and Subscriber Acquisition Costs
- What Makes Kickstarter Special for Game Creators?
- Kickstarter Lesson #224: How to Apologize Better Than United Airlines
- Kickstarter Lesson #223: Should You Crowdfund a Reprint?
- Star Power: Does It Matter?
- Rising Sun: What I Learned as a Creator by Backing My First CMON Campaign
March 2017
- Can Indiegogo Bite into the Board Game Crowdfunding Market? A Guest Post by James Hudson
- Kickstarter Improvements: FAQ and Shopify Integration
- 5 Unique Tactics Used by Recent Crowdfunding Projects
- Kickstarter Lesson #222: How to Be Fair to Backers When You Make a Change
- One Box to Rule Them All
- Kickstarter Lesson #221: How Not to Start Your Work Day
- Kickstarter Lesson #220: Tastemakers
- The Surprise Business Lesson I Learned from Top Chef
- Kickstarter Lesson #219: The Power of Pre-Commitment
February 2017
- Kickstarter Lesson #218: Do You Choose Profit?
- The Current State of Early Birds and KS Exclusives (2017)
- Kickstarter Lesson #217: There and Back Again
- The 80-Hour Workweek
- How to Design a Board Game
- Kickstarter Lesson #216: The Leeroy Jenkins Approach to Marketing
- The Disembodied Teacher: How to Lecture via Skype
- Kickstarter Lesson #215: Your Post-Campaign Survival Kit
January 2017
- Business Has No Borders
- Kickstarter Lesson #214: How I Pick My Partners
- Kickstarter Lesson #213: The Halo Effect
- Kickstarter Lesson #212: Calculating and Paying Value-Added Tax (VAT)
- Kickstarter Lesson #211: It Can Hurt to Ask (Sometimes)
- Kickstarter Lesson #210: Live-Streaming Video
- The Current State of Play-and-Win (2017)
- Kickstarter Lesson #209: The Hook
- Top 10 Most Innovative Kickstarter Strategies of 2016
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December 2016
- Top 10 Most-Viewed Kickstarter Lessons of 2016
- Kickstarter Lesson #208: LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest
- Lessons Learned from Quitting Kickstarter as a Creator, Part 2
- Lessons Learned from Quitting Kickstarter as a Creator, Part 1
- 7 Thought-Provoking Kickstarter Projects
- Kickstarter Lesson #207: What Should You Do If Someone Won’t Pay?
- 2 Recent Innovations on Indiegogo
November 2016
- How to Ship Stuff Worldwide: 2016 Edition
- 20 Types of People for Whom I’m Thankful as a Small Business Owner
- 3 Questions to Ask Before Posting Something Controversial
- Kickstarter Lesson #206: Who Do You Root For?
- Kickstarter Lesson #205: One Simple Way to Significantly Improve Your Website Today
- Your Idea Is Brilliant, Your Idea Is Worthless (KS Lesson #204)
- 3 New Kickstarter Platform Changes
October 2016
- The Numbers Game
- My 3 Favorite Elements of the Leaders of Euphoria Kickstarter Campaign
- Kickstarter Lesson #203: The Impact of “Tell Us Anything”
- Your Thoughts: Corporate Holiday Gifts
- Your Thoughts: Following Creators on Kickstarter
- 10 Ways to Fund Your Book on Kickstarter
- Kickstarter Lesson #202: Local Pickup
- Kickstarter Lesson #201: A Step-by-Step Guide to Pricing Your Core Reward
September 2016
- Kickstarter Lesson #200: We Are Collectors
- Design Day 2016
- 5 Brilliant Crowdfunding Techniques in Current and Upcoming Kickstarter Campaigns
- Results of Scythe’s Money-Back Guarantee
- Kickstarter Lesson #199: How Can Backers Effectively Coach Creators?
- My First Kickstarter Campaign: The Untold Story
- Can You Afford to Launch a Kickstarter Campaign? A Guest Post About Pitching to Investors
- Kickstarter Lesson #198: Translation, Localization, and Language Independence
August 2016
- Kickstarter Lesson #197: How to Remove a Cat from Your Chair
- 6 Clever Methods Used by Recent Crowdfunding Projects
- You Decide: Is Now the Time for Third-Party Pledge Managers?
