Cardano Second Brain: Smart Collective Content

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Jose Castro

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

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

3

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

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

We are building a 'second brain' for Cardano using Obsidian in the backend. It summarizes content with timestamps, making it easier to navigate the ecosystem's ever expanding information.

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

No

[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

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

No

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

The project's outputs, specifically the curated content, summaries, and knowledge produced by our system, will be fully open source under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. This license allows for free distribution, modification, and use of the content, even commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given.

All this curated content will be publicly accessible through our custom website, hosted on a separate domain while leveraging GitHub Pages for deployment. 

Currently, the full repository, including the Obsidian backend used for content organization, as well as our automations and workflows will remain private. However, as the project grows and matures, we will actively consider open-sourcing the entire repository to further promote transparency and collaboration.

[METADATA] Horizons

Community Outreach

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

We have a functional prototype available at https://cardano.2ndbrain.wiki showcasing the basic concept. Our infrastructure is already set up for seamless content creation and publishing, using the Quartz framework (Obsidian) as the backend system and GitHub pages integrated via our custom domain.  We have successfully integrated the ability to upload new content to the system, albeit in a manual process. To demonstrate Obsidian's capabilities, we create Markdown documents and link them to summaries, utilizing linking and tagging features. However, our current prototype is far from a production-ready system, which is why we're seeking funding to advance its development to a more robust version.

Our proposed solution addresses the information overload in the Cardano ecosystem by creating a semi-automated, community-driven knowledge base which we like to call Cardano's second brain.

Here's how we perceive and approach the problem:

Problem perception:

• The Cardano ecosystem produces vast amounts of content across various mediums and languages.
• Users struggle to keep up with and digest all the information.
• For non-technical users, the Cardano content can be overwhelming due to its complexity.
• Valuable insights are often buried in lengthy videos or podcasts.

Our approach:

• Develop an AI-powered system to summarize and organize content.
• Provide timestamps for video and audio content summaries, enabling users to quickly access specific sections of the original material. 
• Each content includes a one-click ELI5 link, making complex concepts accessible to non-technical readers who can grasp the basics.
• Create a multilingual, easily navigable website to host this information.
• Implement a "second brain" structure using Obsidian's powerful linking and tagging capabilities, allowing users to connect different ideas and content across the ecosystem.
• Implement community-driven quality assurance and content selection Workflows and processes.

Engagement:

• Cardano enthusiasts seeking concise, reliable information.
• Content creators whose work will reach a wider audience and benefit from increased engagement through targeted timestamps.
• Multilingual community members contributing to translations and quality assurance.
• Cardano community Members underserved Due to a lack of technology knowledge or language barriers 

Demonstrating impact:

• Track user engagement metrics (visits, time spent, content interactions).
• Monitor community contributions and involvement.
• Gather feedback from users and content creators.
• Measure click-through rates to original content using provided timestamps.

By creating this Cardano second brain, we aim to empower the Cardano community with easily digestible, accurate, and up-to-date information, ultimately contributing to the ecosystem's growth and adoption while supporting content creators through increased discoverability and engagement.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

1. Second Brain for Cardano: Our solution creates a centralized, Multi-language, interconnected knowledge base, making it easier for users to find and understand information. 
2. One click ELI5 (Explain Like I'm 5) Link for each content.
3. AI-powered Format conversions and summarization with timestamps: By condensing long-form content and providing precise timestamps, we save users time while preserving key insights and allowing easy access to original content section.
4. Multilingual approach: We break down language barriers, making Cardano information accessible to a global audience.
5. Community-driven: Our framework for manual Human quality assurance and content selection ensures relevance and accuracy while fostering community engagement.
6. Open-source output: All curated content will be freely available, promoting transparency and knowledge sharing.
7. Enhanced content creator engagement: Timestamps and summaries act as a discovery tool, potentially increasing viewership and engagement for YouTubers and podcasters in the Cardano ecosystem.

This solution is important to Cardano because it:

1. Accelerates ecosystem growth by making information more accessible and easily digestible..
2. Encourages broader participation by reducing language and time barrier.
3. Enhances the overall understanding of Cardano's technology and project.
4. Supports decentralization by involving the community in content curation.
5. Boosts engagement for content creators, incentivizing the production of high-quality Cardano-related content.

How will you share the outputs and opportunities that result from your project?

This one is easy for us since our project aims to create a unified platform in the form of a static website protocol based on Obsidian. This website will be the primary means of sharing the project's outputs, including summaries, original content, and ELI5 versions.

Community Engagement: The project incorporates an interactive component for community feedback and participation. This creates opportunities for community members to contribute to the project's evolution and improvement.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] 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?

