Please provide a detailed plan, including timeline and key milestones for delivering your proposal.
Workload Management at LFF
Roadmap
The proposal is to fund 6 months of developing Actions: September through February 2023. The proposal roadmap is divided into three stages. Stages 1 and 2 output feature complete versions of Actions. Actions will be used on the testnet and possibly on the mainnet to test and collect feedback from pilot use cases.
Stage 3 begins work on the broader vision, including features that will be further specified through the process. It aims to get Actions ready for the future, with a larger toolset available to work within the LFF ecosystem. Stage 3 relates to another LFF proposal, where we employ token engineering principles to build reward sharing agreements that are sustainable.
Stage 1: Action MVP
1 month - September 2022
The early goal with Actions is to have good support for different types of media. Actions, in order to represent real world activities well, must support arbitrary combinations of data links: images, videos, GIFs, documents, … Multiple of the same media types should be supported. An Action can be made up of 5 photos, 2 videos, 1 PDF document for example. This will allow a variety of activities to be well captured by Actions.
To build the Action MVP:
- Group: Define the metadata specification
- Group: Choose libraries for building transactions
- Backend - Developer(s): Implement transaction building (using library(s) defined in (2))
- Frontend - Developer(s): Build UI for selection/population of metadata fields on Action minting, integrating (3)
This stage will result in a functional Action NFT specification with the said functionality and a minting contract to mint Actions.
Stage 2: Extensibility
3 months - October/December 2022
Extensibility unlocks many things. It allows Actions to represent any activity. Initially, this is for LFF to define new types of Action. For example, a colony membership extension would turn an Action into a membership badge for a colony. This allows Actions to be the primitives of LFF and enables the other stages.
This stage will result in an extensible metadata specification that allows third party metadata. With this functionality we will create the first example: an Action for becoming a colony member.
To build extensibility:
- Group: Define extensibility in metadata specification
- Backend - Developer(s): Update transaction building to support extensibility
- Frontend - Developer(s): Update UI for extensibility
- Test extensibility through real world use
- Iterate 1 through 4
This stage will result in a functional Action NFT specification with the said functionality and a minting contract to mint Actions.
Stage 3: The Next Steps (Bootstrapping a Community of Contributors)
2 months - January/February 2023
With extensibility, the metadata can have parameters that work with specific smart contracts. These interactions make up the LFF ecosystem together. Some of these parameters we look to implement are:
- Reward Sharing Agreements: RSAs are digital business agreements. Each littlefish involved in an Action gains rewards according to it and according to their participation. Colony members earn, Action producers earn, colony earns, etc. This must be implemented in the sales contract but the Action metadata will include this information for the sales contract to use.
- Reward Aging: Reward sharing rate decays at a rate set by the decay coefficient for each involved party. This will incentivize further Action by all participants. If littlefish doesn't provide further value, they stop earning.
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And more…
Modules
How we make work visible - LFF Modules
The work outlined in the proposal is divided into modules, each a specific part of the development process. Much of the work follows an iterative design process. Actions will be tested in stages, feedback collected from users to further iterate on the design.
Key milestones and expected deliveries:
- September
- Action MVP specification
- Minting contract deployed on testnet
- October
- Script to build Action MVP NFTs
- November
- Extensibility MVP with colony membership Actions
- February
- Ready for mainnet with extensibility, RSA metadata
Module 1: Technical Specification
Stakeholders: LFF, gimbalabs
Primary Work Group: The Forge
Duration: July - January
Resources: 150hrs of work + operations budget
To start we have created an informal specification. This is an evolving document, bound to change with new findings and experimentation. It is to give a general, long term vision of Actions, designed both to spark discussion and to prioritize functional experimentation. This specification will be formalized as part of this module.
Activities:
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Metadata research: What existing metadata specifications are there in the rest of the space? How do others approach the specification problem? In depth analysis of design choices. Common pitfalls.
