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why you should back the bucket brigade

June 28th, 2010 • posts i've written

I’m using Kickstarter, right now, to fund writing my first book. Instead of a publisher, I’m asking my social graph to fund, co-create, and help distribute the book. See an earlier post for more information on the book concept itself.

Asking for money from my social graph puts me in the vague space between the Gift economy and Adam Smith’s economy. The project is extremely important to me, but I have to weigh my own desire to spread it with my network’s tolerance for it. Ultimately though, if I don’t reach my goal, none of the funds will be released. It’s all or nothing.

So I’ve asked anyone willing to back the project to consider putting a few words together on why they chose to do so. At the time of writing this post, 50 people have given some amount of money to the project, and I’m stunned and incredibly grateful for their support. And a few of those people have already written blog posts to give their reasons:

Edward Boches, on You don’t need a gigantic network to create, experiment and succeed:

We live in an age when anyone can publish, broadcast, design a product or start a movement. The only thing stopping us is fear, inertia or lack of a network. If Bud raises his $5000.00 – in $25 and $100 increments – it will be one more reminder of how much power has shifted to the individual.

Tobias Wacker, at BrandNew:

If you want to change Marketing for the better, if you want brands and people having an exchange with each other, please support and promote the project and thinking. Although it makes perfect sense, marketers believing in push, quick sales tricks and old school thinking are still in the vast majority, causing pain to passionate forward thinking marketers and – last but not least – people.

Sheila Germain:

Largely as part of the major shift in my own paradigm and understanding of what consumes ME, the connections I’ve made over the past 2-3 years are with people who will do nothing less than change the way we view the world. If they’re not on the leading-edge of technology or new media communications, they are creating new ways of doing, changing and building new platforms for business, and showing the rest of the world that not only CAN you prosper financially and culturally by shifting the way things are done to a more integrated “both/and” experience, but the benefits of doing so can net MORE prosperity than anyone would have imagined, allow for insanely creative initiatives, and build momentum for even larger beneficial.

Heather LeFevre, Why I find myself a patron:

Bud is a great writer. He is prolific which to me says he’s disciplined. Any project he puts his energy toward will turn out well. … Compared to times past, our culture doesn’t support creative endeavors. Michaelangelo had Leorenzo de Medici, but who does Bud Caddell have?

Sam Joseph:

Secondly, Bud’s a smart dude. For better or worse, I’m in this game for the long haul. Not to be a sniveling money grubbing careerist, but to get myself in a position where I can do meaningful advertising. Work that gives people utility or entertainment, and all that jazz. So maybe down the road Bud remembers the-guy-who-gave-25 bucks-just-to-help-himself when he’s on top of the world.

Convinced? Here’s how to get started:

Visit the Kickstarter page and fund the project (for as little as $2)
Write a blog post, a tweet, or an email telling your friends and followers why you did so
I’m currently finishing a full outline of the book, along with a list of people/companies to interview for various topics – use the comments to share names and articles I should consider

Thank you for even considering supporting the project. I’ll be honest and say that I hope we can exceed the goal for funding because it will mean that I can dedicate more time, attention, and travel to the research, writing, editing, and publishing of the book – and ultimately, so that the book will be as good as it deserves to be; as good as you deserve for supporting it.

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