Help NMKR to continue operations & develop NFT Infrastructure

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

Additional applicants

The whole NMKR team.

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.” .

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.”

Project will be fully open source.

[METADATA] Category of proposal

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

TLDR / Summary:

Continue developing NMKR Tools, Open Sourcing NMKR Studio and focus on onboarding businesses to Cardano.

Part 1: Development of Current Roadmap

We plan to persistently progress our existing roadmap, concentrating on implementing CIP-68 for improved user experience, integrating decentralized storage solutions for added security, and enabling plugin support for personal customization. This commitment will ensure NMKR's robustness in the NFT domain.

Part 2: Open Sourcing NMKR Studio

To drive innovation and transparency, we propose to open source NMKR Studio. This would allow the global developer community to contribute to our platform, accelerating problem-solving and development of features, thereby strengthening NMKR's future.

Part 3: Expansion to Onboard More Businesses to Cardano

Finally, we aim to extend our business development to invite more businesses to the Cardano blockchain. By educating companies on NFT benefits and providing necessary tools, we aim to foster a stronger Cardano ecosystem and broaden NMKR's reach.

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

1. Increased Adoption and Usage: With NMKR's track record of creating 2 million NFTs, making up about 20% of the Cardano chain, further development and enhancement of NMKR's infrastructure means that even more NFTs can be created, stored, and traded on the Cardano blockchain. This high level of activity increases the utilization and adoption of the Cardano network.
2. Attracting More Creators: By improving the user interface and experience, more creators may be drawn to use Cardano for their NFT projects. Given NMKR's success in onboarding tens of thousands of creators, further refinement of the platform could attract an even greater number of creators.
3. Community Development and Innovation: Open sourcing NMKR Studio encourages a collaborative and innovative environment. Developers worldwide can contribute to the platform, driving the creation of new features and improvements. This not only enhances the NMKR platform but also contributes to the overall development and innovation within the Cardano ecosystem.
4. Business Onboarding: Our extended efforts to attract more businesses to the Cardano ecosystem would lead to increased commercial utilization of Cardano, further solidifying its position in the blockchain space. This could also lead to a greater number of high-value transactions and increased demand for ADA, potentially contributing to its value.

In sum, this proposal contributes to the growth and development of the Cardano ecosystem, further cementing its place as a leading platform for NFTs and driving its adoption by a wider range of users and businesses.

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

Measuring the success of our project will be based on several key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with our goals:

1. User Experience and Engagement Metrics: With the enhancement of the current roadmap, we'll track user engagement and satisfaction rates. This will be measured by metrics such as increased usage of our platform, feedback scores, and lower rates of user-reported issues.
2. Contributions from the Developer Community: For our open-source initiative, the success can be gauged by the number of developers contributing to our platform, the frequency and quality of contributions, and the innovative solutions or improvements proposed by the community.
3. Increase in NFT Creation: As we've been instrumental in creating a significant portion of NFTs on the Cardano chain, a continued increase in the number of NFTs created using our platform would be a clear indicator of success.
4. Business Onboarding: Success in our business development efforts would be measured by the number of new businesses onboarded to the Cardano ecosystem through our platform.
5. Overall Impact on the Cardano Ecosystem: Lastly, the ultimate measure of success would be the positive impact on the Cardano ecosystem. This would include factors such as increased usage of the Cardano blockchain, enhanced reputation and visibility of Cardano in the NFT space, and growth in the value and demand for ADA.

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

Quarterly Reports

We believe in the importance of transparency and open communication, particularly given the collective nature of our project. To share the outputs and results of our project, we intend to continue and enhance our practice of issuing quarterly reports.

Our quarterly reports will provide comprehensive updates on the progress and achievements of the project.

