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I slightly cringe when startups that receive funding start a kickstarter campaign just for the hype.

Nevertheless, the product looks really awesome and I would love to try it.

I couldn't agree more. You would think with the funding they receive they wouldn't need to raise a 100k. I like the idea and would be definitely interested in trying it out, but there are other ways to advertise your product.

dan and snake, thanks for your comments. We decided to launch on Kickstarter because we wanted to gauge what the interest level among consumers would be. Furthermore, KS is the best place to gather significant quantities of feedback on product features and finishing touches before going to mass production. Our decision to raise funds on KS is more about learning from our backers and gauging initial interest than anything else.

I hope that's true, but I have reasons to doubt it. While the consumer bit might be accuratr (albeit it's more early adopters oriented), I don't think KS is "the best place to gather feedback" since your partnerships with the various institutes and companies should have given you just that without the pressure and obligations that come with KS campaigns.

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