- Kickstarter Lesson #196: Outward-Facing Positivity
- The $1 Million Question
- Insights from Fulfilling Scythe, Part 2
- Top 10 Highlights and Lessons Learned from Gen Con 2016
July 2016
- Insights from Fulfilling Scythe, Part 1
- Lessons Learned from the Tuscany Essential Pre-Order Campaign
- Kickstarter Lesson #195: When Should You Fire a Customer?
- Kickstarter Lesson #194: Charities, Nonprofits, and Kickstarter
- Kickstarter Lesson #193: How to Respond to Happy Backers
- Shipping Innovations by Level99 Games
June 2016
- Kickstarter Lesson #192: High-Priced Item Campaigns
- Kickstarter Lesson #191: How to Go on Vacation
- Kickstarter Lesson #190: 4 More Elements of Great Customer Service
- Collaboration and Itemized Rewards: Kickstarter’s Latest Improvements
- Kickstarter Lesson #189: Can’t We Have This Conversation in Public?
- Guests of Honor at Conventions
- Kickstarter, Facebook, and Communication: Do You Feel Punished?
May 2016
- Kickstarter Lesson #188: No Money Changed Hands for This Review
- Kickstarter Lesson #187: The Best Time to Announce Your Project
- Crowdfunding Face to Face: A Geekway Retrospective
- How Much Does Presentation Matter?
- Kickstarter Lesson #186: The Vocal Minority vs. the Silent Majority
- 6 Insights from Recent Crowdfunding Campaigns
- Statistics and Lessons Learned from the Token Trilogy Pre-Order Campaign
- Kickstarter Lesson #185: First-Time Creators
- Lessons Learned from the Moor Visitors Pre-Order Campaign: Part 2
April 2016
- Kickstarter Lesson #184: How Many Units Should You Make?
- Fulfillrite: A Thorough (and Positive) Testimonial of a Shipping Service
- Why We’re Not Using Kickstarter for the Token Trilogy Pre-Order Campaign
- 5 Recent Crowdfunding Projects with Unique Strategies
- When a Kickstarter Creator Goes on Shark Tank
- Lessons Learned from the Moor Visitors Pre-Order Campaign: Part 1
- Why a Kickstarter Reputation System Could Reduce Prejudice
- Kickstarter Lesson #183: Epic-Level Rewards
March 2016
- Kickstarter Lesson #182: Sell Me This Pen
- Top 3 Lessons from When Kickstarter Blew Up My Life: A Guest Post
- Kickstarter Lesson #181: Love Your Competitors
- Top 20 Ways to Be a Better Reviewer (Guest Post)
- Kickstarter Lesson #180: How to Register Your Business in the US from Anywhere in the World
- Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Manufacturing in China
- 5 Recent Kickstarter Projects with Unique Strategies
- Kickstarter Lesson #179: Gauging Demand
- Kickstarter Lesson #178: The Danger of Free
February 2016
- Kickstarter Lesson #177: The “Everything, Forever” Reward Level
- Kickstarter Lesson #176: How to Maximize the New “Community” Tab
- Why We’re Running a Pre-Order Through Retailers
- Kickstarter Lesson #175: Adding New Rewards During a Campaign
- Top 10 Ways to Be a Likable Content Creator
- Building a Project Page Together with Your Core Audience (guest post)
- Kickstarter Lesson #174: Creating a Spectacle
- 4 Current Kickstarter Projects with Unique Strategies
- 3 Simple Steps to Learn If Your Art Is Good Enough for Kickstarter
January 2016
- Kickstarter Lesson #173: The Hidden Job of Every Kickstarter Creator
- Nike, Sneakerheads, and Kickstarter Exclusives
- The Current State of Stretch Goals (2016)
- Guest Post: In the Thick of It: Thoughts from a Crowdfunding Novice
- Kickstarter Lesson #172: Should Your First Project Be Epic or Humble?
- Kickstarter Lesson #171: The Project Timeline
- 5 Google Spreadsheets That Can Help Every Tabletop Game Crowdfunder
- Kickstarter Lesson #170: My Job Is Stress Relief…and I’m Not Very Good at It
2015 109
December 2015
- Top 10 Elements of Other Kickstarter Projects in 2015
- Top 10 Most-Viewed Kickstarter Lesson Posts of 2015
- An Open Letter to Game Designers
- Brewing Up and Screwing Up: Lessons Learned from the Cauldron Kickstarter (Guest Post)
- Backers Decide: What Makes You Want to Click (or Not Click) a Banner Ad?
