That was poorly phrased. I meant, it's not about pre-paying for a product, it's about funding something you believe will be awesome if it's created, and if it is created, getting access to it in some way.
It's totally about pre-paying for a product or service. To think anything else is very naive. You really think all those people were just wanted to believe in something awesome - no they wanted that Pebble watch or that Dresden Dolls album.
I don't see Kickstater or its surrogate crowdfunding tool going truly mainstream until after someone devises a legal mechanism to hold projects accountable for taking the money and running.
The investors?