$30K/Month: Joker Greeting Card Story💌
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When you think of greeting cards, you probably imagine something sweet and sentimental.
Travis Peterson thought, “What if they were annoying instead?” And that’s how Joker Greeting was born—a card company turning harmless pranks into serious profit ($30,000/month).
Here’s the full story of how Travis, with zero market research and a dream to buy a PS4, created a business that raised $92,000 on Kickstarter and now earns $30,000/month.
🎶 What’s a Joker Greeting Card?
Imagine sending someone a birthday card, but instead of a simple tune, the music:
Plays non-stop for 3+ hours (sometimes 10!)
Gets louder when the button is pressed again.
Is waterproof, meaning it works even if dunked in water.
Want more chaos? Some cards even come with glitter.
Here’s their lineup of “musical torture devices”:
Thank You Card: Thank You for Being a Friend (Golden Girls).
Baby Shower Card: Endless baby crying sounds.
Birthday Glitter Card: Classic birthday tune + a glitter explosion.
I’m Sorry Card: Brenda Lee’s I’m Sorry.
The Macarena Card: Yup, it plays The Macarena.
Thinking of You Card: Sirens of all kinds.
Can’t decide which to send? You’re not alone—we’ve already got a list of “worthy recipients” in mind.
💡 The Backstory
Venture #1: The First Failure
Before Joker Greeting, Travis worked on a project to collect personal stories online. He built a beta site, met potential partners, and even dipped into his savings—but after 2.5 years, the venture failed.
The Lesson? Any new solution must be 10x better than existing ones to succeed. His idea was good, but not groundbreaking.
Venture #2: The Accidental Success
In 2012, Travis and his brother Nick joked about making a non-stop singing doll. Their dad suggested greeting cards instead—and the idea stuck.
By 2015, after 6 months of prototyping and countless uncertainties, they launched the first-ever non-stop music greeting card on Kickstarter.
🛠️ Building the Product
Travis spent months creating a prototype and navigating tricky questions:
Who will manufacture it?
How much will it cost?
Can China handle this production?
Eventually, he designed a card that was intentionally boring and dated—because, let’s face it, the surprise is in the non-stop music.
🎯 The Business Behind the Noise
Joker Greeting started as a simple Kickstarter campaign in 2015. Fast forward to today:
$92,073 raised from over 2,000 backers.
Now pulling in $30,000/month (₹24.7 lakh) in revenue.
Cards sell for $8–$12 (₹660–₹1,000) each.
Here’s how they did it:
Unique Product Appeal: These aren’t your average Hallmark cards; they’re a prankster’s dream come true.
Viral Marketing: Their “annoying but fun” concept has made waves across YouTube and social media.
Lean Operations:
Based in Irvine, California, with production in China.
Warehouse and assembly in Salt Lake City, Utah.
📈 Why It Works
Novelty Sells: Greeting cards are a ₹33,000 crore ($4B) global industry, but few are this unique.
Built for the Internet Age: The cards thrive on social sharing—people love to post their reactions.
Affordable Mischief: At ₹660 per card, they’re the perfect price for harmless fun.
How They Priced It
Manufacturing 1,000 cards cost $7/card. On Kickstarter, they sold for $15/card, giving them a solid margin while keeping prices accessible.
👨💼 The Brains Behind the Cards
Travis Peterson, co-founder, took an unconventional route.
Holds a B.S. in Finance and spent 6 years in NYC working at investment banks.
Pivoted to entrepreneurship, using his financial savvy to fund and grow Joker Greeting.
He and his brother Nick designed a product that taps into our love for pranks, nostalgia, and, let’s face it, petty revenge.
What’s Travis Doing at Joker Greeting?
Travis is the only full-time employee at Joker Greeting, and his job is as dynamic as the cards themselves. Here’s what he handles:
Building and managing the website (on Shopify).
Customer support for prank-related inquiries.
Business development with wholesale clients.
Video ads for platforms like Facebook.
Product design and launches of new categories.
In short, Travis is a one-man army running the backend while keeping the pranks rolling.
🎉 How Did They Get Started?
Kickstarter Launch (April 1, 2015): They set a modest goal of $7,500—just enough to buy a PS4. But launching on April Fools' Day made their product look like a prank. The result?
Day 1 sales: $100–$200
Day 3: Their product went viral, thanks to DudeIWantThat.com. Sales hit $3,000.
By Easter weekend, they were making $5K–$7K (4–6 lakh) per day, with BuzzFeed featuring their card in its “Top 13.”
Total Raised: $92,000
🌟 Viral Success
What made Joker Greeting go viral?
A unique concept: Cards that don’t stop playing music.
Social media buzz: Nick Peterson, a filmmaker, shot engaging videos, while Travis made relatable iPhone clips that drove sales.
Media attention: CNET, ABC News, and BuzzFeed propelled them into the spotlight.
💥 The Challenges
In late 2016, Joker Greeting faced its worst challenge yet:
A massive batch of cards shipped with defective batteries.
Thousands sold before Travis discovered the issue (4–5 months later).
Customer backlash flooded his inbox with complaints from buyers who felt cheated.
The financial hit? $20,000—and zero trust left in his vendors.
Despite the chaos, Travis acted fast:
Full refunds: He reimbursed every single customer, even though it drained the company’s finances.
Replacements: Once the manufacturer replaced the faulty units, Travis sent working cards to all affected buyers.
But the damage wasn’t just financial—it was reputational.
Amazon nightmare: Joker Greeting’s top-selling card dropped to a 1-star average rating.
Even though they were trending as the #2 card in their category, bad reviews crushed sales.
With limited funds and a tarnished reputation, Travis crafted a comeback plan:
He removed the defective product from Amazon entirely, ensuring vendors couldn’t sell it.
Travis redesigned the card with a new color and fresh features to signal a clean slate.
By encouraging feedback on Google, Facebook, and Amazon, he rebuilt credibility.
The Results
The patience and persistence paid off:
The new card gained 237 reviews with an average 4.5-star rating.
By addressing complaints and doubling down on quality, Travis not only salvaged Joker Greeting but laid the foundation for future success.
🧠 Lessons Learned
Marketing is key: Initial success came organically, but sustaining sales required strategic Facebook ads and 15–30 second videos.
Leverage feedback: After their first campaign, they improved card durability and texture based on customer input.
Launch new products: To keep momentum, Travis created spin-offs like the Joker Cricket, which mimics incessant cricket chirping.
Travis Peterson's book recommendations:
Creativity Inc, by Ed Catmull
Principles by Ray Dalio
The Hard Thing about Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Aimless Love by Billy Collins (poetry)
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meachum.
What’s Next?
From a modest goal to a $30,000/month revenue stream, Travis now aims to scale Joker Greeting to $1 million/year. His secret? Staying lean, innovating relentlessly, and keeping the pranks fresh.
What’s your take? Would you prank someone with a Joker Greeting card? Share your thoughts—just make sure you can handle the revenge. 😏
Stay tuned for more stories on quirky ideas turned into businesses!
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