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Metadata design: Discussions on needs, prioritization of functionality, creating the JSON specification, formal documentation.
Module 2: Minting Contract, Building Transactions, and Collecting Information
Stakeholders: LFF, gimbalabs
Primary Work Group: The Forge
Duration: July - January
Resources: 400hrs of work + operations budget + audit budget
Activities:
- Write minting smart contract
- Deploy minting smart contract
- Choose libraries to build transactions with
- Implement automated transaction building
- Developing scripts to collect on-chain Action information,
- Backend, database development to collect on-chain Action data.
- 3rd party security audit of minting contract
Module 3: Action Frontend
Stakeholders: LFF, gimbalabs
Primary Work Group: The Forge
Duration: September - February
Resources: 150hrs of work + operations budget
The frontend must be able to populate fields for the Action metadata, sign transactions, and initiate transactions to mint Actions.
Activities:
- Design UI/UX for Action minting
- Integrate wallet
- Integrate with Backend (original LFF proposal)
- Implement UI
Module 4: Experimenting with Action
Stakeholders: LFF, gimbalabs, c4c, Sustainable ADA, others Catalyst communities
Primary Work Group: Organization Labs
Duration: October - January
Resources: 150hrs of work + operations budget
Once we have the MVP Action and a working Frontend to connect the two, we can start experimenting with Action. We will use the system internally at LFF, to keep track of Actions that help build the LFF, including the activities in this and other LFF proposals. We’ll share it with other communities as a pilot program.
Activities:
- Using Action in LFF internally, valuing work through Actions, first Action based payments made to littlefish.
- C4c, gimbalabs, Sustainable ADA and others use Actions.
- Collecting information from experiments.
- Discussions on emerging use cases. What categorizations appear? What type of Actions are being generated? Is there demand? Who are the buyers?
- Documenting, reporting on use cases.
- Analysis of collected on-chain data, use cases.
Module 5: Project Based Learning Module on Action
Stakeholders: LFF, gimbalabs
Primary Work Group: gimbalabs
Duration: September - January
Resources: 300hrs of work + operations budget
As Gimbalabs developers contribute to Modules 1-4, they will be creating documentation and educational resources in real time. The outcome of this work is to create a Project-Based Learning experience that invites additional community members to use Actions, join Colonies, and contribute to the further development of Action infrastructure.
Activities:
- Create Onboarding Module: Understand Actions and a colony
- Create Building Background Knowledge (BBK) Modules: How are actions represented on chain
- Create Contribution Modules that invite further development of Actions
Please provide a detailed budget breakdown.
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All LFF proposals follow the same budget structure. They are made up of the module budgets and the Action Fund allocation.
Module budgets
Each proposal is made up of modules. Each module has a specified budget. The sum of module budgets makes up the first part of the overall budget.
1 - Personnel budget
Each module has a personnel budget and an operations budget. The personnel budget is the total estimated hours * the hourly rate for the module.
The base hourly rate for LFF proposals is 50 USD. This is a living wage in most parts of the world. It will bring financial stability to participants.
The hourly rate for a module may change from this default, based on the expertise needed.
2- Module operations budget
Each module is allocated an extra budget sized at 1/5th of the personnel budget to enable operations.
This budget is a pooled organization wide resource used to cover expenses. It will be used to purchase digital work tools like Zoom to be used by all members of LFF.
A part of it will be spent with the discretion of the module team. For example, it can be used to pay for transportation, buy personal digital tools, purchase other teams’ Actions, etc.
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LFF Action Fund
LFF Action Fund has multiple purposes.
1 - Contingency
Proposals may not be funded. The activities in the proposals will still take place if we can account for this with additional funding. Action Fund will provide that funding if and when it is necessary.
The Action Fund can be used to extend a module budget, fund an unfunded proposals’ module, or fund new modules as need arises.
2 - Incentivizing further Action
We are creating a new economy. LFF is the first colony in this economy. Its members are producing Actions, the supply. But who will buy them?
