Today I decided to start this new blog of mine, the BackerBus, to talk about new interesting crowdfunding projects that I discover, and warn people of possible frauds or scandals.

The first crowdfunding project that I backed was the Miggo, the world’s first camera strap that morphs into a stylish protective case, in 2014 (6 years ago!). It was the first time that I heard of Kickstarter and the idea of crowdfunding. At first, I was a little bit nervous because the bag costs $50, plus $20 shipping to Switzerland, and I need to wait for several months to get it. After 8 weeks or so, I got it in the mailbox. I used it for my Sony RX10, and it was great. That’s my first experience with crowdfunding, and I fell in love with it.

Whoever invented the crowdfunding concept must be a genius. First, backers can pledge for projects and in return, they get unique products that you can’t buy anywhere else. Second, project creators can raise funds for their projects and finish their dreams. Third, the creators and backers can communicate intensively on the platforms for product improvements or innovations. As a backer, you simply don’t get this kind of involvement, sense of achievements, and unique rewards and experiences in any other shopping method.

Since then, I have been a frequent backer on Kickstarter and Indiegogo, and backed projects such as BauBax, world’s best travel jacket with 15 Features, ZUS, super duty charging cable with lifetime guarantee, HyperJuice, a 27,000mAh USB-C power bank, and SuperTank, a 100Wh portable charger with dual USB-C PD (100W + 60W) & dual USB-A ports, just to name a few. Unfortunately, I never received my BauBax shipment and my emails to their customer service sunk in the sea. That’s my only bad experience with crowdfunding.

I have witnessed much change over the past six years in the crowdfunding space though. Six years ago, there were fewer projects on crowdfunding platforms, and most of them are small creators. Nowadays, some creators have gone bigger and bigger over the years, such as Peak Design, BauBax. Also, bigger companies, such as Bose, are also launching Kickstarter projects, which would be very much frowned upon six years ago.

Indeed, the crowdfunding space has become more and more complicated, with big corporations, capital and intended frauds all mixed together. However, I still have faith in crowdfunding. I still believe it’s the best way to support human creativity in a sustainable way. That’s why I will continue to scout, research and discover inspirational projects, as well as sniff suspicious projects here, at BackerBus. So hop on now! What are you waiting for?