- Kickstarter Lesson #168: How Kickstarter Refunds Work and the Results of the Between Two Cities/Treasure Chest Money-Back Guarantee
- The ROI on a For-Profit Business to Support Charities
November 2015
- Third Time’s the Charm: Lessons Learned from Failing Twice on Kickstarter (a guest post)
- 13 Types of People for Whom I’m Thankful as a Small Business Owner and Kickstarter Creator
- What Defamation Means to Kickstarter Creators
- Statistics from the Scythe Kickstarter Project
- The Top 3 Mistakes I Made on the Scythe Kickstarter (and a Few Things I’d Do Again)
- Behind the Scenes of Shipping 6,500 Kickstarter Rewards
- Guest Post: How to Put the “Fun” Back in Fundraising
- Kickstarter Lesson #167: The 4 Questions Creators Receive After the Campaign Ends
- Live-Blogging Lesson #12: Just the Facts, Please
October 2015
- Live-Blogging Lesson #11: Foreign Translations and Language Independence
- Live-Blogging Lesson #10: No, We Don’t Use a Pledge Manager
- Live-Blogging Lesson #9: No, It’s Just a Prototype
- Backer Tip: How to Be Prepared for Fluctuating Currency Values
- Live-Blogging Lesson #8: The Feeling of Running a Mega Project
- How to Build a Cloud Dungeon with 1,946 People
- The 7 Mistakes Crowdfunders Make the Day Before They Launch
- 5 Things Survivor Taught Me About Crowdfunding
- Some Thoughts on Hype, Scythe, and Harry Potter
- Kickstarter Lesson #166: Creating a Polished Project Video
- Meepillows: Mistakes, Maturations, and Musings (a guest post)
September 2015
- Design Day 2015
- Kickstarter Lesson #165: The Whiteboard Video
- Statistics and Lessons Learned from the Viticulture Essential Pre-Order Campaign
- Kickstarter Lesson #164: How to Automate Backer Address Updates
- Kickstarter Lesson #163: The Power of Certainty
- You Too Can Now Turn Off Kickstarter Video Autoplay…and Win!
- Kickstarter Lesson #162: When to Use a GIF Instead of a Static Image
- Send from China or Bend from China? A Guest Post by Brian Henk
August 2015
- Kickstarter Lesson #161: The Power of Public Progress
- Kickstarter vs. Indiegogo: Which Crowdfunding Site Should You Choose?
- 3 Interesting Web Apps for Crowdfunders
- Why I’m Done Selling Through Amazon FBA
- Kickstarter Lesson #160: The Main Project Image
- Hiring in a World of Volunteers
- Creating Promo Cards for Reviewers
- Kickstarter Lesson #159: Everything a Kickstarter Creator Needs to Know About Copyrights
- Top 10 Highlights and Lessons Learned from Gen Con 2015
July 2015
- Kickstarter Lesson #158: Why I Prioritize Paying Freelancers
- What Exactly Do You Look at When Browsing a Project Page?
- Interview with a Mega-Creator: Lisa Fetterman of Nomiku
- When Is the Right Time to Call Out a Company on Social Media?
- Kickstarter Lesson #157: The Gameplay or How-to-Use Video
- Kickstarter Lesson #156: 3 Tenets of Crowdfunding Leadership
- Kickstarter Lesson #155: The Most Dangerous Thing a Creator Can Do
- Kickstarter Lesson #154: Hip Surgery, Organization, and Customer-Facing Service
- Top 3 Ways to Maximize Your Crowdfunding Project’s Reach and Potential Through Online Advertising
June 2015
- Backers Decide: Autoplay or Not?
- A Key to the Stars: A Guest Post by Tau Ceti Designer Mike Strickland
- 4 Different Strategies for Featuring Reviews on Kickstarter
- Kickstarter Lesson #153: Selling Inventory vs. Accepting Pre-Orders: A Dual Solution
- 8 Current Crowdfunding Projects with Unique Strategies
- Kickstarter Lesson #152: Shipping Icons
- Kickstarter Lesson #151: How Can Backers Change Their Addresses?
