Hey there,
Yesterday was one of those milestone days I’ll never forget.
We launched Photo Tour (with two brand-new expansions)… and the support on day one was incredible.
Around 650 backers in 24 hours — our most successful Kickstarter start yet.
For a small indie publisher like us, that number isn’t just exciting — it’s fuel. Every pledge, every kind comment, every share… it all matters more than I can say. If you’ve already jumped in: thank you. And if you haven’t yet, here’s the link to take a look:
Launch Day, Behind the Curtain
I’ll be honest: I didn’t sleep much.
I hit “final save” on the campaign page around 4:30 AM. Woke up again at 8:00 to be ready for launch at 9:00. The rest of the day was a blur of answering questions, emails, and comments, fueled mostly by adrenaline (and coffee).
But even through the exhaustion, one thing was clear: all the work we put in before this moment paid off. The campaign is off to a great start.
A Number That Blew My Mind
One of my favorite parts of launch day is digging into the analytics. It helps me understand what’s working, what’s not, and how to adjust in real time.
Here’s the surprise:
In the first 24 hours, 20% of all Kickstarter followers converted to backers.
That’s 550 people out of 2,800 clicking “Back this project” immediately!
For context: across our entire DNA + Habitopia + Synthesis campaign (24 days long), we also ended up at 20%. To see that in one day this time… that’s wild.
The Funny Part
After weeks of obsessing over every detail of the Kickstarter page, the videos, the rules, the story, we somehow forgot to include… the component lists for the new expansions! Everything else was there. Just not the actual “what’s in the box” section.
I can laugh about it now.
That’s fixed as of this morning. Both expansions now have their full component breakdowns on the campaign page. I also added two excellent videos from The Grove YouTube channel:
🎥 Photo Tour: How to Play (with both expansions)
🎥 Playthrough with both expansions
They did a fantastic job, and I’m excited to share their work.
Want to Help?
Kickstarter’s algorithm loves comments. The more activity a campaign has, the more visibility it gets. If you’ve backed already, one of the most helpful things you can do is drop a quick comment on the campaign page, anything at all. It really makes a difference:
That’s the kind of support that helps small publishers like us punch above our budget.
What’s Next
I’ll be in your inbox more often than usual this week, sharing live updates, small stories, and hopefully a few more milestones. Thanks for letting me bring you along for the ride.
And for those patiently waiting on DNA, Habitopia, and Synthesis news, final factory proofs landed yesterday. I’ll be sharing those details soon.
Take care,
— Eugene
Founder, Timashov Publishing