Our capability to deliver this project with high levels of trust and accountability is rooted in our extensive experience and existing progress:

1. Existing Infrastructure: We have already developed and implemented the core infrastructure, including the Quartz Obsidian backend and the GitHub Pages-based frontend.
2. Established Presence: We have been active participants in the Cardano ecosystem for over five years, including our role as Stake Pool Operators (SPOs) since the Incentivized Testnet (ITN).
3. Community Recognition: As well-recognized members of the Cardano community, we have built a reputation for reliability and quality contribution.
4. Ecosystem Expertise: Our deep understanding of Cardano's technology, community dynamics, and information needs positions us uniquely to create a solution that truly serves the ecosystem.

To validate our approach's feasibility, we plan to:

1. Implement Iterative Development: We'll roll out features in phases, starting with core functionalities and gradually introducing more complex elements like multilingual support and community collaboration framework
2. Leverage Community Connections: Our established network within Cardano will be invaluable for user testing, feedback, and early adoption of the platform.
3. Measure Key Performance Indicators: We'll track metrics such as user engagement, content creation rate, and community contributions to gauge the project's impact and effectiveness.
4. Transparent Progress Reporting: We'll maintain open communication with stakeholders, regularly sharing updates on our progress, challenges faced, and solutions implemente
5. Scalability Testing: As we develop the collaboration and multilingual frameworks, we'll conduct stress tests to ensure the system can handle increased load and data volume.

By combining our deep roots in the Cardano ecosystem, technical expertise, and user-centric development approach, we're confident in our ability to deliver a high-quality, accountable project that meets the evolving needs of the Cardano community.

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

Title: Development of Scalable Production Workflow for Content Creation and Management

Milestone Outputs:

a) A set of content-specific templates with standardized metadata (front matter)

b) Documented AI prompt engineering and prompt chaining flows for content summarization

c) Automated tagging and note-linking system based on prompt engineering

Acceptance Criteria:

a) Templates are created for at least 6 different content types (e.g., video summaries, podcast summaries, project descriptions, concept explanations, person profiles)

b) Each template includes a comprehensive metadata structure tailored to its content type

c) Prompt engineering flows consistently produce high-quality summaries across various content types

d) Automated tagging system accurately assigns relevant tags to at least 90% of test content

e) Note-linking system successfully creates meaningful connections between related pieces of content

Evidence of Milestone Completion:

a) GitHub repository containing all created templates with their respective metadata structures

b) Test results demonstrating the effectiveness of the summarization process across a diverse set of content samples

c) Sample content pieces processed through the entire workflow, from content selection assigned to a specific template based on the type of content being tested with automatically created markdown documents with tags and links.

Title: Community-Driven Enhancement and Multilingual Content Creation System

Milestone Outputs:

a) An interactive feedback component integrated into the platform

b) A multilingual content creation workflow

c) A community engagement and incentivization plan

d) Quality assurance guidelines and processes for translations

Acceptance Criteria:

a) The feedback component allows users to easily submit suggestions for enhancements, multilingual improvements, and ELI5 (Explain Like I'm 5) requests

b) The multilingual workflow supports content creation in at least 3 languages (including English)

c) A network of qualified community members (e.g., SPOs) is established for the QA process of translations

d) An incentive structure is defined and documented to encourage community participation

e) Clear qualification criteria are established for community members involved in the QA process f) Quality standards are defined and consistently met across all languages and content types

Evidence of Milestone Completion:

a) Functional demo of the interactive feedback component, including user interface and backend integration

b) Comprehensive documentation of the multilingual content creation workflow, including process flowcharts and guidelines for translators and QA reviewers

c) List of engaged community members for the QA process, along with their qualifications and the selection criteria used

d) Sample set of multilingual content (in at least 3 languages) that has gone through the entire workflow, from creation to community QA, demonstrating quality and consistency

Title: ELI5 Content Framework and Documentation

Milestone Outputs:

a) An ELI5 (Explain Like I'm 5) content creation framework

b) ELI5 versions for all existing Markdown documents in the system

c) A process for automatically generating ELI5 content for new documents

d) Comprehensive documentation of workflows and frameworks

Acceptance Criteria:

a) The ELI5 framework successfully simplifies complex Cardano topics for non-technical audiences

b) Every Markdown document in the system has an accompanying ELI5 version

c) New documents added to the system automatically trigger the creation of an ELI5 version

d) Documentation is clear, comprehensive, and published on GitHub

e) Non-technical users report improved understanding of Cardano topics after reading ELI5 content

Evidence of Milestone Completion:

a) GitHub repository containing the complete ELI5 framework code and documentation

b) Sample set of original Markdown documents paired with their ELI5 versions, demonstrating the effectiveness of the simplified version

c) User feedback report from a diverse group of non-technical readers, evaluating the clarity and helpfulness of ELI5 content

d) Workflow diagram and step-by-step guide for creating and integrating ELI5 content, published on GitHub

