Please describe your proposed solution.

The Cardano developer community needs a singular educational web app that, instead of acting as a dictionary of knowledge, is singularly focused on bringing app visitors from zero knowledge to a level at which the user is now prepared to use the app.

Blockchain apps need a shared educational resource to point new users to that will actually point back; a massive amount of potential is lost in terms of otherwise interested consumers not knowing how to get started interacting with the dApp, and this interactive interstitial experience can solve that for all projects in a meaningful and traceable way.

The Guidelight app works interstitially with other project websites, turning visitors from lost web traffic to engaged users with a wallet and an NFT before sending them back to the origin project.

This app would be a free service for Cardano web apps with a bi-directional relationship. Using URL parameters and an open API, this educational app would act as an interstitial “conversion booster” for those visiting any Cardano project website.

In essence, the app will:

1. Customize the appearance and content based on the originating project
2. Guide the user to creating their first browser wallet
3. Embed an NFT sale mechanism related to the originating dApp
4. Send the user back to the partner dApp ready to interact with it

The team behind the web app has a background in web analytics and will constantly monitor the performance of the educational app with “drop-off funnel” style analytics and click heatmap solutions such as Hotjar. With optional demographics surveys, A/B testing and drop-off analytics we can make the portal perpetually faster and easier to use for everyone.

With each iteration of improved content, the time it takes to convert a total newcomer into a web3 shopper will get shorter and shorter. The experience will include opportunities to skip ahead and customize the journey to hasten onboarding time for users who do have some level of understanding of blockchain or NFTs.

The primary educational content will be in the form of comical, animated videos. The purpose behind this is scientific - from an ecommerce perspective, the longer a consumer stays on a page, the more likely it is that they will convert. We can convey the most important aspects of how blockchain works and how to use it, in a way that is concise, memorable and attention-grabbing. One example of a team that would do that well would be the Claymates, who have already expressed an intent to create this content.

We will use JPGStore embedded selling technology, customized by the dynamic reference to the NFT collection, in order to make the utility NFT available for sale by crypto or credit card. A similar dynamic embedding mechanism will be available for projects with NMKR minting campaigns.

With these core components in place, the Guidelight app is positioned to turn otherwise wasted web traffic into engaged consumers. As an affiliate marketing app it has a distinct advantage of completing the dApp partner’s primary conversion goal, an NFT sale, prior to being sent back to the partner site. As sales occur on the blockchain, it can provide reporting with an unmatched level of transparency as an affiliate marketing mechanism. This affiliate networking server solution will be fully open-source so that others can develop their own variants of this solution and build on it.

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community.

App developers, particularly those building things with clear mainstream appeal like music and video, will for the first time have a realistic chance at converting non-blockchain audiences, which can enable new forms of marketing and new economies of scale.

The more apps being used by a volume of newcomers to Cardano will be good for the economy overall. Making a wallet and purchasing ADA and NFTs are interactive modules covered by the app so that the user is ready to interact with that particular app by the end of the experience.

The ease at which web2 consumers are being converted directly to Cardano apps could attract new development teams to start building on Cardano, creating even better games and tools that will attract even more web2 consumers.

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

The team possesses the underlying code that would form the bases of all components mentioned. We have experience in creating apps similar in functionality to this one. All required information and diagramming for this app has been plotted out, and our team has the coding and analytics expertise to perform the work sprints within the time specified.

We have about three years of experience programming solutions on Cardano, and about fourteen years experience in ecommerce and web analytics.

What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Web App: Setup of the web app framework (Vue) and a supporting API service and MongoDB database. Create the structure of all modules and their dynamic nature according to a library of user flows.

• 3 work sprints covering 412 hours
• Starting 12/1/23, target launch 1/29/24
• Projected cost: ₳36,117 ($9,029)

Web App Initialization: Set up a Vue3 web app template on the Netlify platform. Create the basic structure of the course player and using the web API to fetch content.

Dynamic Module Flow Logic: Implement all URL parameter options and the dynamic behavior of the web app to update the experience based on those options. Include an automatic collaboration notification from the calling origin. Allow custom colors, logo, introduction video, category-based content, and embedded NMKR campaigns that are relevant to the consumer app. Flows include Art NFT, Utility NFT, Stake Pool

Completion Callbacks: Confirm users who have completed the course and return them to the original website / app. Provide the web API with event notifications like user completion or user wallet creation. Create a user history object revealing performance and actions taken on-app.

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Wallet Generation Modal: Create an interface that requires proof of ability and knowledge for interacting with dApps. Generate a wallet on the user's behalf or register with a custodial option.

• 3 work sprints covering 315 hours
• Starting 1/31/25, target launch 3/16/24
• Projected cost: ₳13,852 ($3,463)

Wallet Generation Modal: The user must connect a wallet to the mini-app to continue. They can connect an existing wallet, generate a new one, or register with a custiodial solution.

Custodial Wallet Oauth: Integrate with a custodial wallet solution such as Mainstreet in order to provide a third option to wallet generation, which would be the easiest of the three for mainstream consumers.

New User Creation: Create a user history object that tracks conversion goals, sales history and app usage related to one or more projects.

>Content Creation: Contracting stop-motion animation for the app from one of several known Cardano animator partners.

• 1 work sprint covering 280 hours
• Starting 1/15/24, target launch 2/24/24
• Projected cost: ₳12,313 ($3,078)

Base Content: Create the core educational content using a well-known animation contractor. Generate the course player appearance and transitions. Formulate the curriculum to be as logically linear and streamlined as possible. Four animated videos, each a maximum of five minutes long, at an estimated 70 hours per video including editing. The core videos will target the baseline topics of wallets, NFTs, staking, and dApps.

