????雖然紙板自行車看上去似乎不可能帶來非常舒適的駕乘體驗，但低廉的材料價格是它難以匹及的優勢所在。艾爾米什透露稱，每輛自行車的材料成本在9到12美元之間。正是這種低廉的生產成本讓紙板科技公司成為全美關注的焦點，但也導致該公司陷入最近這場困局。

????紙板自行車運動把“眾籌”作為一種最新的籌資策略所具有的優點和缺陷體現得淋漓盡致。通過這次籌資活動，艾爾米什和加夫尼迅速地獲悉，290美元的售價無法打動消費者，即便這種情況只是暫時的。通過眾籌活動為項目籌集資金能夠讓創造者在投資數千美元批量生產之前分析評估他們的定價策略。當然，公開宣傳這種策略，同時在產品投放市場前就從消費者手中要錢，也會讓創造者成為批判對象。預期自行車售價20美元的消費者群體可能覺得自己被出賣了，或者對紙板科技公司按時交付產品的能力產生懷疑。（美國的前期訂單顯示，紙板自行車的上市時間為2015年3月。）

????這也是眾籌方式的反對者們過去一年討論的主題。反對者指出，像電子智能手表Pebble Watch這類眾籌活動遭受的挫折充分證實了他們對這種籌資方式的質疑。在大眾融資平臺Kickstarter網站上發起的Pebble Watch眾籌活動大受歡迎，以至于這一創意幕后的創業者無法及時完成訂單，進而引發了消費者的憤怒情緒和潮水般的媒體批判。通過降低紙板自行車的價格，紙板科技公司希望在一切為時已晚之前改變目前的局面。鑒于200萬美元的籌資目標依然沒有完成，艾爾米什和加夫尼正在把紙板自行車項目的命運交到他們最有影響力的顧問，也就是他們的顧客手中。（財富中文網）

????譯者：任文科

????And while it may not look very comfortable to ride, it's hard to beat the price of materials, which cost between $9-12 per bike, according to Elmish. It was this cheap cost of production that put Cardboard Technologies into the national spotlight, but also initiated the company's most recent struggles.

????The cardboard bike campaign represents the best and worst of the newest fundraising strategy known as crowdfunding. Thanks to their campaign, Elmish and Gafni learned quickly that a $290 version of the bike—even if only temporary—would not fly with consumers. Crowdfunding the project enabled the creators to analyze their pricing mistake before investing thousands of dollars into mass production. Of course, publicizing their strategy and taking money from consumers before their product hit the market opened them up to criticism. A consumer-base expecting a $20 product may feel betrayed, or skeptical that Cardboard Technologies will be able to deliver when the time comes. (For pre-orders from the United States, that means a delivery date in March of 2015.)

????This has been a major point of discussion for crowdfunding opponents over the past year, who have pointed to campaign stumbles like the Pebble Watch to explain their concern over the fundraising method. The Pebble Watch campaign (launched on Kickstarter) was so popular, that the entrepreneurs behind the idea were unable to fill orders in time, resulting in angry consumers and a critical media. By lowering the price of their product, Cardboard Technologies is hoping to change course before it's too late. With their $2 million funding goal still unfulfilled, Elmish and Gafni are leaving the fate of their bike project in the hands of their most influential advisors: their customers.