I've been seeing more Kickstarters after funding lately. I guess it's a good way to test demand and get the word out. But it feels like it's against the spirit of the thing.
I like this model. Basically if it is not funded no risk for the consumer. If it is funded the company can provide volume discount without having to give up equity via a VC. Basically you cut out the middleman (the VC or bank).
[0] http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/09/99-ras...