Women might be seeing a wage gap in almost all traditional forms of employment, but that isn’t the case on Kickstarter. Women are killing it on this crowdfunding platform. Companies that have a woman at the helm are not only more likely to reach their funding goals than companies run by men, but they’ll raise more per campaign on average too. Even companies that have three women in executive positions can taste this success.
Why Are Women So Successful on Kickstarter?
In looking at how men and women invest money, there are two very distinct philosophies. As a majority, men tend to keep their investment efforts very tight knit. They will give money to friends or established businesses with whom they have formed relationships, but they will very rarely take a risk to help someone that they don’t know.
For women, it is a very different philosophy. Women are much more likely to help other women when it comes to venture capitalism, even if that person is a complete stranger. That’s because there is a certain bonding, or common ground, that women have. In a society where men are seen as business dominant, it is more difficult for a woman to get funding from traditional sources. This is especially true in the area of technology. This common ground brings more woman-to-woman money in through Kickstarter.
Men Give More Money, But Women Get More Benefits
In looking at over 1,200 Kickstarter projects, there are three clear trends.
1. Men give a lot more money to projects on this crowdfunding platform than women do.
2. Businesses which are led by women outperform businesses that are led by men in virtually every category.
3. Women dominate more often in male-dominated industries, such as technology, than they do in female-dominated industries, such as fashion.
What does this say about the average Kickstarter campaign? That men are more willing to give money to people when they know them personally, but more often than not their pledges are not enforced because those campaigns that are headed by men are less likely to succeed. Women might give less, but they come together to end up giving more.
Think about what the Reading Rainbow Kickstarter was able to accomplish. With over 100,000 backers, a majority of people who gave donated $10 or less. That’s what women do with other women. They might give less on average, but more women give to more campaigns even though they give less. Not only does this create more opportunities for success, but online crowdfunding also has one unique advantage: women no longer have to be subject to the harassment they have traditionally faced when seeking out funding in person.
Strong proponent of individual liberty and free speech. My goal is to present information that expands our awareness of crucial issues and exposes the manufactured illusion of freedom that we are sold in America. Question everything because nothing is what it seems.
