An Oregon man named Ryan Grepper, for instance, solicited money for an icebox he calls the “Coolest Cooler.” By the end of August, he had collected a cool $13.28 million. Other entrepreneurs have raked in lots of money to fund projects such as workout shirts that change colors in relation to the wearer’s body heat and a “lifetime” Bible, which, its creator says, “literally walks on water.” (For him I’d recommend buying a lifetime dictionary and looking up the word “literally.”)
But not every crowdfunding campaign leads to innovations that will change life as we know it. Consider these creations reported recently in The New York Times:
• In February, a Chicago art student wanted money to create a video to rate the tastiness of a Chipotle chicken burrito. He’s received $1,050 from 258 contributors.
• Last winter, Jeremy Smith raised funds for his book titled "Why is Daddy Sad on Sunday?: A Coloring Book Depicting the Most Disappointing Moments in Cleveland Sports." He raised $24,000, which isn't surprising. What is surprising is that the book isn't a lot thicker than it is.
• An unidentified inventor went on Indiegogo to raise cash to back the manufacture of a toy gun rigged to kill insects with salt. He hauled in $577,636. Not to mention a place in the Inventor’s Hall of Fame next to Thomas Edison and the Wright brothers.
• But possibly the most imaginative use of crowdsourcing was launched by Columbus, Ohio, computer programmer Zack Brown. He created a campaign asking for money to help make a batch of potato salad. In return, he said, “You will get a ‘thank you’ posted on our website and I’ll say your name out loud while making the potato salad.”
People sent him more than $70,000.
All of which has inspired me to start a crowdsourcing drive of my own. Unfortunately, I don’t have an idea for a project at this point. But of you’re a total stranger who wants to help make me filthy rich, I’ll try to come up with one.
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