- The Magic of Play-and-Win: Data from Geekway 2015
May 2015
- Top 3 Mistakes and Insights from the Transylvania Kickstarter: A Guest Post
- Kickstarter Lesson #150: The Power of a Personalized Message at First Contact
- How 3 Current Kickstarter Projects Say, “Trust Me”
- Kickstarter Lesson #149: How to Go Viral in Two Easy Steps
- Whose Name Is It Anyway? A Guest Post from the Creator of Cauldron
- 10 Ways I Would Update the Kickstarter Platform
- 3 Mistakes I Made on My First Kickstarter Tabletop Game Project…and How I Fixed Them in the Successful Relaunch: A Guest Post by Ryan Wolfe
- Statistics from the New Treasure Chest (2-4) Kickstarter Project
- Kickstarter Lesson #148: Google Analytics
April 2015
- Kickstarter Lesson #147: Prefundia
- Live-Blogging Lesson #7: What Do Backers Look for When Returning to a Project via the 48-Hour “Remind Me” Message?
- Backers Decide: Should Creators Message Backers Who Cancel?
- Live-Blogging Lesson #6: The Achievement System
- Live-Blogging Lesson #5: The Power of the Bundle
- Kickstarter Lesson #146: Start an E-Newsletter
- 4 Current Crowdfunding Projects with Unique Strategies
- 5 Things Don Draper Can Teach Us About Crowdfunding
- 4 Crowdfunding Fulfillment Shipping Partners in the US
- Kickstarter Lesson #145: Achievements vs. Stretch Goals
- Stonemaier Newsletter: April Fool’s Edition
March 2015
- Statistics from the Between Two Cities Kickstarter Project
- Kickstarter Lesson #144: How to Maximize the New “Spotlight” Feature
- 5 Current Kickstarter Projects with Unique Strategies
- The Top 3 Mistakes I Made on the Between Two Cities Kickstarter Project That You Can Avoid
- The Results of Our Money-Back Guarantee for Tuscany and the Treasure Chest
- Kickstarter Lesson #143: How Can I Make This Experience Better for You?
- Kickstarter Lesson #142: Selling Existing Inventory
- Kickstarter Lesson #141: The 5 Types of Spam That Creators Receive During Crowdfunding Campaigns…and What to Do About It
- Kickstarter Lesson #140: The Kickstarter Staff Pick
February 2015
- Kickstarter Lesson #139: Mitigating Kickstarter’s Frailty
- 3 Crowdfunding Fullfillment Shipping Partners in Canada
- Kickstarter Lesson #138: Should You Hire Someone Else to Run Your Crowdfunding Project for You?
- 8 Unique Elements of Recent Crowdfunding Projects
- The New Play-and-Win System
- Top 10 Other Websites that Teach You How to Be a Successful Crowdfunder
- Kickstarter Lesson #137: Should Repeat Creators Include a Reward Tier Specifically for Previous Backers?
- Kickstarter Lesson #136: What to Do If You Receive a Cease & Desist Letter Concerning Your Kickstarter
- Patreon Turns Me On
January 2015
- Everything I Learned About Shipping I Learned in Tuscany
- Enhancing Crowdfunding Projects with Freelancers: A Guest Post by T.R. Knight
- Kickstarter Lesson #135: Why We Share
- Legends, Lore, and Insights About Creating Pre-Painted Miniatures for a Crowdfunded Game
- New Treasure Chests
- An Open Letter to Kickstarter Backers from a Tiny Publishing Company
- The Compelling Power of Solo Play for Tabletop Game Kickstarters
- Kickstarter Lesson #134: Pull the Tooth
- Kickstarter Adopts Stripe Payment System: What Does This Mean for Creators and Backers?
