Hi, my name is Robert Chen, I'm one of the two co-founders of HyperFundIt.
I was originally looking to build a mobile app to help drivers find open parking spaces more efficiently, but that project came to an abrupt stop when several development firms quoted around $120,000 to develop the app and an additional $60,000 to market / launch the app.
With only $40,000 in the bank, the idea of crowdfunding easily won me over so I signed up for a KickStarter workshop. The workshop hosted 4 panelists who've had successful or near successful KickStarter campaigns. Whether they reached their goal or not, all the panelists agreed that it was most challenging attracting donors outside of their own social circle.
So I asked why not invite social media influencers from YouTube or Instagram to help promote their campaigns. After a brief pause, one panelist responds saying, "That's a great idea, I just didn't think of that." The other panelists agreed while adding that it is still important for the campaign host to show their face and personality throughout the campaign and make that personal connection to the viewers.
I had a three hour drive home afterwards, that was three hours of mentally designing a crowdfunding platform that could bring social media influencers into the mix. I usually get sleepy while driving around the 2 hour mark, but not that evening. I recall my brain racing, thoughts overlapping, and heart pumping with the addition of every new feature and page that I came up with.
As soon as I got home, I sketched out a rough idea of the website and shared it with my girlfriend, Iris. She thought it was stupid. That was in late 2016, now she's Co-Founder and CMO of HyperFundIt, but I'll let her tell the rest of this story.
Read Iris' Introduction here --> https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@hyperfundit/how-an-obsession-became-a-business
