A recent article written by Jonathan Sandlund (www.thecrowdfundcafe.com) illustrates how Crowdfundinvesing is the byproduct of two strands of disruption: technical and cultural. Of interest were the following quotes:
"A new kind of consumer is behind the cultural disruption. This consumer is defined by her perception of value, and she is placing ever more on the meaning of goods and services, and not just the utility."
"It's not the hours of gamplay or quality of graphics, often inferior to their Blockbuster alternatives, that's motivating individuals, en masse, to fund videogames on Kickstarter. It's the opportunity to participate in the development process, to be part of something."
"I believe we all hold innate desire to connect more meaningfully with ideas, people and communities.This desire, this demand, is part of our biological fabric. It's not that consumers want more meaning than consumers three decades ago; it's just that it's become markedly easier to acquire."
"And it's this newfound supply - technology driven - that's driving the cultural disruption. Ten years ago, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to purchase a watch from an artist I personally engaged with. But now we have Etsy, Kickstarter, and many other marketplaces that are enabling consumers to find greater meaning in everyday things, from shoes, to watches, to housewares."
"As the choice between utility and utility + meaning becomes frictionless, consumers will increasingly choose the latter. The aggregage size may be small, maybe 1, 2% of total consumption shifted, but even a small shift stands to realize significant individual, and societal, impact."