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Lessons From a Failed Kickstarter

Published: April 2, 2025 | Modified: April 2, 2025

Background:

I’ve been building YUDAE Wellness for years, with a singular mission: to promote health and happiness through innovative fitness products and experiences. When I launched my Kickstarter campaign for the “Runner’s Reserve” fitness card deck, I was excited. My goal was clear: raise $5,000 to fund production, marketing, and further initiatives for Yudae Wellness. But like many entrepreneurs, I learned the road to success is longer than it appears.

The Yudae Story

The Vision Behind Our Kickstarter

We set out to create a fitness product that would make working out more engaging, adaptable, and fun. The concept was solid, the product was tested, and we had a strong belief in its value. But belief alone doesn’t fund a campaign—execution does.

The Struggles of Being Seen

The fitness industry is competitive—there’s no denying that. No matter how passionate we are about offering a healthier, more independent alternative to big corporations, we found it hard to reach our audience. Ending with only 5% funding, I decided it would be a good time to reflect on the success and failures of our campaign to help you navigate the tricky world of crowdfunding.

Marketing Efforts

We underestimated the importance of building hype before the campaign went live. A successful Kickstarter isn’t just about launching—it’s about launching to an audience that’s already eager to back you. Our email list wasn’t large enough, and our social media engagement wasn’t where it needed to be.

Organic Approach

We went with a multichannel organic approach utilizing social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads and email marketing to drip content throughout our pre-paunch and launch. Ultimately we relied too heavily on organic social media reach, which in today’s digital landscape just wasn't enough. We didn’t invest in paid advertising, influencer collaborations, or PR outreach until it was too late.

Social Media

Social media engagement was decent with roughly 5% growth on our Instagram following, and a significant spike in engagement for likes and shares. However, none of this translated into funding or viral videos.

I realized that LinkedIn may be our secret weapon with over 1000% growth in engagement metrics, and nearly 120% spike in impressions–the highest we've seen on any of our social media accounts—yet it didn’t lead to conversions.

Direct Outreach

Direct outreach was also a failure with minimal conversions to those we tried to speak with. This could have been a result of bad timing as we had a lot of verbal commitments that never panned out.

Where We Went Wrong

Crowdfunding can be an incredible tool to bring ideas to life, but it’s not always a guaranteed success. At YUDAE Wellness, we launched a Kickstarter campaign with high hopes, only to fall short of our goal. But failure is only final if you don’t learn from it. Here’s what we discovered from our experience and what we’d do differently next time.

Not Enough Pre-Launch

The biggest takeaway was that I don’t think I’ve cracked the code on how to truly monetize my audience. Building an engaged, paying audience takes time—and a strategy that maybe I wasn’t ready for yet. The disappointment of minimal conversions made me question the effectiveness of my efforts. But LinkedIn did show promise, so there’s potential to explore this channel more deeply.

What We’d Do Differently:

Build an email list multiple months in advance (not just one). Engage our audience with sneak peeks and exclusive content daily.

Marketing Missteps

We relied too heavily on organic social media reach, which in today’s digital landscape, isn’t enough. We didn’t invest in paid advertising, influencer collaborations, or PR outreach in a meaningful way.


What We’d Do Differently:

Allocate a budget for targeted ads to drive traffic. Partner with micro-influencers who align with our brand. Get featured in relevant blogs and media outlets.

Messaging That Didn’t Convert

Our campaign page explained our product, but it didn’t sell the why strongly enough. We learned that backers need an emotional connection and a clear understanding of how the product solves a real problem. Something we've struggled with since our product is revolutionary–many people don't immediately see the connection.


What We’d Do Differently:

Refine our messaging to highlight the benefits over the features.Use more demo videos and "how-to" videos to showcase the product.

Key Takeaways for Future Crowdfunding Success

Build an audience before launching.

Don't start from zero engagement. Stay on top of social medial like your business depends on it. Because, well, it does.

Invest in marketing.

Relying on organic reach alone is risky unless you have a gigantic, engaged following. And we did not.

Craft compelling messaging.

Show why your product matters in more way than one. This is something we did really well on our Kickstarter story. But we didn't do a good job of dispersing that information across platform.

Create urgency with pricing and rewards.

Make backers feel they’re getting in early–because they are. We excelled at our offerings, but we could have spent more time developing larger rewards which would have increase our average backer value.

Plan for a strong launch.

The first 48 hours are crucial. Something we didn't know this time around. For about a month we teased our launch on social media and build creative, but we didn't spend nearly as much time with direct outreach as we should have.

What’s Next for YUDAE Wellness

Although this Kickstarter campaign didn’t go as planned, it wasn’t a total loss. In fact, it’s given clarity on the next steps for YUDAE Wellness.

Shifting focus towards the Outdoor Gym, we can lean heavily into growing a gym membership base, bringing in more equipment, and hosting larger events. The Outdoor Gym is really what sets us apart, and I want to see it thrive with more resources, partnerships, and a stronger sense of community.

For the products, I’ll be putting my attention back on the Kettlebell King deck. It has a solid reputation, and I believe I can grow its reach without the need for another Kickstarter push—at least for now. The “Runner’s Reserve” deck might make a comeback in the future, but I want to focus on a more calculated marketing plan first.

The Failed Product:

Runner's Reserve - athletic training - card game - fitness card game - Yudae Wellness

Runner's Reserve

$39.99

SHOP NOW

Ease-of-Use

Strength

Conditioning

Beginner Friendly

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Learn to run faster and farther with the Runner's Reserve pack design to help you build from 5k to a full marathon. No additional training plan required.

Runner's Reserve - athletic training - card game - fitness card game - Yudae Wellness

Runner's Reserve

$39.99

SHOP NOW

Ease-of-Use

Strength

Conditioning

Beginner Friendly

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Learn to run faster and farther with the Runner's Reserve pack design to help you build from 5k to a full marathon. No additional training plan required.

TL;DR

Looking back at this Kickstarter experience, I’m not discouraged—it’s simply part of the grind. Building a brand, developing meaningful relationships with customers, and figuring out what truly resonates takes time. Something I've always known from the very beginning.

Although the campaign didn’t work out, the lessons learned will shape how we move forward. And I won’t stop pushing for a healthier, more independent way to live. With continued refining, learning, and growing–who knows? The next phase might be just around the corner.

Frequently Asked Questions

The YUDAE Outdoor Gym is an outdoor, open-air training space designed for functional fitness, strength training, and community workouts. It’s a space where you can move, lift, and train outside.

You can find us in the heart of Austin, Texas, at Zilker Park. We occasionally pop-up in other areas around town, so be sure to follow us on instagram @yudaewellness for updates on location. Look for the YUDAE banner and table setup on Saturday mornings during our sessions!

Written by

Ryan Brenner

Founder of Yudae Wellness