I raised $200K on Kickstarter for my sunrise alarm clock. The lessons I learned while preparing the campaign were just as valuable.

Emily Byrne said launching a Kickstarter helped her receive customer input early and understand the financial realities of running a product business. Natalie Behring for BI Emily Byrne raised $200,000 on Kickstarter for Rise Centered's natural sunrise alarm clocks. Kickstarter feedback helped refine the product and understand the financial realities of production. Rise Centered's unique design gained media attention, boosting visibility and market positioning. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Emily Byrne, the founder of Rise Centered , a company that makes sunrise alarm clocks from natural materials. It has been edited for length and clarity. I launched a sunrise alarm clock made from natural materials on Kickstarter in 2023, raising nearly $200,000 from roughly 1,500 backers in one month. The Kickstarter was useful beyond raising funds to manufacture our first batch of alarm clocks.