Launching a new product is an expensive exercise. Someone needs to foot the bill to give an idea a chance.
This might mean raising money from investors, which can be necessary and sometimes very successful for everyone involved. But I guess there have been many more hearts broken than fortunes made.
Crowdfunding is awesome for giving an idea a chance. The internet has allowed many people to learn about crowdfunding. It is now a serious source of funding for projects as diverse as iPhone accessories and street theater. In crowdfunding many people back a project, by donating, often in return for a promised reward. Each person contributes a small amount but this quickly adds up. In exchange the backers might receive early access to a product or tickets for the show or simply a warm fuzzy feeling.
For an iPhone camera accessory crowdfunding might be a great approach. Some projects have already been successful. There are a lot of iPhone users and they love design.
I’ve been lucky to get this far on my own savings. But future steps will require some help and crowdfunding would be fantastic !