How to Run a Successful Kickstarter Campaign (From a $60M Pro)

Nov 11, 2025

Peter Dering, founder of Peak Design and a crowdfund pioneer, shares insights from his remarkable journey raising over $60 million on Kickstarter. He reveals the innovative 'omni-channel sandwich' strategy behind their latest campaign, navigating backlash with confidence. Peter discusses how a transformative motorcycle trip sparked his creative vision and why Peak Design thrives without investors, prioritizing employee well-being and sustainability. He also highlights the founding of the Change Climate Project, aimed at tackling climate challenges through robust certifications.

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ANECDOTE

First Kickstarter Made The Company

Peter launched his first Kickstarter in 2011 and it became the #2 most funded project at the time.
He sold 5,258 units and turned that into $365,000, kickstarting Peak Design's growth.

INSIGHT

Kickstarter Is A Real Sales Channel

Kickstarter is a sales channel, not a way to test ideas; success factors mirror any other sales channel.
The platform's unique value is getting money up front while offering backers an early discount.

ADVICE

Use Crowdfunding To Improve Cash Flow

Use Kickstarter to bring revenue forward and improve cash flow by offering early-bird discounts.
Trade some margin for upfront capital and momentum, not for market validation alone.

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Peak Design has raised over $60 million on Kickstarter across multiple campaigns, making them one of the most successful crowdfunding brands in history. Their most recent campaign alone generated $13.5 million. Founder Peter Dering shares the exact strategies, lessons, and controversial decisions behind building a $100M+ business entirely without venture capital.

For more on Peak Design click here.

In this episode, Peter reveals:

The Kickstarter Strategy: Peak Design uses crowdfunding as a fundamental building block of their brand, not just a sales channel.
The "Omnichannel Sandwich" Approach: For their $13.5M campaign, Peak Design launched in retail stores at full price before fulfilling all Kickstarter orders, despite the backlash, they'd do it again.
Building Without Investors: Kickstarter's upfront payment model solved cashflow challenges and allowed Peak Design to stay completely investor-free while reaching $100M in revenue.
The Origin Story: A four-month motorcycle trip through Southeast Asia sparked the idea for a camera clip. That idea would evolve into an entire ecosystem of gear for photographers and adventurers.
Company Culture & Transparency: The stated purpose of Peak Design is for employees to live happy and meaningful lives, and Peter shares all financial figures with his team.
The Climate Change Project: Peter co-founded the Change Climate Project, creating the most robust climate certification now used by over 300 companies including REI, with Peak Design spending $350,000 annually on carbon mitigation.

Chapters:

00:00 Introducing Peter Dering, Founder of Peak Design

3:13 How Peter Pivoted from Construction Engineering to Being His Own Boss

4:00 Where to Find Life & Business Inspiration

5:27 Peter’s First Invention: How to Bring a Product to Life

6:55 Breaking Down One of the Most Successful Kickstarter Campaigns Ever

8:28 The Steps for Scaling Sales From $700,000-$100M

10:22 The Best (Timeless) Kickstarter Tips

13:40 How Peak Design Hit Their Best Crowdfunding Campaign To Date: $13M

17:00 Peter’s POV On VC Dollars

19:10 Company Culture: The Key to Team Building & Being a Successful, Meaningful Leader

24:20 The Impact of Climate Change & The Creation of The Change Climate Project

28:10 Peak Design’s Lifetime Warranty & How They Maintain High Customer Lifetime Value

30:00 Immersive Community Tactics That Create Value

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