Philips has a net worth in the billions, $20.67 billion as of July 12, 2023. (Source link) Yet they decided to create a kickstarter, charging “early bird” buyers these earphones that’s designed for wearing while sleeping, basically the same as any other earphones, just slimmed down and cables running around your head.

What’s infuriating is that there’s dumbasses who actually gave them money to make a product ($500k million in total), so Philips is most likely not taking any risk making this, but will enjoy the profits.

The kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kokoon/sleep-headphones/posts

I thought the whole point of a kickstarter was people with a product, but lacking the funds to get the project actually going getting a kick start to get going… Not for billion dollar companies to beg for cash.

  • jeffw@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    14 people donated without paying enough to get the reward… that’s… wow

    • ritswd@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Yeah, that I do not get. It’s basically donating money to a corporation just to receive marketing updates about a product? I don’t get it…

    • Ace T'Ken@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      It’s pretty common in Kickstarter circles to pledge a dollar to gain access to the pledge manager and decide if you actually want to make a purchase there.

      I assume that’s what those people are doing?

      • binom@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        can you elaborate what the pledge manager is, and what the benefit of doing this would be? thank you!

        • Lemdee@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          After a Kickstarter ends you get access to the pledge manager where you can change your pledge if you want. So if you donate one dollar, you could then change it to a greater amount in the pledge manager after the end date.

          • binom@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            oh ok, thank you. but that still does not help you for limited quantity rewards, which i guess is why those are so common?