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

The project team consists of three key members:

1. José Castro - Project Manager and Technical Specialist

• Founder of Cardano Latino and SPO LATIN and DREP
• Creator and visionary behind the project
• Expertise in AI technologies, including LLMs and Prompting Engineering
• Leads overall project direction and technical implementation
• https://x.com/CardanoLatino

1. Jaime Posada - Technical Lead

• LATIN Technical SPO
• Collaborates closely with José on providing support on technological issues and infrastructure
• Shares expertise in AI technologies, LLMs, and Prompting Engineering
• Contributes to the development and implementation of AI-assisted tools
• https://x.com/LATINSoporte

1. Juan Sierra - Business Developer 

• Intersect Marketing Working Group member.
• Intersect Constitutional Council alternate member.  
• Manages marketing strategies and community outreach.
• Helps bridge the project with the wider Cardano community.
• https://x.com/jsierrax

With a combined experience of over 15 years in the Cardano ecosystem, our team brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. We share a common foundation as Intersect Individual Founding Members, bringing a unified perspective to our work. 

Together, this team combines technical expertise, project management skills, and community engagement to develop innovative AI-assisted tools for the Cardano ecosystem.

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Milestone 1: Development of Scalable Production Workflow for Content Creation and Management Allocation: 35,000 (38.9% of total budget)

Breakdown:

1. Template development and metadata structure: 8,000
2. Prompt engineering and chaining flows development: 12,000
3. Automated tagging and note-linking system: 10,000
4. Testing and quality assurance: 5,000

Milestone 2: Community-Driven Enhancement and Multilingual Content Creation System Allocation: 30,000 (33.3% of total budget)

Breakdown:

1. Interactive feedback component development: 10,000
2. Multilingual content creation workflow: 10,000
3. Community engagement and incentivization plan: 5,000
4. Quality assurance guidelines and processes: 5,000

Final Milestone: ELI5 Content Framework and Documentation Allocation: 25,000 (27.8% of total budget)

Breakdown:

1. ELI5 framework development: 12,000
2. ELI5 content creation for existing documents: 6,000
3. Automation of ELI5 content generation: 4,000
4. Documentation and GitHub publication: 3,000

Additional Budget Elements: (distributed across all milestones)

1. Project Management: 6,000
2. Community Engagement and Marketing: 5,000
3. Documentation and Reporting: 2,000

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

The proposed budget of 90,000 ADA for this project represents excellent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem for several reasons:

1. Ecosystem-wide Impact: This project addresses a critical need in the Cardano ecosystem - the ability to efficiently process and disseminate the vast amount of information being produced. By creating a unified platform for content summarization and organization, we're providing a valuable resource that benefits the entire Cardano community, from newcomers to experienced developers and stakeholders.
2. Long-term Resource: The static website protocol we're developing will serve as a long-lasting resource. Once established, it will continue to provide value well beyond the initial development phase, serving as a central hub for Cardano-related information.
3. Multilingual Reach: By incorporating multilingual content creation, we're expanding the reach of Cardano information to non-English speaking communities. This aligns with Cardano's goal of global adoption and represents significant value in terms of community growth and engagement.
4. Community Engagement: The project incorporates community involvement in content creation, translation, and quality assurance. This not only reduces costs but also fosters a sense of ownership and participation within the Cardano community.
5. Automated Processes: A significant portion of the budget is allocated to developing automated processes for content summarization, linking, tagging, and ELI5 content creation. While this requires upfront investment, it will result in long-term cost savings and efficiency.
6. Accessibility Improvement: The ELI5 framework will significantly improve the accessibility of complex Cardano concepts to non-technical audiences. This has the potential to accelerate adoption and understanding of Cardano technology.
7. Scalability: The infrastructure we're developing is designed to be scalable, meaning it can handle increasing amounts of content as the Cardano ecosystem grows, providing long-term value.
8. Cost-Effective Alternative: Compared to the potential cost of hiring full-time content creators and translators to manually process the vast amount of Cardano-related content, our AI-assisted approach represents a highly cost-effective solution.

In terms of cost breakdown, we've allocated resources based on the complexity and importance of each project phase. The largest portion (38.9%) is dedicated to continue the development of the foundational infrastructure, which is crucial for the project's long-term success. The remaining budget is split between developing community engagement tools (33.3%) and creating the ELI5 framework (27.8%), both of which are vital for improving accessibility and community involvement.

Furthermore, we are taking a self-sufficient approach to minimize external expenses by handling most of the work in-house. 

Given the potential for this project to significantly enhance information accessibility, community engagement, and global reach of the Cardano ecosystem, we believe it represents exceptional value for the requested funding.