creative crowdfunding in action

In an interview with the greenhouse of social technologies, the co -founder of BoomStarter Evgeny Gavrilin spoke about the financing of creative projects, the intersection of their audiences and why there is no investment crowdfunding in Runet.

Interviewed by Evgeny Voropay

E.V.: Before the launch of BoomStarter, you and your partner were engaged in Internet advertising and media projects. Crowdfunding was not part of your professional interests, and yet you launched the project, why?

EG: My partner Ruslan Tugushev came up with the idea of ​​creating a project in the field of investment crowdfunding. We by nature startups and understand how difficult it is to find money for the implementation of our own projects. BoomStarter should help users solve this problem.

The investment crowdfunding project could not be implemented. This required serious financial costs, the study of many legal and legal issues, plus there were some doubts about the concept - since everything is so smooth, why the idea has not yet been implemented in Russia or in the West.

So we found Kickstarter a project that helps finance user creative initiatives. They began to evaluate the effectiveness of this resource, its business model, and many, many "dollar zeros" appeared in the eyes. We decided to repeat his success, but already in Runet. They copied the business model, but decided to change the strategy and develop other directions within the framework of crowdfunding.

E.V.: Craudfunding sites are often compared with each other. What are you doing to avoid analogy?

EG: In this period of time, we are not very different from Kickstarter. But, I think, users will be able to notice significant changes in two to three months. Visually and modly we will be very different. "Boomstarter" He did not set the task different from Russian crowdfunding sites. I believe that at the moment there are two working resources in Runet, the rest are more than unsuccessful.

E.V.: Two months before the launch of Boomstarter, Planet.ru appeared in Runet. Did I have to change something conceptually in order to rebuild from the competitor?

EG: Absolutely nothing. We work on the principle of "all or nothing." If a person asks for the implementation of the project 200 thousand rubles, but collects 150 thousand, the action did not take place, the money is returned to users. We are sure that it is impossible to make qualitatively what requires money, but is realized for smaller ones. In this regard, Planet.ru is more loyal - the authors of the projects receive any amount of donations. They are a little easier than we attract the authors. Nevertheless, we still believe that our model is the most correct for crowdfunding.

E.V.: The team of managers is engaged in the search for creative projects for BoomStarter. What does this process look like?

EG: Everything is quite simple, I would even say, traditionally, these are calls, communication with creative guys, social networks. Do not forget about the category of users that comes to us on their own. "Boomstarter" It is quite famous in creative circles, and people themselves send applications. Then the technical work begins. Managers filter incoming applications, select projects that suit us.

E.V.: Such a policy “Boomstarter” does not repel the authors of projects?

EG: Honestly, it is alarming. This is primarily due to laziness. Many people just want to fill their project and, without doing anything, get some money. As practice shows, only those projects receive the right to life, the authors of which work on their popularization and promotion.

Now we plan to hold Webinars on which we will give some advice on how to promote the project on the network and collect funds for it.

E.V.: BoomStarter does not work with charity projects. Is this due to the business model or are there any other reasons?

EG: People support charity, but they don’t give money to it on the Web. This scheme is already spoiled. If we start placing such initiatives, then our target audience will cease to go to us. But at the same time, Boomstarter Ready to participate in some social projects. The main thing is that there would be a real form of crowdfunding.

E.V.: To help the authors of projects, you attract fuel-off companies. How can “angels” help with finances?

EG: Curators do not pay to the authors. They help projects to raise the necessary funds using their media resource. For example, we work with Vesti.ru. Messages with information about some initiatives periodically appear on their website. Further, the user reads the material, crosses the link to the page with the project and can finance it. For fuel companies, this is an opportunity to be involved in creative crowdfunding.

E.V.: Do you check the originality and novelty of the artists of projects?

EG: If the ideas are innovative, then most likely we have no competencies to check them. Therefore, most often "BoomStarter" does not do this. The project does not take any legal obligations. Of course, we give some recommendations and warn about possible conflicts. If the author stole or copied the idea, all friction arises between him and the person who owns the idea. "Boomstarter" It works as a payment system. We reduce projects with “sponsors” and take our commission for this.

E.V.: Is there a market for crowdfunding in Russia? What share do you count on it?

EG: There is definitely a market. Russia is at the very beginning of the journey. As for the share, "BoomStarter" It occupies exactly half the market. Every day we launch three or four projects-this is the best indicator in Runet. Even the mentioned Planet.ru does not have such indicators. Crowdfunding is a growing market. In 2013, he can grow tens, hundreds of times.

New directions, additional sites begin to appear. We analyze the growth of the Western market and find much in common with the Russian. "Boomstarter" Grows - the average user check increases. After the launch of Kickstarter, their indicators were at 25 dollars, ours hold at the level - 40. We gradually increase the number of projects and the amount of their financing. I believe that we have a positive dynamics - out of 100 registered users, 25% are “sponsors”.

E.V.: In the work of BoomStarter you use the Kickstarter business model. How can the principle of “all or nothing” take root in Runet?

E.G.: To say that this principle has taken root in Runet, so far. First of all, because the market of Russian crowdfunding has not yet been formed. But for this there are all the prerequisites. I believe that crowdfunding should exist only on such conditions.

Our mission is to make life brighter, more interesting and better. And only by realizing the principle of “all or nothing” can be achieved. I do not believe in the history "with the world on the thread." “All or nothing” excludes the possibility of deception, manipulations, he cannot discredit crowdfunding. We believe that world experience in such principles will take root in Russia, because the number of creative, interesting people we have many times more than in any other country.

E.V.: B “BoomStarter” helps to find funding in different projects. Which of them are commercially most profitable?

E.G.: We do not pose a question in this way. Users are ready to invest in any projects. When the author places his project on one of the sites, his first “sponsors” are friends, relatives, acquaintances, and only then the intersection of audiences begins. Therefore, categories are not so important.

"BoomStarter" helped one girl to raise money for a book with poetry. It would seem that this is not a popular direction in Russia at all, but the project collected about 150 thousand rubles. It is not the topic that is important, but how the author works with his potential audience.

E.V.: The “effect of getting used” to crowdfunding sites is inevitable. What does BoomStarter do to maintain users' interest in the site and its projects?

EG: Do not believe it, nothing. This is due to the fact that the crowdfunding model is very new. We consider BoomStarter as an online store for the sale of ideas or services that do not yet exist.

Interest in crowdfunding can be lost, but the need for consumption is not possible to replace. People constantly buy something, only the formats of the offered services are changing. We are now considering the launch of investment crowdfunding, events, the creation of individual communities, online stores.