Love Can't Buy You Money

Overview

This paper examines resource exchange dynamics on reward-based crowdfunding platforms. The title captures the central finding: while social support and community enthusiasm ("love") matter for campaign visibility, they cannot substitute for genuine economic value propositions when it comes to raising meaningful capital.

Contribution to the Research Program

This work contributes to the Resource Mobilization stream by examining how digital platforms mediate resource exchange between entrepreneurs and supporters, connecting to the lab's broader interest in platform governance and digital entrepreneurship.