Book Reflection #2
No Idea Is Too Crazy: What Wild Kickstarter Campaigns Taught Me About Creativity and Value
As I continued reading Your First Kickstarter Campaign, I found myself laughing—and then thinking deeply—about the so-called “crazy campaigns” that actually worked. These weren’t polished tech startups or sleek gadgets (although there are plenty of those on the platform). These were raw, hilarious, sometimes absurd ideas that somehow managed to connect with thousands of people (Stanislovaitis, 2019).
Take the now-legendary Potato Salad Project. A man literally asked for $10 to make potato salad. That’s it. No product. No big mission. Just lunch. And yet… it exploded. He raised over $55,000 from about 7,000 backers. Why? Because it was personal, random, and—most importantly—authentic. It was such a human moment that people couldn’t help but be drawn in. He leaned into the absurdity and ended up throwing a massive potato salad party. That story stuck with me.
Then there’s the Stupid Things in the Sky campaign. Someone wanted to hire a skywriter to spell out silly phrases like “How do I land?”—and people backed it! It worked because it was participatory, whimsical, and refreshingly pointless in the best way. It gave people a laugh and a story to tell.
And of course, the IllumiBowl—a toilet bowl night light. Ridiculous? Maybe. But it solved a relatable problem in a funny, marketable way. Not only did they blow past their funding goal, but they came back years later with an upgraded version and raised even more.
These stories made something click for me: There is no such thing as a “crazy” idea—only an untested one. In a world of over-polished pitches and me-too products, sometimes what cuts through the noise is a bizarre concept, delivered with heart, humor, and clarity.
As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to overthink everything—waiting for the “perfect” idea or second-guessing whether something is too weird to work. But maybe weird is exactly what people need right now (Stanislovaitis, 2019).
So here’s my question to you: What’s that “too weird to share” idea you’ve been sitting on? Could it be your potato salad moment?
References:
Stanislovaitis, V. (2019). Your First Kickstarter campaign. Vilius Stanislovaitis.
6 responses to “”
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Freddy,
You’ve captured something essential about creativity in crowdfunding- sometimes, the ridiculous ideas become the most successful because they are transformed into something genuine. I love how you highlighted specific examples like the Potato Salad Project and IllumiBowl to show that authenticity and solving relatable problems (even ones we laugh about) can resonate more than polished corporate pitches. Your takeaway that “there is no such thing as a crazy idea—only an untested one” is encouraging and liberating for creators. Thanks for reminding us to embrace our weird, offbeat ideas rather than dismiss them!
Bridgett-
Hi Bridgett,
I really appreciate your thoughtful comment—it means a lot! You’re so right that authenticity often resonates more deeply than polish. What’s fascinating to me is how crowdfunding almost rewrites the rules of what makes something “marketable.” It’s less about perfection and more about connection—sharing an idea in a way that invites people in, even if it’s unconventional (or especially if it is!).
One thing I’ve been thinking about lately is how humor plays a unique role in that connection—it disarms skepticism and builds a kind of instant trust. The Potato Salad Project made people laugh, sure, but it also made them feel like they were part of an inside joke. That kind of emotional engagement is powerful.
Best,
Freddy
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Hi Freddy,
I enjoyed your summary of Chapter 2 and the “crazy campaigns” that somehow just worked. It is a great reminder that the magic of an idea is not always in how polished or conventional it is, but in how it resonates with people.
To answer your question of what’s that “too weird to share” idea I’ve been sitting on? Honestly, I do not have any off-the-wall product ideas. I wish I had the brainpower to invent something like the Squatty Potty, which seemed silly at first but brought massive awareness to a very real health issue (Enterprise Wired, n.d.).
