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.
2 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 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/
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