Cyberpunk TCG Becomes the Most Funded Game in Crowdfunding History
We speak with WeirdCo co-founder and president Elliot Cook about community, curiosity, why he chose to work with Kickstarter, and what it feels like to have the biggest trading card game in crowdfunding history.
WeirdCo's Official Cyberpunk Trading Card Game launched on March 17 with a goal of $100,000 goal, a goal that was doubled in minutes.
Since then, the momentum has not let up: When the Official Cyberpunk Trading Card Game hit over $15M it became not just the biggest TCG on Kickstarter, but the the biggest tabletop game in crowdfunding history.
Through it all, Elliot Cook, WeirdCo's co-founder and president, has remained a calm and steady force.
WeirdCo previously wrote a blog post about how they were using Kickstarter to solve some of the Games industry's biggest problems. We caught up with him again to discuss his company's new milestone, and why he thinks the game has resonated so deeply.
First of all, how does it feel to have the best funded TCG in crowdfunding history?
It makes me realize how many more eyeballs we have on us and how important it is to stay humble. The job isn’t finished at Weirdco—this was merely a sprint to the marathon line.
I know community is important to you. You've mentioned it when we've spoken previously, and in the blog post WeirdCo wrote for Kickstarter, too.
This is the only reason my co-founder Luohan and I met. We met due to our mentor and dear friend in the gaming space, Bill Mooney, a true shepherd who brings the San Francisco gaming community together with his weekly game nights.
Community means nurturing the human connection and giving people a safe space to be their genuine selves. We feel the TCG industry has lost its soul a bit over the last few years. We're here to listen to what players want and deliver. To this point, we run weekly surveys that impact our roadmap and are in the community as close to 24/7 as possible strengthening the bond we have with our fans.
Our organized play program really showcases that we are driven by human connection. With our north star being, "Butts in seats at local game nights," we are giving the players a big opportunity on where the Cyberpunk TCG and story goes long term.
Community means nurturing the human connection and giving people a safe space to be their genuine selves.
What first drew you to Kickstarter and why have you kept coming back?
Leveraging Kickstarter allows us to get the product in the hands of real fans from day one. Our plan is to go to print directly after our Kickstarter wraps up: This allows us to match the demand of the Kickstarter product from day one and gives us a great data point as we prepare for our retail release in Q4 of this year. It’s really the best decision we could make—both qualitatively and quantitatively.
We also appreciate working with the amazing team behind Kickstarter. The full organization—Asher, the Head of Games, the Marketing team (Brandon, Shaila, and Becca) and the folks behind the scenes (sorry we broke the site for 5 mins!). Even Everette, the CEO, reached out about how he could support!
Leveraging Kickstarter allows us to get the product in the hands of real fans from day one.
What's been the most surprising thing you’ve realized along the way?
How much I still believe in humans and what we can do when we come together as a team.
What do you do when you’re creatively stuck?
Walk my dog—poor Ethel gets a lot of rainy, Seattle walks!
What does your curiosity look like?
Our curiosity at WeirdCo starts at the human level. Luohan and I are truly curious people. We like to think that we are critical thinkers, and not just for the pursuit of thinking, but to gain a more solid understanding of how the world around us works.
For me, personally, my curiosity has changed over the last few years as my 3-year-old son, Hudson, constantly asks me, “Why?” Previously I was very analytical in my approach, but more recently, I’ve taken a softer, perhaps more emotional approach that isn’t as black and white. As a leader and builder I like to learn what motivates my team and try to connect with them on a deeper, human level. This is how we are building the roots of WeirdCo, at the real, human level.
Kickstarter
How do other people or collaborators figure into your work? What is most helpful (or unhelpful) about working with others?
My team and partners energize me. My goal for my team is that they are capable and ready to take my job in the coming years. I need to set them up for success and unblock anything in my power.
I once had a boss tell me, “proceed until apprehended” and it’s a mantra I have carried into WeirdCo. The most helpful folks are those who are willing to take calculated risks!
To you, what makes a game successful?
We judge success at WeirdCo by two things: Butts in seats at local game nights and a community sentiment score (similar to NPS). We are extremely data driven!
Failure is not holding yourself accountable for a miss or mistake.
Alternately, what do you consider failure and how can you find success in it?
Failure is not holding yourself accountable for a miss or mistake. It takes courage to own up to a defeat. The way you find success in it is by cataloging what went wrong and where to improve next time.