For me, my “outrageous” ideas show up more in the form of process changes rather than products. Since starting in my current role, I have been trying to introduce new ways of doing things: streamlining outdated procedures, shifting the approach to communication, or rethinking how we engage with different stakeholders. Sometimes, these ideas are welcomed and implemented right away. Other times, it takes something going wrong for people to recognize the value of what I was proposing. And occasionally, the idea does not land at all. But I don’t discard those, I keep refining them and waiting for the right moment when the timing, the audience, and the environment align.
This chapter reminded me that persistence, a bit of humor, and the courage to share even the “weird” ideas can make a real difference, especially when those ideas are rooted in solving real problems or improving experiences.
I would love to hear about your personal experience: have you ever shared an unconventional idea at work that was met with resistance or skepticism at first? How did you handle it, and did it ever gain traction later on?
References
Enterprise Wired. (n.d.). From Idea to Triumph: The Squatty Potty Story. Retrieved from Enterprise Wired: https://enterprisewired.com/from-idea-to-triumph-the-squatty-potty-story/-
Hi Samantha,
Thank you for such an honest and insightful comment—there’s so much truth in what you said about how unconventional ideas often live in the realm of process, not just products. That line about “persistence, a bit of humor, and the courage to share even the ‘weird’ ideas” really resonated with me.
To answer your question—yes, I did take a shot at something unconventional at work recently. We had a persistent issue: students sitting idle on the nursing program waiting list, feeling stuck and uncertain, and at the same time, a biotechnology continuing education course struggling with low enrollment. At first glance, the two problems seemed totally unrelated. But I saw a bridge between them—both are science-based, people-focused fields, and both require critical thinking and care for others, just in different ways. So I proposed a transition initiative to help those nursing waitlist students pivot into the biotech course as a productive alternative.
It was definitely met with some skepticism, especially from one of the faculty groups who didn’t quite see the connection. But after some back-and-forth, the initiative was implemented. I took the lead on marketing and directly reaching out to the students. It wasn’t a runaway success, but we did get a handful of students to enroll—and for them, it made a real difference.
The biggest lesson for me? If a problem’s been lingering unsolved, it often takes a completely sideways idea to break the gridlock. Even if the solution isn’t perfect or widely embraced, it moves the needle. And like you said, timing and audience matter—so does the willingness to revisit an idea when conditions shift.
Thanks again for your thoughtful comment—it really got me reflecting more deeply on the value of “offbeat” problem-solving in our everyday work.
Best,
Freddy
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Freddy,
Without having read Your First Kickstarter Campaign, your reflection makes me feel like this might be my favorite part of the book! What in the world??? People gave money to a stranger to make potato salad? They not only gave money, but $55,000?!?!?!? It’s something like that that makes one think, “Well, why didn’t I think of that?” More power to him!Your reflection brings me to our inner child. I feel like when we are children, we are less afraid to put wild ideas and creations out there, but as we grow older, more is expected of us and the stressors of the outside world around us grow deeper, including other people’s opinions of us. This may lead us to tend to hold back on our thoughts and ideas. Your examples of “crazy campaigns” reminds us that we should voice our thoughts, take that leap, put ourselves out there because somebody is going to do it! Why not be that somebody! Who knows what success it could lead to and how it could make our world a better place! Reach in and grab that inner child and shout out to the world!
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Hi Jenny,
I love how you connected this to our inner child—that fearless, imaginative part of us that dreams big without overthinking or self-censoring. You’re so right: as we grow up, we start worrying more about how things will be perceived, whether something will “make sense,” or if we’ll be judged. But the wild ideas—the potato salad campaigns of the world—are proof that authenticity and boldness can resonate deeply, even when it seems improbable.
That campaign still blows my mind too! It’s funny on the surface, but underneath it is a powerful lesson: sometimes people just want to be part of something fun, unexpected, or human. And sometimes the crazy ideas are what break through the noise and remind us that creativity doesn’t have to fit inside a box.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts—it really means a lot. Here’s to all of us tapping into that inner child a little more and putting those “out there” ideas into the world. Because, like you said, why not be that somebody?
Best,
Freddy
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