Stephen Hood

Crowdfunding is a powerful alternative to traditional funding methods, but it's not a magic bullet. Running a successful campaign takes planning, strategy, and follow-through. I know firsthand because I crowdfunded my startup (Storium) via Kickstarter in what was one of the most successful campaigns in its category for 2014, raising over 10x our funding target. Since then I've spoken about effective Kickstarter techniques at numerous industry conferences and have informally advised on a number of campaigns. I can help you devise an effective strategy for your own campaign and give you practical advice for what to expect and how to handle it.

So you're thinking about starting your own company. The startup life is a rewarding one but it can also be deeply difficult. It's not for everyone, but many people don't find that out until they're already in it. Conversely, some folks are well-suited for the life of a startup founder but figure it out so late that they've lost both time and opportunity. I've spent twenty years working in the Valley, the last eight as a startup founder. In that time I've lived all the ups and downs of the startup world and shared stories and advice with many of my peers. I can help you strip away the hype and factually analyze your goals, needs, and expectations to determine if the entrepreneurial life is for you.