At the time of writing this, according to their own statistics, 36% of projects launched on Kickstarter; meaning 64% are unsuccessful or pulled before the fundraising period is finished.

Just building it isn’t the only thing that is required.

We intuitively know this, but the mythology captured in Field of Dreams is powerful. “If you built it, they will come” is the guarantee many entrepreneurs, organisational leaders, humans are looking for. It’s the investment guarantee we all crave and makes a good story, but remains the thing of movies.

Alongside of sites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Crowdcube, and all the other similar sites, new companies have sprung up with whom you can work to help get your campaign, your project, your idea funded. They all talk about the need to put in hard work before you launch your campaign. In short, the idea is you need to build a following, a tribe, of people who are ready to invest before you launch and who will promote your campaign to others. Build a movement first.

True overnight success’s are extremely rare if they exist at all. Most are result of years of hard work; they just become well known more widely very quickly so we dub them overnight successes.

And yet, there are countless projects happening right now in organisations using the Field of Dreams strategy. They are dreaming that by building or introducing the new product, system, magically everyone is going to change immediately into the desired new behaviours. Without thinking about the processes, behaviours, people, governance, and organisational culture; our change will rarely catch on and is likely to be added to the hall of failed dreams.

Yes, we all dream of the guaranteed success, yet reality is almost always harder. Do the work.