Kickstarter is, by nature, a really cool thing. It gives developers a chance to make games that big studios won’t fund, and it provides gamers with a way to directly impact the fortune of franchises for which they have developed a passion. There’s just one major problem: accountability.

We saw yesterday how over $36,000 in Kickstarter donations quickly turned to around $2,000 thanks to mismanagement and a poor business plan. And for every Double Fine or inXile, there are going to be dozens of unproven developers without a clue in the world of how to spend their Kickstarter dollars once the checks clear. Kickstarter creates an incredible opportunity, but gamers need to be wary of where they spend their cash.

According to Rock, Paper, Shotgun, over $10,000,000 (that’s million, guys) has been contributed to game-related Kickstarters since March. That’s a shitload of money, especially when you consider that some of the projects may still never come to light.

Kickstarter’s major strength is that it allows anyone with an awesome idea to accrue thousands of dollars to put into their efforts. However, this is also Kickstarter’s biggest flaw—there’s no telling what may happen if a company screws the pooch on their donor-financed adventure.

So, in this week’s POV, I’m suggesting one simple thing—don’t donate to any Kickstarter campaign lacking a strong, experienced team. If you can’t find that, look for someone that has a clear business plan and a strong methodology for turning your investment into something worth spending money on.

Otherwise you may as well set your cash on fire.

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