There is a need for stable demand for Actions to bootstrap this new digital economy. Action Fund provides this stable demand.
3 - Admin and other work
There is a lot of unmentioned work that goes into building the Littlefish Foundation. This includes general admin work like setting up meetings, scheduling, scribework, as well as other activities like community building.
The Action Fund will prioritize buying those Actions that aren’t covered by the proposals.
Action Fund Sizing
The Action Fund allocation is sized at 1/4th of the total budget. This is common across all LFF proposals to provide financial safety to the project for the next 12 months, allowing us a healthy runway to create the new earning economy.
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All modules in this proposal have an hourly personnel rate of 50 USD/hr. Module operations budgets are 1/5th the personnel budgets.
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Module 1: Technical Specification
-
Personnel Budget: 7500 USD
-
50 USD/hr * 150 hrs
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50 hrs: Metadata Research
-
100 hrs: Metadata Design
-
Operations Budget: 1500 USD
-
Total: 9000 USD
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Module 2: Minting Contract, Building Transactions, and Collecting Information
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Personnel Budget: 20000 USD
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50 USD/hr * 400 hrs
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50 hrs: Minting Contract
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250 hrs: Off-chain development
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100 hrs: Backend development
-
Operations Budget: 4000 USD
-
Security Audit Budget: 5000 USD
-
Total: 29000 USD
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Module 3: Action Frontend
-
Personnel Budget: 7500 USD
-
50 USD/hr * 150 hrs
-
25 hrs: Design
-
125 hrs: Frontend Development
-
Operations Budget: 1500 USD
-
Total: 9000 USD
-
Module 4: Experimenting with Action
-
Personnel Budget: 7500 USD
-
50 USD/hr * 150 hrs
-
50 hrs: Outreach, collaboration with other colonies
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100 hrs: Data collection and use analysis
-
Operations Budget: 1500 USD
-
Total: 9000 USD
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Module 5: Project Based Learning
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Personnel Budget: 15000 USD
-
50 USD/hr * 300 hrs
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300 hrs: Work on creating PBL modules
-
Operations Budget: 3000 USD
-
Total: 18000 USD
Module Total = 74000 USD
Action Fund Total = 24667 USD
Total = 98667 USD
Please provide details of the people who will work on the project.
Cem - I completed a Master's degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering. My thesis was about to create a complete Video on Demand system with client-server architecture with its own network protocol called Reliable UDP. After graduating, I set up a high-security financial data center in 2004. Then, in 2019, I started a new cyber security startup with three of my staff. The same year, the startup was funded by the largest bank in Turkey.
I started programming when I was 12 years old, and about 6 years later, I met the Internet, which introduced so many things to me. Open source was the biggest among them. Later on, I wrote a book about Linux and open-source systems. For me, open-source philosophy was the key to real human potential. It was making the secrets of the institutions public.
In the corrupt financial system we are used to living in, a person or group named Satoshi designed the decentralized digital currency called Bitcoin. And afterward, new techniques that were not part of our current order began to develop. Then, in 2021, I met Cardano, where like-minded people find each other. So when I dig deeper into Cardano, I suddenly found myself in the Cardano4Climate community trying to do things to stop climate change with a bunch of people all around the world.
With friends from Cardano4Climate, we formed up littlefish Foundation. It is a system, a reason for being. Encourage people to do anything for the good of the common. It is an experiment to build collective intelligence.
Now, I decided to retire from all of my real-world business to solely think, dream and work for the littlefish Foundation.
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/ckaraca/>
<https://github.com/ckaraca>
Proposal Focus: All modules. Work on specification design, project management and work on all development aspects of the proposal. Help shape PBL module.
ChaKhan - 3+ years experience as a Backend Developer. Python, REST, Postgres, data modeling. Electrical and Electronics Engineering Major. Found Ikigai working on LFF, thinking/working on it 24/7. MBA Thesis in progress on the LFF, focus is pricing Actions in the context of LFF payments. Learning within the Catalyst/Cardano ecosystem for 7+ months. Focusing on organization building, governance, token engineering with long term interest in economics, game theory, behavioral psychology, political science, and history.
