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PODCAST

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business, & Beyond!

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing For Board Games & Beyond!

Crowdfunding Nerds is a practical, behind-the-scenes podcast for creators looking to launch and scale successful crowdfunding campaigns. Since 2019, the Crowdfunding Nerds team has helped creators raise over $40M on Kickstarter and Gamefound while generating more than $100M in ecommerce sales. From pre-launch strategy to post-campaign growth, the show delivers real-world marketing insights, campaign breakdowns, and lessons from both first-time creators and major IPs like Avatar: The Last Airbender,

business marketing

All Episodes

57:17

Catch Up & Random Marketing Thoughts | Ep. 304

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/10/05

More pledges don’t always mean more money in your pocket. Andrew is back, and between welcoming baby number eight and catching up with Sean, he’s got a few things to say about crowdfunding marketing fees.In this episode of Crowdfunding Nerds, we unpack Andrew’s experience with commission-based marketing, why a bigger campaign total isn’t the same as a healthier bottom line, and when it makes sense to spread your ad budget beyond Meta. Sean shares a recent Reddit ads success, his “delegate or die”

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52:59

Should AI Be Used In Your Game Design? | Ep. 303

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/09/28

What happens when AI can create artwork that’s almost impossible to distinguish from something made by a human?Sean, Donnie, and Jacob dive into the increasingly complicated relationship between AI-generated art and the board game industry. They discuss why publishers are tempted by AI’s speed and lower costs, why portions of the tabletop community remain strongly opposed to it, and whether human-made artwork could actually become more valuable as AI-generated content becomes

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45:29

Performance Based Marketing Is A Scam? | Ep. 302

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/09/21

Performance-based marketing sounds like an easy win: no big agency fee upfront, someone else handles the ads, and they only get paid when they generate results. But is the deal actually as aligned with publishers as it sounds?In this episode, Sean and Donnie break down the realities of performance-based marketing for crowdfunding campaigns. They discuss the challenges of accurately attributing sales, how commission-based incentives can encourage aggressive ad spending, and why publishers need to

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41:45

Assets Needed For Killer Ads | Donnie Chase and Jacob...

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/09/14

What assets do you actually need to create a bangarang crowdfunding landing page—and ads that convert?Sean is joined by Crowdfunding Nerds team members Jacob Cecil and Donnie to break down the creative assets every board game and RPG creator should have ready before launching a marketing campaign. They explain why a 3D box render is practically non-negotiable, what types of artwork and component shots make landing pages more compelling, and why some of the simplest ad creatives can outperform

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58:26

Game Design & Marketing With Stephen Glicker | Ep. 300

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/09/07

What actually makes a tabletop game successful? According to Roll for Combat publisher Stephen Glicker, creating a great game is only one piece of a much bigger puzzle.Sean sits down with Stephen to unpack nearly five decades of gaming experience and the lessons he’s learned building Roll for Combat and Battlezoo into major third-party publishers for Pathfinder, D&D, Shadowdark, and now Deathbringer. Stephen shares how his background in publishing, advertising, video games, and even studying

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49:26

SEO For Tabletop Publishers | Ep. 299

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/08/31

SEO is changing. AI is changing search. But does that mean everything you knew about getting discovered online is suddenly useless?Not exactly. Crowdfunding Nerds SEO wizard and original co-host Richard is back to talk about what tabletop creators need to know about SEO, AI search, branding, and getting their games discovered online. Richard and Sean dig into why brand presence matters more than ever, how AI tools find and recommend products, and why being mentioned across places like

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61:50

Timmy, Johnny & Spike | Ep. 298

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/08/24

Why do some players crave big, memorable moments while others obsess over clever combinations or competitive wins? Understanding those motivations can help you design a stronger game—and market it more effectively. In this episode of Crowdfunding Nerds, Andrew and Sean explore the psychographic profiles behind different types of gamers. They unpack the classic Timmy, Johnny, and Spike archetypes, explain how Vorthos and Melvin players experience games differently, and connect these profiles to the

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68:57

Drivers & Catchers: 2026 Edition | Ep. 297

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/08/17

Most creators know they need marketing, but very few understand what actually creates demand versus what simply captures it.In this episode of Crowdfunding Nerds, Andrew Lowen and Sean dive deep into one of the most important marketing concepts for crowdfunding creators: Drivers vs. Catchers. They explain why many campaigns mistakenly attribute sales to the wrong marketing channels, how platforms like Meta, Google, Amazon, YouTube, conventions, and now ChatGPT all serve different purposes, and why

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67:16

Fulfillment Nightmares with Konstantinos Manos | Ep. 296

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/08/10

Fulfillment can make or break your crowdfunding campaign, and most creators don't realize how much can go wrong until it's too late. In this episode, Andrew sits down with Konstantinos Matos of Hive Interactive and Vesuvius Media to unpack the realities of international fulfillment, freight logistics, and why even experienced publishers still encounter unexpected disasters.With over 21 successful Kickstarter campaigns under his belt, Konstantinos shares real-world horror stories, from missing

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68:53

You know what really grinds our gears?! | Ep. 295

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/08/03

This week on Crowdfunding Nerds, Andrew and Sean open the curtain on the realities of crowdfunding, publishing, and marketing by sharing the things that truly “grind their gears.” From low-effort projects and unrealistic expectations to anonymous criticism and poor communication, this episode is a candid look at the mistakes creators make that can derail campaigns and business relationships. The conversation explores how creators can avoid common pitfalls, why honest feedback is often difficult to

