You’ve probably heard of Kickstarter, the site where entrepreneurs can ask for funding from the world at large. The amounts of money they need are reasonable—we’re talking a few bucks, not twenty million to launch a competitor to Facebook—and the projects are absolutely all over the map. When you pledge, you don’t get a share of the profits. But you might get an early release model or a discount or whatever, depending on the project. Even if you’re not contributing, it’s a great site just to poke around, especially as many of the stories are inspiring.

Two worth watching: This one is a really good product idea, and really well executed. I can easily imagine buying one of these.

Then, there’s John Kricfalusi’s animated “Cans Without Labels.” John K created The Ren & Stimpy Show (does anyone else miss Powdered Toast Man as much as I do?) and is wonderfully twisted. His hilarious and heartwarming video pitch describes his tough dad, the inspiration for his new project—and shows him sketching, which is a real treat for animation fans. There’s plenty of funding needed for this one, if any money is burning a hole in your pocket.