How I Moderate Panels + Previous Panel Examples

Here's how I like to moderate panels: (I might send you this link if you're a panelist on an upcoming panel I'm moderating)

Dissecting the Massively Over-Subscribed Lockitron Launch

We've been using the "lock & unlock your door with an app on your phone" solution from Lockitron for two years now.  In fact, here's a blog I wrote in 2010 with a video showing how it works.  As early adopters, Paul, one of the Lockitron founders, was great about coming by our office to fix the early version of Lockitron whenever it had trouble.  We were happy users of Lockitron version 1.0.

And that's all I heard about Lockitron for two years.  But it turns out Paul, Cameron & team have been super busy.  Today they launched a new version of Lockitron in a really smart way.  It's so impressive that I'm going to spend a few minutes dissecting it, because we can all learn from what they've done.   I'd also like to invite anyone from Lockitron to give more detail on my observations in the comments section below.

The first and most obvious thing they did was use a Kickstarter-type approach to their launch.  When you visit www.Lockitron.com you see what I've taken a screenshot of above.  (I'd be curious to know if they're using a while-labeled Kickstarter-type service, or more likely, just taking the best from Kickstarter's approach and doing it in-house).

As I've outlined in the screenshot, they set a goal which (purposefully or not) is now massively oversubscribed.  It makes you feel like you have to get in on the action.