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/%C3%A7a%C4%9Fkan-acarbay-b2210b136/>
<https://github.com/cagkanacarbay/>
Proposal Focus: Modules 1, 2, 4, and 5. Work on specification design, off-chain development, run experiments, collect data, help shape PBL module.
James Dunseith - Co-founder of Gimbalabs, funded Catalyst proposer, contributor to projects across the Catalyst ecosystem, and currently leading the development of Plutus Project-Based Learning initiatives at Gimbalabs. Prior to committing full-time to Cardano and Catalyst development, James taught high-school math and developed teacher-education programs at two ed-tech startups.
Proposal Focus: All modules. Minting contract development. Advisor on all things Plutus.
Nori Nishigaya - Founder of the Salmon Nation Decentralized Alliance (SANADA), and co founder of Bridge Builders, and SAMON pool. Member of the Catalyst Circle Admin Team, Cardano4Climate, and Littlefish Foundation. Cardano Ambassador, CA, and Funded proposer. Passionate about radical inclusivity and community, and devoted to making Cardano the best community on the planet. Nori brings over 30 years of experience in software development, agile methodologies, leadership and managing teams, and founding and running technology startups.
Proposal Focus: Module 1. Metadata design.
Mert Akyazi - 2+ years Software Developer experience on Back-End and 1+ years experience on Blockchain development, mostly on EVM compatible networks. Currently working with a close to launch NFT marketplace “LEXIT” as Chief Cryptographer
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mertakyazi/
Proposal Focus: Module 1. Specification design and research.
Sebastian Pereira - 5+ years of strategic planning for public institutions as an Economist. 2 years in the blockchain industry EMURGO Academy instructor, content writer for EMURGO Blog and CT team leader.
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianpereira33/>
Proposal Focus: Module 1. Specification design and research.
Donald Isufi - Electrical and Electronics Engineering Major Senior Year, Self-taught programmer, JavaScript, React, Python, HTML and CSS, 1 year experience as Front-End Developer. Recipient of MITx Certificate for Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science. Blockchain enthusiast and participant of Little Fish Foundation for 1+ month.
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldisufi/>
<https://courses.edx.org/certificates/39a936e9f5454dac823297795d81b9c1>
Proposal Focus: Module 3. Frontend development. Module 2. Off-chain development.
Emre Kurt - B.Sc. in Geological Engineering with 4 years job experience in the field. Working as a System Administrator for the last 3 years and Sales Director for the last 1.5 years. Very good knowledge of Linux based systems and Network Security. In the process of excelling in the blockchain technology and currently focusing on organization and community building, marketing strategies. Also using AI tools to create art pieces to be minted as NFTs.
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/emre-kurt-617272bb/>
<https://creator.nightcafe.studio/u/Nautilus>
Proposal Focus: Module 4. Internal use, collecting information, documenting processes.
If you are funded, will you return to Catalyst in a later round for further funding? Please explain why / why not.
Yes, we will return to Catalyst for further funding, until we build sustainable business models around Action. Catalyst allows us to take our time, engineer systems well without rushing to market, potentially risking an event similar to what happened to Luna.
We are an evolving decentralized organization. We expect solid community and contributor growth in the near future. These individuals, along with existing ones who have time from existing commitments, will be starting new initiatives. Until we get to a sustainable business model using Actions, Catalyst will be the place where we come for funding. This allows us to experiment until we can figure our way. Thanks Catalyst!
We aim to become sustainable with the launch of our token on mainnet, which we tentatively aim to deliver by Q3 2023.
Meanwhile, we will be providing Catalyst and the broader community with ongoing services. We will be publishing all our research (DAOs, governance, economic, technology, tools, …) on the Littlefish Vault. These will be made sustainable through experiments in Action, in due time.