Kickstarter relaxes campaign restrictions, adds 'Launch Now' feature

Crowdfunding has come a long way, and Kickstarter is at the forefront of startup campaigns and crowd-funded projects. Today, it is the most popular crowdfunding platform. In a bid to simplify the process of starting campaigns, the company has now decided to go easy on rules and regulations. In fact, it has also dropped some long-time restrictions for starting a campaign. Kickstarter has cut off at least three-fourth of its rules, and surprisingly only three main rules remain. Firstly, the project must create or build something that can be shared with others. Projects must be honest and clearly presented. Finally, no project will be allowed to raise funds for charity, or offer financial incentives or prohibited items. Check out the full list here. Besides, one of the biggest changes is that Kickstarter is now removing its approval process. Yes, you heard it right. This new feature is called ‘Launch Now’ and it means creators can now choose to launch their projects instantly, without approval from Kickstarter staff . However, creators have the option to get feedback from a Kickstarter community manager, if needed. The ‘Launch Now’ feature uses an algorithm with numerous data points that check if a project is ready to launch such as the project’s description, rewards, funding goal, and so on. The official Kickstarter blog adds, “If the project qualifies for Launch Now, the creator can go live whenever they’re ready. If the creator wants to connect with someone at Kickstarter, we’ll review the project and offer our feedback and advice. If a project doesn’t qualify for Launch Now, the creator will need to share the project with us for a review before it can launch.” The rollout of this feature will be finalised in the coming weeks.