It would be interesting to see how this landscape evolves. I'm very familiar with the development, having consulted for multiple companies and I know that even for industry veterans, a product is very rarely on time and on budget. What does it mean for kickstarter projects, when the inventor is usually approaching a whole new field?

I'm thinking that there will be a lot more friction between makers and backers as time passes.

I'm sensing that KS is trying to sidestep the issue instead of confronting it. They are in an enviable position now, but it will take little bad press to dethrone them. I'm willing to bet that some major PR mess is approaching KS like a freight train, with all their flattering press and hugely overbacked projects. These will start slipping one by another, as most products do.

KS needs to preempt this by appointing governing/consulting entities to the major projects, making sure things are on time and well communicated to the backers. KS also has to find a milestone scheme where the money gets to the makers on an agreeable schedule, and should consider alternate funding methods like dollar matching with the project maker.

What they run now is a disaster waiting to happen.