The questions founders ask before they launch.

No. You can launch with a working prototype. It needs to work on camera, and you need a supplier who can deliver to the timeline you promise backers.

Yes. Many campaigns use sourced or OEM products, improved and branded for a specific market. One client, Takumi Sakai, sourced a product on 1688, then launched it on ZecZec, Makuake and Indiegogo, raising over NT$3.5M. Masterclass participants also get a curated list of crowdfunding-ready products every quarter.

No. It needs to solve a real problem, look distinctive, and be easy to understand in seconds. Products that combine several of these traits do significantly better.

Kickstarter prohibits weapons, drugs, alcohol, adult content and financial services, among others. Regional platforms have their own rules. The product must also be able to ship to the market you launch in.

Yes. Magnus Games, a Malaysian-led project, hit its Kickstarter goal in 18 hours and raised S$630,700, 901% of its target, from 7,385 backers. Alcadus, a watch microbrand from Kuala Lumpur, raised S$95,972. These weren't our campaigns, but they show what Malaysian products can do on a global platform.

It depends on the product and market. Budget for creative (video, photos, campaign page), pre-launch ads to build your reservation list, launch ads, platform fees, and international shipping. The assessment and a strategy call will give you a realistic range for your category.

No. Backers are customers who have pre-paid for a product. You owe them delivery. Treat it as pre-order revenue with costs attached, not a grant or an investment.

Model it before launch. In one live ZecZec campaign, S$132,083 raised became S$69,470 net profit after ads, cost of goods, 8% platform fees and 5% VAT. A product with a thin margin can raise the same amount and lose money. Aim for a retail price of at least three times your landed cost.

After the campaign closes successfully, the platform releases the funds, minus its fees. That cash pays for your production run. Check each platform's payout schedule when planning with your factory.

It depends on your product and your strongest market. Kickstarter gives global reach and credibility. Makuake suits made-in-Japan and design-led products. ZecZec is Taiwan's largest platform. Most products launch on one, then roll out to the others. See the platform table.

Pre-launch is where most of the work happens: creative, lead generation and validation. The campaign itself usually runs 30 to 60 days. Kickstarter allows up to 60.

On all-or-nothing platforms like Kickstarter, backers aren't charged and you receive nothing. That's why we build the reservation list first and set a goal the pre-launch numbers support.

Keep selling through late pledges or a pre-order store, move the product into e-commerce, introduce resellers, and launch on the next country's platform. Henson Shaving went from crowdfunding to S$42,840 a month on Shopee.

If you want to run campaigns yourself, the masterclass teaches the whole method for S$1,500. If you'd rather have it done, K3 Creative runs the launch with you. Many founders start with the masterclass.

No one honestly can. What we do is cut the risk: we validate first, tell you when a product isn't ready, and only launch when the pre-launch numbers support it.

Seven factors: product fit, market validation, margin, audience, manufacturing, global fulfilment and campaign readiness. The score comes from fixed rules, not guesswork. Take the assessment.