- Kickstarter Lesson #133: The Psychological Benefits of Launching and Ending a Campaign Within the Same Month
2014 136
December 2014
- The Top 10 Lessons I Learned from Other Kickstarter Projects in 2014
- Kickstarter Lesson #132: The 6 Core Philosophies for Great Customer Service
- Kickstarter Lesson #131: Everything a Kickstarter Creator Needs to Know About Trademark Law
- Kickstarter Lesson #130: Maintaining Peace During Shipping Season
- Kickstarter Lesson #129: Picking the Right Name for Your Project
- Scythe, Hype, and Lessons Learned
- 4 Shipping Partners for Australia, New Zealand, and Asia
November 2014
- Black Friday and Kickstarter Creators
- 5 More Unique Elements of Current Kickstarter Projects
- Kickstarter Lesson #128: The Art of the Comment
- The Design Day
- Kickstarter Lesson #127: Give Each Backer a Voice
- Good Creator Bad Creator: A Guest Post by Brian Henk
- 8 Shipping Partners in the EU for Kickstarter Reward Fulfillment
- Kickstarter Lesson #126: Becoming a Publisher vs. Running Kickstarter Projects for Other People
- Kickstarter Lesson #125: Risks and Challenges
October 2014
- Kickstarter Updates Reward Shipping Options
- 15 Indispensable Tools for Every Kickstarter Creator and Entrepreneur
- 10 Better Reasons than KS Exclusives to Back a Kickstarter Project
- 5 Unique Elements of Current Kickstarter Projects
- The Curious Case of Overlapping Kickstarters: A Guest Post by Bernhard Hamaker
- How to Design and Publish an “Evergreen” Board Game
- KS Experiment #4: The Golden Ticket Strategy
- Kickstarter Lesson #124: If You Manufacture in China, Account for Chinese Holidays
- Backers Decide: Kickstarter Survey vs. Third-Party Pledge Manager
- Kickstarter Lesson #123: How to Give and Take Tough-Love Feedback
- Kickstarter Lesson #122: The 5 Love Languages of Crowdfunding
- From Obi-Wan to Mr. Miyagi: How to Select and Implement Advice from Your Kickstarter Sensei
- Kickstarter Lesson #121: Visioning
September 2014
- Kickstarter Lesson #120: How to Include People Who Don’t Know What Kickstarter Is
- The Project Video: Research, Storyboarding, Animatics, and More
- Kickstarter Lesson #119: Release with a Boom, Not a Whimper
- 4 Unique Elements of Current Kickstarter Projects
- Kickstarter Lesson #118: Is It Now Illegal to Deliver a Project “Late”?
- Kickstarter Lesson #117: The 3 Funding Scenarios You Must Plan for
- Kickstarter Lesson #116: The Magic of Automatic Currency Conversion
- Kickstarter Lesson #115: The Best Opening Lines for Project Updates and Backer E-mails
- Kickstarter Lesson #114: The 4 Legal Issues Every Kickstarter Creator Should Know
- Kickstarter Lesson #113: Why Every Project Should Have a $1 Reward Level
- Call to Action: Kickstarter International Shipping Options
- The Secrets to Making Your Tabletop Game Kickstarter Project Appealing to Retailers
- Kickstarter Lesson #112: Mega Projects and You
August 2014
- To Kickstart or Not to Kickstart: The Top 10 Reasons to Launch a Product via Crowdfunding
- 10 Daily Actions to Build Your Crowd
- Kickstarter Lesson #111: Should You Offer Multiple Copies of Your Product at a Reduced Bundled Price?
- KS Experiment #3: Backer-Influenced Stretch Goals
- Top 10 Lessons Learned and Highlights from Gen Con 2014
July 2014
- Guest Post: The Top 6 Things You Really Need to Know
- KS Experiment #2: The Higher the Funding Level, the Lower the Price for All Backers
- KS Lessons Full List – Chronological
- Kickstarter Lesson #110: The Shortcut to Kickstarter Success
- A New Model for Kickstarter Tabletop Game Projects
- Statistics from the Treasure Chest Kickstarter Project
- “People Not Pawns” Has a Publisher!
