Original Grain is getting ready to close a monster $300,000-plus Kickstarter campaign for their wood-accented watches. I wanted to catch up with the Original Grain team and find out how hitting 30 times your original crowdfunding goal may change the rules in the middle of the game. Check out their pitch video below and then scroll down to see the interview.
Crowdfund Insider: The success of this campaign has to be overwhelming. How does it feel to raise this much money after having such a modest goal?
After successfully raising over $300K in our campaign, truthfully, it’s inspiring. We knew we had a well designed, high quality product and we worked hard to create it, but there was one question left: would the public love it also? Turns out they do, and we are now more driven and motivated to develop even more creative and innovative products.
CFI: Did the success of this campaign change the long-term plans for OG watches?
When we started this campaign we had a strong feeling we’d hit our goal and then some. But seeing that we can be a next level brand, it just may be time to quit the day job and turn our focus strictly to OG. Now equipped with a decent amount of start-up capital, we can now transition into a more strategic brand building initiative and make some truly stellar products for our customers (the most exciting part).
CFI: It can be daunting to have hundreds and hundreds of customers right out of the gate. Do you have any concerns about being able to make good on your goals?
With over 1,800 backers and nearing 3,000 watches to get out, we know the hard work has yet to come. Especially when it’s your first time fulfilling an order of this magnitude in such a short period of time. The thing is, this is something we love to do, so working hard on all those little details that bring success, doesn’t bother our OG staff one bit. It’s something that gets us up in the morning ready to roll. Our team shares a very strong dynamic, which is ultimately due to the fact we’ve known each other forever. We aren’t afraid to hold each other accountable as we stay on top of this whole process. So, are we worried? No. Ready? Yes.
CFI: What is next for OG? Seeking angel investment, retail, etc?
Next for OG is expansion. We are planning a summer release that we’re super excited about launching and will continue to ride the wave. We will be hitting the west coast hard this summer and working to get in as many shops as we can. And that gets back to an earlier question about shift in strategy. Originally, online sales was going to be the primary sales channel for us. Armed with this initial capital and an obvious demand for our products, we can now shift into a retail and wholesale distribution strategy. We want to be very calculated with our next steps and be sure to scale the business/brand correctly. Growth is good, however we know it can also cause problems if you try to grow too fast. Keeping things dialed in on all levels of the business will keep us moving forward and we are stoked to see it evolve.
Have a crowdfunding offering you'd like to share? Submit an offering for consideration using our Submit a Tip form and we may share it on our site!
