This founder saw the AI revolution coming and decided he wouldn’t just watch from the sidelines.
Meet Omer Celic – the mind behind XNote, who turned a simple question into a quarter-million-dollar Kickstarter success.
His question? “How can I apply generative AI to a physical product?”
As someone who lived and breathed note-taking, Omer first imagined digitizing handwritten notes instantly. But he didn’t stop there. With those notes now digital, he realized something game-changing – he could use ChatGPT to actually engage with his notes.
Imagine saying to your AI:
- Pull up the action points from today’s team meeting
- Tell me the name of the book Kevin recommended to me
- Create a short quiz based on last week’s lecture notes
Like magic, ChatGPT would deliver exactly what he needed.
On November 1st, 2023, with the help of my team at LaunchBoom, Omer launched XNote on Kickstarter. He raised $56,636 in one day and finished his campaign with $259,394 from 1,104 customers.
That puts him in the top 1.8% of all Kickstarter campaigns ever.
But this level of success doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a well-executed pre-launch marketing strategy that builds real momentum before you ever hit that launch button.
Let me walk you through exactly how Omer did it.
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XNote’s Pre-Launch Marketing Strategy
Making over $259K in 30 days isn’t easy.
The secret sauce? Building an email list of real buyers before you launch your campaign. Not just tire-kickers or people who think your product is “cool” – actual people ready to put their money where their mouth is.
The best way to do that is by using LaunchBoom’s Reservation Funnel System.
Here’s exactly how XNote made it work.
1. XNote Drove Traffic with Meta Ads
Meta ads are step one for building a pre-launch email list.
XNote tested many different variations of copy and imagery, but they found their winner. The ad that performed best for them followed our proven framework – it highlighted the problem (messy note-taking), teased the solution (AI-powered organization), and created urgency around the launch.
The key with Meta ads isn’t just getting clicks. It’s getting the right clicks from people who actually want to buy your product.
2. XNote Collected Email Addresses on a Landing Page
The landing page is where you turn clicks into leads.
This is where XNote explained their product clearly and collected email addresses from interested buyers. Their landing page included all the essential elements we teach our LaunchBoom Creators:
- A clear headline that immediately communicated the value proposition
- Product images that showed the XNote in action
- Benefit-focused copy that spoke directly to note-takers’ pain points
- Social proof and credibility indicators
- A simple email capture form
By the way, this landing page was built using our LaunchKit software that all LaunchBoom Creators get access to.
But collecting emails is just the beginning. The real power comes in step three.
3. XNote Collected $5 Reservations
This is the most important step and why we call this funnel the Reservation Funnel.
XNote offered a VIP deal for putting down a $5 reservation:
- A guaranteed 41% discount
- An invite to their VIP Facebook group
Now, most LaunchBoom Creators use a $1 reservation, but higher reservations like $5 can work really well for higher price point products. The most important thing to understand is this: people who put down reservations are way more likely to buy when you launch (up to 30 times more likely).
The reservation creates skin in the game. It separates the “that’s cool” crowd from the “I want to buy this” crowd. And there’s no better predictor of launch success than your reservation numbers.
XNote Got Funded on Day One
Leading into the launch, Omer had 908 people who had put down a $5 reservation deposit.
Remember, there’s no better predictor of launch success than the reservations.
And just like we predicted, their launch was a massive success.
On day one, they made $56,636.
By the end of the campaign, they had driven $259,394 in revenue from 1,104 new customers.
This was all possible because they followed the LaunchBoom system. Because at LaunchBoom, our goal isn’t just to launch a successful product – it’s to launch a successful business.
And Omer was pretty happy with the results.
The Power of Pre-Launch Strategy
Here’s what most creators get wrong about crowdfunding.
They think the campaign itself is where the magic happens. They spend months perfecting their campaign page, shooting beautiful videos, and writing compelling copy.
But the campaign page is just the storefront. The real work happens before you launch – building that list of people who are ready to buy.
XNote’s success came down to three key factors:
- Validation before investment: By collecting 908 reservations, Omer knew he had real demand before spending money on inventory or tooling.
- Day-one momentum: Those reservation holders became day-one backers, giving XNote the algorithmic boost that Kickstarter rewards with increased visibility.
- Sustainable business foundation: Instead of just launching a product, Omer built a customer list and community that will support his business long-term.
The numbers don’t lie. XNote’s reservation-to-backer conversion rate was exceptional, and that early momentum carried them through a successful 30-day campaign.
Do You Have an Innovative Product Like Omer?
We can help you turn it into a real business… or dramatically grow your existing business.
We’ve worked with over a thousand product creators, and XNote’s story isn’t unique. It’s a repeatable system.
So if you want to be the next success story like Omer’s, click here to talk with a LaunchBoom expert.
I’m excited to hear what you’re cooking up!