>Minting Campaign Integration: Embed a minting campaign from NMKR depending on the URL parameters provided in the incoming link. Detect payment and associate it with the app user history.

• 1 work sprint covering 120 hours
• Starting 1/15/24, target launch 2/1/24
• Projected cost: ₳5,277 ($1,319)

Embedded Minting Campaign: Dynamically embed an NMKR campaign into the app based on the incoming link URL parameters. Detect sales and add to an app user history.

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NFT Marketplace Integration: Integrate with JPGStore to allow browsing and selling of tokens belonging to the origin project, with credit card checkout option.

• 1 work sprint covering 165 hours
• Starting 4/29/24, target launch 5/23/24
• Projected cost: ₳7,256 ($1,814)

NFT Marketplace Module: Create a module that embeds an NFT marketplace list of available tokens related to the origin project. Detect sales and add them to a user log.

>Stake Pool Explorer Integration: Allow the exploring and staking to pools directly in the app with an integration from platforms such as ADAPools.org

• 1 work sprint covering 65 hours
• Starting 3/30/24, target launch 4/8/24
• Projected cost: ₳2,858 ($715)

Stake Pool Explorer Module: Embed a stake pool explorer tool such as ADAPools into the app workflow for staking.

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ADA Onramp Integration: We will implement an existing suite of tools to embed an ADA onramp into the onboarding flow, in contexts where the user needs ADA to interact with the origin project.

• 1 work sprint covering 120 hours
• Starting 4/10/24, target launch 4/27/24
• Projected cost: ₳5,277 ($1,319)

ADA Onramp Module: Create an interface that integrates with an ADA onramp tool such as Moonpay, for the staking pool flow and other contexts where the user needs ADA to interact with the app.

>Web App API: An API server that facilitates data storage for the educational web app. It will retain its own logs of wallets created, ADA transferred, timestamped traffic and NFTs purchased for aggregated analytics. Capable of minting course completion certificates to student wallets.

• 4 work sprints covering 520 hours
• Starting 1/1/24, target launch 3/16/24
• Projected cost: ₳22,866 ($5,717)

Project Registration Mechanism: Create an interface for projects to register custom information about themselves which shows up in dynamic elements of the onboarding flow when the project ID is referenced.

App API Routes: Create all route commands required by the mini app to send and receive information.

Wallet and Asset Analytics API: Once a user returns to the third party app, provide the callback URL with an authorization token parameter and an API route that developer teams can use to fetch additional information about the user who completed the course, including the wallet they created or connected with, voluntary profile information and course completion stats as well as averaged statistics and a full export of unique wallets generated during the flow of a project ID.

Database Articles and Access: Initialize a MongoDB Atlas account. Prepare all NoSQL articles to serve the web app and requests for user completion analytics. Create a repository of content to serve the front-end and secure pathways for the web API to access that data.

>Public Performance Reporting: Set up a public Google Analytics account that reports on anonymized conversion goal performance segmented by the registered project names, identified by URL parameter.

• 1 work spring covering 120 hours
• Starting 4/2/24, target launch 4/19/24
• Projected cost: ₳5,277 ($1,319)

Public Site Analytics Account: Initiate a Google Analytics account that is open to the public, segmenting consumer behavior and site performance by project name.

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Field Integration: Work closely with specific cNFT partners to beta test the bi-directional relationship of the onboarding app and its ability to serve dynamic content for third party sites.

• 1 work sprint covering 90 hours
• Starting 3/18/24, target launch 3/31/24
• Projected cost: ₳3,958 ($989)

Cross-Project Beta Testing: We will work closely with select Cardano projects that have a clear mainstream potential and are ready to deliver now, for a period of beta testing.

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Sarah Faulkner, MS Computer Science

Sarah has twelve years of experience writing apps for e-commerce and web analytics applications. A graduate of Plutus Pioneer Program, she is also deeply familiar with blockchain queries and smart contracts.

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Project Team

• Sarah, Full Stack Developer
• ₳80,780 ($20,195) for 1,837 work hours
• (ommitted), Content Animator
• ₳74,000 ($18,500) for 370 work hours

Hardware

• We do not need to purchase any physical equipment.

Marketing

• This project team believes it does not need to increase the overall asking price of this project by including a marketing budget and would prefer to grow organically as a service layer in partnership with select users.

Technical Consulting

• We do not require paid outside contractors for this project.

Technical Contractors

• Cardano Node and Wallet Back-End Expert (Abstract Potato)
• ₳18,000 ($4,500) for 75 hours

Service Providers

• Netlify, 12 Months of Pro Tier Account, ₳912 ($228)
• Netlify, 12 Months of Enterprise Hosting, Web App, ₳7,200 ($1,800)
• Render, 12 Months of Team Plan, ₳912 ($228)
• Render, 12 Months Standard Tier Node Service, Web API, ₳1,200 ($300)
• MongoDB Atlas Dedicated Cluster, GCP Tier M20, 12 Months, ₳6,912 ($1,728)

How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The cost of this proposal is a one-time price that will produce a self-service Cardano app that can be used by the entire community to bring on brand new consumers. It has the potential to allow all projects to reach out directly to the mainstream, where most of Cardano's future revenue will be.

While projects can begin converting traffic into engaged users right away, the open API repository will allow other developer teams to create their own versions of this interstitial onboarding app for their own purposes.

All team members have committed to a baseline cost of living for the duration of the project. All hard costs have been plotted out, and the hourly rate for labor amounts to approximately $12 per hour. We do not plan to outsource development work, and this proposal will allow the team to focus on the project around the clock until it is completed.