When Kevin first found out he had Cancer, the doctors gave him "weeks". But you know Kevin -- he refused to accept his fate and found the top doctors in the world, tried experimental procedures and was able to get himself all the way into remission just 11 months later. It was incredibly inspiring, we all thought he had yet again beaten the system. It's tragic how the last 10 weeks played out, he fought all the way until the end. He's was a legend who paved the way for millions in the cybersecurity space. We will miss him.
I think timing is a huge factor here. December is not ideal for a cooler, but Summer is. He also did a great job building momentum and getting people early in the campaign.
We find that most campaigns that eventually hit their goal raise about 30% of their funds from their own networks. They should raise this in the first 48 hours. Once you have this 30% of funds locked in, it will be easier to raise additional funds. When strangers see that others trust you with their money, it gives them the confidence to contribute. This seed funding also gives your campaign momentum that can be leveraged for marketing and press.
Newsletters are a good way to find them. Also most top campaigns get coverage in news sources/PR. I know Indiegogo has several different newsletters a week.
If you're interested in discussing the crowdfunding aspect, I'm happy to help. I manage the Hardware, Design and Tech team at Indiegogo. Software is generally more difficult to crowdfund, as it requires a very active community to get that initial momentum. Strategy will be key to success, and it's not going to be a walk in the park. But, if you're passionate about it, it's absolutely not impossible.
If you're seriously considering this, shoot me an email at evan (at) indiegogo dot com.