“You have to work on the business first before it works for you.”
– Idowu Koyenikan
A quick update on the project.
Our latest planned launch date has passed and if we had actually launched, you’d have been notified. Since you didn’t get a heads up three days before today, then I’m sure you’ve assumed correctly that we did not launch.
So, here’s where we’re at. Everything that needed to happen since the last update did happen. The clip art was used to create the images needed for the Indiegogo page. And the pitch video was finalized using input from some of you and it has been uploaded and can be seen on our pre-launch page. So, if that’s all we needed….then why delay any further?
In short, it’s common practice, through testing your campaign (using lots of great information provided by the pioneers of crowdsourcing), to find out that you’re not quite ready. What we found is that we had additional opportunities to improve, not just this campaign but future business operations as well. So this means taking more time to prepare.
The new additions to our process are:
- We have a new artist! So, in conjunction with the existing clip art images that I created, we’ll also use her custom creations to improve cohesion in the campaign page. It will give a more professional look, and will be more enticing to potential donors who may be on the fence or to people who are using the Indiegogo search engine to find interesting projects to invest in. It’s been said in many a college business lecture, “The number one reason why businesses fail is a lack of funding.” (I.E. Resources). In the indie film world, you often have to use the resources you have and just “make it work”, which is kind of alternative. But, when you have new resources staring you in the face, I think it’s wise to fall back on conventional wisdom.
- The second thing to come around and bolster our efforts, is a friend and mentor who is a fifth generation Austin-ite, non-profit proprietor, an excellent communicator (better than me by far), and pretty much a pillar of the community here in central Texas, has offered to help us with our outreach. Some of you may have already gotten an email from Stephen Kinney regarding our project. If not, be on the look out. When Steve and I met about it, I realized I had additional contacts from my company database that had been on ice for years since I left the systems integration business. I’m now working to purge, tag and sort out my additional contacts so that we can include them in the outreach.
Since we’ve pushed back several times, maybe it would be a good idea to refrain from setting a new launch date. Rather, I think I’ll share that the absolute latest we should launch is September 1. That would give me two months to finish the 30 day campaign and get much of the perks organized and begin delivery before the new NBA season begins.
I’ll be in touch soon with more information for any of you who would like to help us spread the word with friends, family, or even people you meet at work or around town. In case you were not aware, this film is officially a University of Texas thesis project. I find that this is a pretty good ice breaker because it shows a level of authenticity and integrity in the project, the voice, and the crew that had a hand in bringing it to light.
Thanks for your continued interest and patience while we do our best to do this thing the right way.
Please share the following link with anyone you know who would like to stay up to date with our progress.
http://bit.ly/TheLandPreLaunch
That’s it!
-Blake