Kickstarter

Invisibleurs! Hope you’re doing well. It's been a busy couple months at 99PIHQ.

Rewards update: The international orders are taking a little longer to get in the mail because I didn’t quite realize how much US customs does not want people to send things to other countries. We have to fill out a little triplicate form for each package, but we’re working through them. I’m so sorry for the delay.

If you’re in the US and haven’t received anything yet, we are still going through a few orders (couple dozen) that responded to the survey after we began packing the first 2000 rewards. They’ll also be out soon.

If you haven’t responded to the survey that collects you address and pertinent info (e.g. T-shirt size), now’s the time!

If you have your rewards, be sure to post pictures of your 99% Invisible stuff on twitter and Facebook. I love seeing 99% Invisible out in the wild!

Season 3 started on September 19. We’ve had to switch the podcast feed to a new server and we’ve tried every trick to make sure that everyone was forwarded automatically, but I know there are a few people that got left behind. If you didn’t get the new episode about Dazzle Camouflage (#65) on Monday (11/5) then you need to update the feed URL manually to
http://feeds.99percentinvisible.org/99percentinvisible

Here’s the latest episode about crazy camouflage from WWI:

The new 5000 challenge: We're trying to make the show the #1 podcast on iTunes by getting 5000 ratings and reviews! If you don't use iTunes, don't sweat it, it's not worth signing up just to review the show. But, if you do use iTunes, please take a minute to give a 5-star review of the show and that is the best way you can help raise the ranking and make us the #1 podcast on iTunes. We've already received over 400 new reviews in the last four days (because the 99% Invisible audience is the best audience in the world) and we've rocketed up the rankings by over 70 spots! You rule.

Thanks again for your generous support of the show. We have all kinds of great things in store for you this season. Stay tuned!

-Roman

Wow! It’s been quite a month. Before this Kickstarter campaign began, I was feeling pretty confident that we’d make the goal and the show would have a successful season 3. I had no idea the level of support and excitement that each of you would bring to this effort and turn it into the most funded journalism Kickstarter ever. Thank you so much for being a part of it.

Sam is on his way out here; currently somewhere in Arizona, I think. We’ll be shipping out a lot of t-shirts, posters, and little notebooks, while gearing up for season 3. I just received a project timeline for a website redesign. All of it is happening right now and only possible because of your donation.

We’ll be in touch soon about your rewards. We’ll be collecting t-shirt sizes, addresses and any other details we need to fulfill your order. Packages will be sent out in mid-September.

Thanks again for helping me make history!

Roman

We did it! At about 2:15pm PST the campaign got its 5000th backer and we got a $10,000 grant from The Design Matters Institute.

To everyone who gave generously, badgered relentlessly, and cajoled seductively, I am in your debt. It was a real team effort.

I owe a big thanks to design goddess Debbie Millman and The Design Matters Institute for believing in the show and including us in her grand mission to make design matter more to everyone. I’m honored by her support.

We put out a great new episode on Monday, about an effort to name all the invisible and overlooked public spaces that surround us. It also references one of my favorite childhood movies. Our own Sam Greenspan produced it. Sam is in rural Arkansas, I believe, on his way out to the Bay Area to work with me full time. Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a short message from Sam on the side of I-40.

There are about 65 more hours remaining. I have slept very little, lost weight, grown a beard. The campaign has exceeded my wildest dreams. I can’t thank you enough for making this happen.

While we have the world’s attention, I’m going to bang the drum a little bit more and see how far we can take this. People are continuing to give at a furious pace, so I’m going to strike while the iron is hot.

Friday August 10 at 4PM PST/7PM EST is the finish line. I’m taking Saturday night off. You should too, except my sister, who is watching my kids for me.

yr fan,

roman

There are 10 days left to go, and thanks to all of you, it’s been a fantastic campaign.

I released a new episode a last week with a Kickstarter update and new story by my friend Sean Cole, who you may know from the Concrete Furniture episode (#17) of 99% Invisible. He is also a producer of the much-loved Radiolab. Sean is a poet and one day while walking around NYC with a friend, he stumbled across a monument to two of his poetry heroes. It’s great. Have a listen:

We have less than 10 days to get 1,000 more backers and an extra $10,000 from the Design Matters Institute. We may need a little push to make it, so if you’re inclined to spread the word and encourage your network to pledge any amount, that could make a huge difference. Everyone’s investment in the show goes a little further if we hit this goal. The Design Matters Institute is Debbie Millman’s brand new effort to bring design education, inspiration and advocacy to all people, everywhere.

Beating the latest stretch goal gives us the funds to design a proper website for the show, which I’m really excited about. I used Tumblr as a free solution when the show began, but it’s not searchable or stable enough and I get a fair number of complaints about it. Thanks for making that possible!

Another amazing side effect of this fund raising effort is that it has raised awareness of the show to new levels and we’re going to have nearly 700,000 downloads for the month of July. That’s the most ever, by a lot.

Producer Sam just sent his computer and three huge boxes to my house and he's leaving Baltimore any day to come work here at 99% Invisible/Public Radio Remix HQ. This is really happening!

Thanks so much!
Roman