These will include:

1. Development Updates: We'll detail any significant updates related to our development roadmap, including the implementation of CIP-68, the integration of more decentralized storage solutions, and the addition of plugin support.
2. Open Source Contributions: We'll share statistics and highlights on contributions made by the developer community to NMKR Studio.
3. NFT Creation and Business Onboarding Metrics: We'll provide metrics related to the number of NFTs created using our platform and the number of businesses onboarded to the Cardano ecosystem.

In addition to these quarterly reports, we'll regularly update our stakeholders through various channels:

1. Website: We'll maintain a dedicated section on our website for project updates and milestones.
2. Social Media: We'll make use of our social media platforms to share real-time updates and engage with our community.
3. Community Forums: We'll actively participate in relevant community forums to share updates and gather feedback.

Through these means, we aim to keep our community informed about our progress and achievements, and look forward to their continued support and feedback as we work towards our goals.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

Our capability to deliver this project with high levels of trust and accountability is founded on our team's expertise, past achievements, and commitment to transparency:

1. Experienced Team: Our team is composed of seasoned professionals with vast experience in the blockchain and NFT space. Their combined knowledge and skills give us the confidence to tackle and deliver on this project.
2. Proven Track Record: NMKR has already successfully created 2 million NFTs on the Cardano chain and onboarded tens of thousands of creators. This record of accomplishment demonstrates our ability to deliver on our promises and meet our project goals.
3. Commitment to Transparency: We believe in open communication and transparency. We regularly share progress updates through our quarterly reports and other channels, keeping our community well-informed about our activities and achievements. As part of this proposal, we also plan to open-source NMKR Studio, further demonstrating our commitment to transparency and community engagement.
4. Strong Governance Structure: Our internal governance structures are designed to ensure that every decision we make aligns with our mission and is carried out responsibly. This includes proper project management practices, regular internal audits, and strict compliance with industry regulations and standards.

By integrating these elements into our project execution, we are confident in our ability to deliver this project with the highest levels of trust and accountability, ensuring that we meet and exceed the expectations of our stakeholders.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

The main goals of our project are:

1. Enhancing the Current Roadmap: We aim to further improve the user experience on our platform, through the implementation of CIP-68, the integration of more decentralized storage solutions, and the addition of plugin support.
2. Open Sourcing NMKR Studio: We plan to create a more collaborative and innovative environment by making NMKR Studio open source, allowing developers worldwide to contribute to our platform.
3. Onboarding More Businesses to Cardano: Our ultimate objective is to grow the Cardano ecosystem by attracting more businesses to use the Cardano blockchain for their NFT projects.

In terms of validation, we will rely on several methods:

1. User Feedback and Engagement: By monitoring user feedback and platform usage statistics, we can gauge whether our enhancements to the roadmap are leading to an improved user experience.
2. Developer Contributions and Community Feedback: The success of our open sourcing initiative can be validated through tracking the number and quality of contributions from the developer community, as well as their feedback on the open-source platform.
3. Business Onboarding Metrics: We'll track the number of businesses onboarded to the Cardano ecosystem via our platform, which will give us direct evidence of our success in expanding the Cardano network.
4. Continual Testing and Evaluation: Regular testing and system evaluations will be conducted to ensure that the platform is operating efficiently and that any issues are addressed promptly, further validating the feasibility of our approach.
5. Review Against KPIs: We'll continually measure our progress against the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) we've set, enabling us to see whether our project is meeting its objectives and whether any adjustments need to be made.

Through these methods, we will be able to validate whether our approach is effective and feasible, and make any necessary adjustments to ensure the success of our project.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

1. Milestone 1: Enhancement of Current Roadmap
2. Tasks:

• Implement CIP-68
• Integrate more decentralized storage solutions
• Add plugin support

Estimated Timeline: Continual, as this is an ongoing process to consistently improve the user experience.

1. Milestone 2: Open Source NMKR Studio
2. Tasks:

• Prepare the codebase for open sourcing, ensuring all sensitive and proprietary information is removed.
• Choose an open-source license.
• Launch the open-source project, inviting developers to contribute.
• Manage and review contributions from the community.

