Developers' decision to navigate resource adversity in crowdfunded digital projects

In a world where funding institutions and venture capitalists dominate the digital product development landscape, crowdfunding has emerged as a vital mechanism, engaging a diverse global crowd in financing visionary ideas and addressing the needs of underrepresented groups. However, while the challenges of managing crowd expectations are acknowledged, there remains a limited understanding of how developers navigate these challenges after successfully funding their proposals. A grounded investigation of two crowdfunded digital projects uncovers the presence of “resource adversity,” characterized by a scarcity of critical resources like funding and human capital, in both projects, despite their divergent outcomes. Integrating the findings with existing research on development and resourcefulness, this study presents a perspective that elaborates on the prevalence of resource adversity within crowdfunded digital projects. While adversity pressures developers to seek additional funding and advocate for changes to various project aspects, this perspective underscores the importance of strategic decision-making to proactively prepare and practice resourcefulness. Departing from prevailing resource-centric perspectives, resourceful decisions made during fundraising and development establish a resilient foundation, enabling resistance to precarious changes and facilitating high-quality releases, along with post-adversity benefits. The findings enhance our understanding of the underlying causes of resource adversity in crowdfunded digital product development and provide valuable decision-making insights for leveraging adversity. The article concludes by exploring future research avenues at the intersection of crowdfunded projects, developers' decision-making, and resourcefulness.