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72:45

How To Stay Productive After Kickstarter | Ep. 294

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/07/27

Most creators dream about launching a successful Kickstarter, but what happens after your first campaign? In this episode of Crowdfunding Nerds, Andrew and Sean wrap up their marketing series by exploring the bigger picture: how to build a publishing company that lasts. They discuss why your first campaign should be viewed as the foundation, not the finish line, and why cultivating a passionate audience is far more valuable than chasing a viral launch. The conversation also dives into creative

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70:11

How To Craft Stories For Your Tabletop Games | Ep. 293

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/07/20

What makes a story unforgettable?In this episode, Andrew shares what he learned after writing more than 80,000 words for the upcoming Deliverance: Council of the Fallen campaign. From surveying players to rewriting an entire campaign narrative, this conversation dives into the craft of storytelling, worldbuilding, and creating narratives that genuinely engage an audience. Whether you're designing a board game, writing fiction, building a Kickstarter campaign, or simply trying to tell better stories

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60:13

How to Market Your Kickstarter: Ecommerce | Ep. 292

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/07/13

E-commerce is where many crowdfunding creators expect the hard work to be over—but in reality, it's the beginning of an entirely new challenge. In this episode, Andrew and Sean break down what it actually takes to build a profitable online store after your crowdfunding campaign ends. They discuss why successful e-commerce is built on testing, data, and continual optimization—not luck or guarantees. Drawing from years of experience managing marketing campaigns for tabletop games and other businesses,

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66:15

Why did Bloodstone Fail? | Ep. 291

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/07/06

Episode 291 - What happens when a professionally produced crowdfunding campaign still falls short of expectations? In this episode of Crowdfunding Nerds, Andrew and Sean take a deep dive into the recent Bloodstone campaign on Gamefound—a campaign that raised over $180,000 but still left many wondering why it didn't meet expectations. The discussion isn't about criticizing a creator. Instead, it's an honest case study exploring why even experienced publishers with beautiful campaign pages, premium

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60:22

How to Market Your Kickstarter: The Late Pledge | Ep....

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/06/29

Episode 290 - Most creators treat the end of their crowdfunding campaign like the finish line. In reality, it's the beginning of the next phase. In this episode, Andrew and Sean dive into one of the most overlooked opportunities in crowdfunding: late pledges. They explain how creators can continue generating revenue after a campaign closes, why keeping pledge prices the same often works best, and how a strong pledge manager setup can save enormous headaches later. They also compare the major

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82:08

Making Snap Ships Tactics | Scott Pease | Ep. 289

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/06/22

What happens when a toy company walks away from your invention? For Scott Pease, it became the opportunity to finally build the game he'd dreamed about from the very beginning. In this episode of Crowdfunding Nerds, Andrew and Sean sit down with former Neversoft director and Snapships co-creator Scott Pease to explore the incredible journey from video game development to toy invention to crowdfunding success. Scott shares lessons learned from working on franchises like Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk's

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44:49

How to Market Your Kickstarter: Last 48 Hours

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/06/15

Episode 288 - The final 48 hours of a crowdfunding campaign can feel like a second launch. While many creators focus heavily on launch day, some of the biggest gains happen right before the campaign ends. In this episode, Andrew Lowen and Sean break down how to prepare for those crucial final days, what metrics actually matter, and how to maximize the momentum that Kickstarter and Gamefound naturally create. They explain why the work you do during the mid-campaign directly impacts your ending, how

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61:40

Kickstarter Backer Red Flags

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/06/08

Episode 287 - Andrew & Sean review Kickstarter backer red flags. Must Watch Episodes 👀 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNUl_AIQk_sIXD4K7-44maiK3hfFMg7Gl Thank you to our sponsors! https://bridgedist.com/ - We recommend Bridge Distribution & Fulfillment for US fulfillment and Amazon fulfillment. We use them for our own projects, too! http://crowdfundingnerds.com/hive - Hive Interactive Pledge Manager - https://www.mailerlite.com/a/6K95GNejWHMV - We recommend Mailerlite for building

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67:31

How to Market Your Kickstarter: During The Mid-Campaign

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/06/01

Episode 286 - T.K. King & Koltin Thompson of Galactic Cruise join Andrew to discuss generating community interactions during the mid-campaign of your Kickstarter. Must Watch Episodes 👀 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNUl_AIQk_sIXD4K7-44maiK3hfFMg7Gl Thank you to our sponsors! https://bridgedist.com/ - We recommend Bridge Distribution & Fulfillment for US fulfillment and Amazon fulfillment. We use them for our own projects, too! http://crowdfundingnerds.com/hive - Hive Interactive

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60:26

What Is The Future Of You Tabletop Business?

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business,... ·

2026/05/25

Episode 285 - Andrew and Sean help you think about the goals of your table top business and how to develop products that markets actually want. Must Watch Episodes 👀 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNUl_AIQk_sIXD4K7-44maiK3hfFMg7Gl Thank you to our sponsors! https://bridgedist.com/ - We recommend Bridge Distribution & Fulfillment for US fulfillment and Amazon fulfillment. We use them for our own projects, too! http://crowdfundingnerds.com/hive - Hive Interactive Pledge Manager

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