- Kickstarter Lesson #109: Seasonal Timing
- The Gift Economy
- Top 10 Lessons Learned and Data Points from the Treasure Chest Kickstarter
- A Clever IndieGoGo Innovation
- The Positives of Potato Salad
- Kickstarter Lesson #108: The Final 60 Hours
- The Problem with Potato Salad
- Kickstarter Lesson #107: How to Say No
- Learning from Zombicide’s Success
June 2014
- Kickstarter Lesson #106: Don’t Copy and Paste
- The Most Important Thing: A Guest Entry by Aaron Belmer
- Kickstarter Lesson #105: Minimum Viable Product
- Kickstarter Lesson #104: The One-Week Checklist
- Kickstarter Lesson #103: There Is No Perfect Pickle
- My Favorite Game This Month: Coconuts
- Cellar Rats, Rahdo, and Early Birds: An Interview with the Creator of Forge War
- Kickstarter Lesson #102: Passion Is Contagious
- Kickstarter Lesson #101: Momentum Breeds Success
- Lessons Learned from Filming the Bedtime Heroes Project Video: A Guest Post
- How Kickstarter’s New “Launch Now” Feature and Simplified Rules Help Both Creators and Backers
- The Hard Data Behind Play-and-Win
- Canada’s New Anti-Spam Laws and You: How Kickstarter Creators Can Avoid $10 Million in Fines
May 2014
- Risk Management and KickSure
- Kickstarter Lesson #100: The 3 Secrets to Marketing
- Kickstarter Lesson #99: Backer-Only Project Updates
- Kickstarter Lesson #98: Creation Is Leadership
- Kickstarter Lesson #97: Delivering on Time
- Your Thoughts on Our Tournament
- Kickstarter Lesson #96: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due…Including to Yourself
- An Open Letter to New Reviewers of Board Games from a Tiny Publishing Company
- Kickstarter Lesson #95: The Top 10 Ways to Address the Mid-Campaign Slump
- How to Form and Strengthen Bonds with Backers: A Guest Entry by the Creator of “Linkage”
- Kickstarter Lesson #94: The Top 10 Ways to Survive and Thrive on BoardGameGeek
- My Favorite Game This Month: Lords of Waterdeep
- Statistics from the Tuscany Kickstarter Project
April 2014
- Kickstarter Lesson #93: Overestimating and Underestimating Your Tribe
- Kickstarter Lesson #92: The Psychological Benefits of Ending Price Points with the Number 9
- Kickstarter Lesson #91: My Thoughts on Campaign Boosting Services
- GabbyCon 2014 and Mensa
- Kickstarter Lesson #89: How to Get Google to Rank Your Website Higher Than Your Kickstarter Project Page
- 5 Minor Mistakes We Made on Tuscany That You Can Avoid (and 3 Insights)
- The Top 3 Kickstarter Mistakes We Made on Tuscany That You Can Avoid
- How to Build Backer Allegiance: A Guest Post
- You Are Your Own Gatekeeper
- Kickstarter Lesson #90: What You Should Do for 30 Minutes After Posting a Project Update
- Kickstarter Lesson #88: Project Creep
- Kickstarter Lesson #169: How to Have Fun with Your Backers
March 2014
- Top 10 All-Time Kickstarter Lessons and Blog Posts (by page views)
- Live-Blogging Lesson #5: External Add-Ons
- Live-Blogging Lesson #4: The Value of Agonizing Over Your Project Page
- Live-Blogging Lesson #3: Updating Previous Projects
- Live-Blogging Lesson #2: The Value of Ambassadors
- Kickstarter Lesson #87: Custom Art
- Fate Won’t Decide the Success of Your Kickstarter Relaunch–You Will: Insights from Jeff Cornelius
- Live-Blogging Lesson #1: Filtering Cancellations
- Kickstarter Lesson #86: Preventing a Dud
- Kickstarter Lesson #85: Card Frames
- Kickstarter Lesson #84: Coordinating Staggered Launch and End Dates
- Kickstarter Lesson #83: Custom Meeples and Review Prototypes
- Kickstarter Lesson #82: Contests
February 2014
- My Favorite Game This Month: For Sale
- Fixing Mistakes Before You Make Them: Insights from the Meeple Source Kickstarter
- Kickstarter Lesson #81: Don’t Quit Your Day Job (and How to Quit Your Day Job)
- Kickstarter Lesson #80: How to Create Community Through Conversation on Kickstarter
- The Results of Euphoria’s Money-Back Guarantee
- Kickstarter Was Hacked: What It Means for New Backers, Current Backers, and Creators
- Realistic Resource Selection Poll: Raw and Refined
- Tuscany Announcement, Extended Game Board, and Contest
- Kickstarter Face-Off #4: International Shipping
- Kickstarter Lesson #79: Cancellations
- Treasure Chest Resource Selection Poll
