For many entrepreneurs, Kickstarter represents a level playing field where good ideas can find people with the cash to help make their dream a reality.
Just look at the success of the legendary Potato Salad, where a guy tried to raise the funds to make, well, potato salad - and ended up raising over $55,000 and throwing a potato party for charity.
In 2014, over 22,252 projects were succesfully funded on Kickstarter, with a total of $529 million pledged. That's a lot of money going to a lot of innovative new ideas.
But not every good idea survives contact with the real world.
Here's a look at the most successful Kickstarter projects of all time, and where they are today.