Estimated Timeline: While we're unable to provide a specific timeline, this milestone is a significant priority and will be initiated as soon as possible.

1. Milestone 3: Onboarding More Businesses to Cardano
2. Tasks:

• Develop a business outreach program.
• Initiate partnerships with businesses interested in NFTs.
• Offer support to onboarded businesses.

Estimated Timeline: This is a continual effort that aligns with the long-term growth strategy of NMKR.

Please note that this is a rough outline, and the exact timeline may vary depending on various factors.

As NMKR is already live, these enhancements will be integrated smoothly and sequentially, ensuring the platform remains operational and accessible throughout this process.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Milestone 1: Enhancement of Current Roadmap

1. Deliverables: Successful implementation of CIP-68, integration of additional decentralized storage solutions, and development of plugin support.
2. Outputs: A more user-friendly, versatile, and robust NMKR platform.
3. Intended Outcomes: Enhanced user satisfaction and increased engagement with the NMKR platform, contributing to the growth and dynamism of the Cardano NFT ecosystem.

Milestone 2: Open Source NMKR Studio

1. Deliverables: The NMKR Studio codebase, fully prepared and made accessible for open-source contributions.
2. Outputs: A community-driven development environment, with developers worldwide contributing to the platform's improvement and innovation.
3. Intended Outcomes: Greater innovation and versatility of the NMKR platform, fostering a sense of community and collective growth, and further enhancing the reputation of the Cardano ecosystem as a hub for development and collaboration.

Milestone 3: Onboarding More Businesses to Cardano

1. Deliverables: A strategic outreach program designed to engage and onboard businesses interested in leveraging NFTs on the Cardano blockchain.
2. Outputs: An increased number of businesses creating and trading NFTs on the Cardano blockchain via the NMKR platform.
3. Intended Outcomes: Increased utilization and adoption of the Cardano network, leading to more high-value transactions, a broader user base, and a stronger reputation for Cardano in the business community.

Each of these milestones contributes to our overarching objective of growing and strengthening the Cardano ecosystem, while also ensuring that NMKR remains at the forefront of this exciting and rapidly evolving space.

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

With this proposal getting funded we'll be able to cover the following costs for a significant amount of time (depending on ADA price). Note that these are not the full costs NMKR is bearing but it significantly contributes to increasing our current runway.

1. Personnel Costs: Around 20 000$ per month
2. Hardware and Infrastructure: Around 5000$ per month

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The cost of the project, while it might seem significant, represents substantial value for the Cardano ecosystem for several reasons:

1. Increasing Adoption and Utility of Cardano: The main goal of NMKR is to attract more businesses to the Cardano ecosystem. This increased adoption not only leads to more transactions (and therefore, more transaction fees for the network), but it also boosts the overall utility and value of the Cardano blockchain.
2. Strengthening the NFT Market on Cardano: By providing tools that make it easier to create and trade NFTs, NMKR is contributing to the growth and dynamism of the NFT market on Cardano. A thriving NFT market can attract more users and investors to the Cardano ecosystem, driving up the demand and value of ADA.
3. Promoting Innovation and Collaboration: By open sourcing NMKR Studio, we're fostering an environment of innovation and collaboration. This can lead to the development of new tools and features that further enhance the Cardano ecosystem, making it more appealing to developers and users alike.
4. Providing Long-term Sustainability: The enhancements to the NMKR platform, particularly the integrations of decentralized storage solutions and plugin support, contribute to the long-term sustainability and resilience of the Cardano ecosystem. This is an investment in the future of Cardano, the returns of which can far exceed the initial costs.
5. Building Reputational Value: The successful execution of this project will help to further establish Cardano's reputation as a leading blockchain for NFTs and business solutions. This reputational value can be a powerful factor in attracting future users, developers, and investors.

Given these factors, the costs associated with this project should not be viewed merely as expenses, but as strategic investments that are likely to bring substantial returns and value to the Cardano ecosystem.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.