Crowdfunding Through the Eyes of a Founder: Lessons from P!ng’s Journey

A New Approach to the Drive-Thru Experience

Crowdfunding is often viewed as a way to raise capital. For founders, it becomes much more than that.

In the latest episode of the TAGLine Podcast, Justin Starbird sits down with Rob Whitten and Jane Lo, co-founders of P!ng, to discuss what it has been like building an autonomous coffee company while running a live crowdfunding campaign.

The conversation begins with the story behind P!ng and the problem the founders set out to solve. Drawing on backgrounds in robotics and customer experience, Rob and Jane developed a new approach to the drive-thru experience that combines automation with hospitality.

The Pivot to Community-Backed Capital

From there, the discussion turns to one of the biggest challenges many hardware companies face: finding the right source of capital.

After exploring traditional fundraising, Rob and Jane discovered that their strongest supporters were not institutional investors. They were customers, friends, family members, and people who immediately understood the problem P!ng was solving because they experienced it themselves.

That realization ultimately led them to crowdfunding.

Navigating the Realities of a Live Campaign

Throughout the episode, Rob and Jane reflect on the realities of running a campaign while simultaneously operating a startup. They discuss market uncertainty, platform changes, investor communication, building momentum, and the importance of consistently sharing progress.

One of the strongest themes throughout the conversation is preparation.

Founders considering crowdfunding often focus on launching their campaign. Rob and Jane explain why audience building, refining your story, creating visual assets, and practicing how you communicate your vision all begin long before launch day.

The Role of Structured Communication

The episode also explores the role TAG played throughout the campaign. From developing content strategy and producing The Morning P!ng podcast to helping organize investor communications and campaign milestones, the discussion highlights how structured communication helped P!ng stay connected with its growing community.

As the campaign approaches its next phase, Rob and Jane remain focused on growing operations, expanding their engineering and leadership teams, and preparing for future fundraising opportunities.

Lessons for Future Founders

For founders considering crowdfunding, this episode provides a candid look at what works, what requires patience, and why building a community around your company may become one of your most valuable long-term assets.

Watch or listen to the full TAGLine Podcast episode featuring Rob Whitten and Jane Lo to hear their complete crowdfunding story and the lessons they learned along the way.