- An Open Letter to Small Game Conventions from a Tiny Publishing Company
January 2014
- Kickstarter Lesson #78: Creating Card Prototypes for Third-Party Reviewers
- Kickstarter Lesson #77: The 10 Reasons I’ll Back a Kickstarter Project
- Building an Epic, Not-so-Tiny Kingdom of Backers: An Interview with Michael Coe
- Kickstarter Lesson #76: How to Run a Game Expansion Kickstarter Campaign
- Kickstarter Face-Off #3: Early-Bird Reward Levels
- Lessons Learned: Insights, Mistakes, and Solutions for Offering Worldwide Shipping on Kickstarter
- Kickstarter Face-Off #2: Big Companies on Kickstarter
- Kickstarter Lesson #75: Include at Least One Must-Have Component
- Kickstarter Face-Off #1: Exclusive Content
- The Top 10 Lessons I Learned from Other Kickstarter Projects in 2013
2013 130
December 2013
- The Top 10 Things I Learned About Game Design in 2013
- 3 Wrongs, 2 Rights and 1 Who Knows – Lessons from the What the Food?! Kickstarter
- Kickstarter Lesson #74: Help Them First
- Video Announcement: This Is What Tuscany Is
- Kickstarter Lesson #73: The Art of Pitching
- Kickstarter Lesson #72: The 10 Elements of Great Customer Service for a Kickstarter Creator
- How to Make It About Them: The Viticulture Charity Auction
November 2013
- Kickstarter Lesson #71: People Are More Compelling Than Numbers
- My Favorite Game This Month: Terra Mystica
- How to Generate $450k in Post-Kickstarter Retail Sales: An Interview with the Creators of Boss Monster
- Kickstarter Lesson #70: How to Sell the Retail Version of Your Product Online Post-Kickstarter
- The King’s New Armory: Interview with the Creator
- Kickstarter Lesson #69: The Address Update Email
- Two Kickstarters and a Boom: Interview with the Creators
- 4 Great Reasons for Kickstarter Game Creators to Attend Essen Spiel
- Kickstarter Lesson #68: You Don’t Need to Launch Today
October 2013
- You Tell Me: Why Wouldn’t You Use Kickstarter?
- Kickstarter Lesson #67 (video): Print-and-Play Reward Levels
- Kickstarter Lesson #66: The Psychological Benefits of Framing Your Project’s Potential
- Kickstarter Lesson #65: How to Get US Backers if You’re Running a Non-US-Based Kickstarter Campaign
- Kickstarter Lesson #64: The Psychological Benefits of Showing Your Face
- Kickstarter Lesson #63: Stay Focused or Lose Backers
- Kickstarter Lesson #62: Early Bird Pledge Levels
- Kickstarter Lesson #61: Post-Campaign Communication
- Kickstarter Lesson #60: Exclusive Content
September 2013
- Kickstarter: The Book
- An Open Letter to Kickstarter: No More “Or More”
- My Favorite Game This Month: Boss Monster
- Kickstarter Lesson #59: The Myth of MSRP
- Kickstarter Lesson #58: How to Manage Toxic Backers
- Kickstarter Lesson #57: It’s Not Kickstarter’s Job to Give You Backers
- Kickstarter Lesson #56: How to Effectively Research Other Kickstarter Projects
- Kickstarter Lesson #55: Starting and Sustaining a Kickstarter-Driven Business
- Kickstarter Lesson #54: Reward Levels: The Premium Option
- Kickstarter Lesson #53: Replacement Parts
- Interview with the Most Prolific Game Backer on Kickstarter
- Kickstarter Lesson #52: Write a Blog
- Kickstarter Lesson #51: Cross-Promotion Between Kickstarter Projects
August 2013
- Daniel of the Ball: An Interview
- Kickstarter Lesson #50: How to Reboot an Unsuccessful Kickstarter Project
- Kickstarter Lesson #49: To Cancel or to Finish
- Kickstarter Lesson #48: It’s Okay to Say No
- Kickstarter Lesson #47: This Project Is EU Friendly
- The Top 10 Things You Should Know About Gen Con if You Know Nothing About Gen Con
- Kickstarter Lesson #46: Your Target Audience Is Not “Everyone”
- Kickstarter Lesson #45: Partnership
- Kickstarter Lesson #44: How to Kick It Forward Without Kicking It Forward
- Triple Threat: The Tessen Rapid-Fire Interview
- The Interview
- Kickstarter Lesson #43: Press Releases
- Chaos and Alchemy: The Designer Reveals the Secret to Making Gold
July 2013
- Kickstarter Lesson #42: The Backer Survey
- Kickstarter Lesson #41: Etiquette in the Public Eye
- Testing the Waters of Consultation
- Kickstarter Lesson #40: Should You Offer the Kickstarter-Exclusive Version of Your Product After the Campaign?
