This week we’re continuing crowdfunding month with an incredible story about two women, an iPhone, and a vision. Though they had so little, they set out on their Kickstarter journey with their goal set about as high as it could go: To create the most-funded book campaign ever. Today I’m interviewing one of the creators of that campaign, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls co-author Francesca Cavallo.
When you hear how much was put into this, you’ll find this is far from an overnight success story. Timbuktu, the company Francesca began with her partner Elena, relied on their Kickstarter campaign just to stay afloat. It was, literally, make it or break it.
In this episode, I go in depth with Francesca about the record-breaking crowdfunding campaign. We also talk about about how Timbuktu was started and what challenges Francesca and Elena have faced in creating children’s products on digital mediums. Later, Francesca breaks down the strategy and planning behind the campaign and what tools were used to ensure its success. She also talks about what it was like in the aftermath of the campaign, and how she and Elena kept their focus in the windstorm of success. The story behind the launch of Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls is one about courage, daring, and standing behind your dreams no matter what. It’s a wild ride and a masterclass in Kickstarter campaigning. Let’s get started!
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Special thanks to Francesca for joining me this week. Until next time!
Today’s Guest
Francesca Cavallo
Hear the story of one of the most daring and successful Kickstarter campaigns of all time: Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls. I’m chatting with Francesca Cavallo, one of the book’s authors and creators about how she and her partner, Elena, created the most-funded book campaign with just an iPhone and a dream.
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You’ll Learn
- How Francesca and Elena launched a company based on their convictions and passion.
- What challenges Francesca and Elena faced when launching children’s apps on the App Store.
- How Francesca and Elena networked, designed prototypes, and built a community for their book before their Kickstarter ever launched.
- How Francesca and Elena launched a $675,614 Kickstarter campaign with a team of two and an iPhone.
- How Francesca and Elena compiled a targeted PR list for their campaign.
- What tools, apps, and tricks that Timbuktu used for launching the most-funded book on Kickstarter.
- Why Francesca and Elena elected to self-publish Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls.
- How Francesca and Elena kept their focus after the storm of their success.
- Why Francesca and Elena turned down a $1 million publication deal.
- How Francesca and Elena crowdfunded a second time for the same project on Indiegogo, and more!