- The Agents: The Interrogation Begins
- Kickstarter Lesson #39: Anatomy of a Great Kickstarter Project Page
- The Results of Viticulture’s Money-Back Guarantee
- Kickstarter Lesson #38: Be Mentally Prepared for Cancellations
- SoberDough: My Bread and Butter
- Euphoria: Stats Edition
- I Backed a Backer: Bluebird Man
- $2,000 Viticulture Expansion Design Contest
June 2013
- Interview with a Vampire: TC Petty III
- 5 Kickstarter Mistakes We Made on Euphoria That You Can Avoid (and 1 Regret)
- How to Provide “Free” Shipping Worldwide on Kickstarter: A Comprehensive Guide
- How to Have a Successful Kickstarter Project and Not Lose Your House
- Which Grayscale Board Do You Prefer?
- Euphoria Cards: Glossy vs. Linen
- Are You a Euphorian, Subterran, Wastelander, or Icarite?
May 2013
- Miner Meeple Poll and Backer Location Poll
- Kickstarter Retrospective #2: What You Can Learn from Paradise Fallen
- Tournament of the Apocalypse Finals
- Tournament of the Apocalypse: Semifinals
- Tournament of the Apocalypse Round 2: Day 2
- Tournament of the Apocalypse Round 2: Day 1
- Tournament of the Apocalypse: Final Matchups of the First Round
- Tournament of the Apocalypse: Day 3
- Tournament of the Apocalypse: Day Two
- Let the Tournament of the Apocalypse Begin!
- Let’s Build a Better Dystopia Together
- Kickstarter Lesson #37: Conventions and Face Time
- Euphoria: Build a Better Kickstarter Video
- Kickstarter Lesson #36: For Better or for Worse
- Kickstarter Limitations and How to Work Around Them
April 2013
- Which Tabletop Game Have You Played the Most?
- Kickstarter Lesson #34: The Final Hour
- Kickstarter Lesson #33: The Final 48 Hours
- Kickstarter Lesson #32: The Final Week
- Galactic Strike Force: Interview with Greater Than Games’ Paul Bender
- Euphoria Subtitle Poll
- Kickstarter Lesson #31: Micro Goals
- Kickstarter Lesson #30: The Matching Pledge
- Kickstarter Lesson #29: Hometown Press and Local Media
- Game Design Interview: Police Precinct
- Kickstarter Lesson #28: Social Networks
- The Top 5 Geekstarter Projects
- Kickstarter Lesson #27: Bloggers, Podcasters, and Reviewers
- Kickstarter Lesson #26: Paid Advertising and How Backers Find Your Project
March 2013
- Kickstarter Lesson #25: Reddit
- Kickstarter Lesson #24: Backer Engagement
- Kickstarter Lesson #23: Setting and Achieving Goals
- Kickstarter Retrospective #1: What You Can Learn from Dungeon Roll’s Success
- Kickstarter Lesson #22: The Money-Back Guarantee and Trust
- I Backed a Backer: Michael Mindes of Tasty Minstrel Games
- Kickstarter Lesson #21: Kicktraq
- Kickstarter Lesson #20: Flexibility, Filtering, and Responding to Feedback
- Kickstarter Lesson #19: The Daily Dashboard Screenshot
- I Backed a Backer: The Emperor’s New Clothes
- Kickstarter Lesson #18: Project Updates
- Kickstarter Lesson #17: Treat Your Backers as Individuals, Not Numbers
- Kickstarter Lesson #16: Launch Day
February 2013
- Kickstarter Lesson #15: Finishing Touches: FAQ and Preview
- Kickstarter Lesson #14: The Value of Add-Ons
- Kickstarter Lesson #13: Explaining Why You Need the Funds
- Funding the Dream Podcast Part 2
- I Backed a Backer: Deck of Thieves
- Kickstarter Lesson #12: Shipping
- Kickstarter Lesson #11: Stretch Goals
- Kickstarter Lesson #10: The Taste Test & Stealing Ideas
- Kickstarter Lesson #9: Timing and Length
- Kickstarter Lesson #8: Reward Levels
January 2013
- Funding the Dream on Kickstarter
- Kickstarter Lesson #7: The Funding Goal
- Kickstarter Lesson #6: The Project Video
- Kickstarter Lesson #5: Connecting with Bloggers
- Kickstarter Lesson #4: Accounting and Finances
- Kickstarter Lesson #3: Art and Graphic Design
- The Game of Game Night
- Kickstarter Lesson #2: Back Other Projects