Waffle Capital - Ultimate Cardano Onboarding Guide

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Waffle Capital Ltd.

[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)

4

[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)

To research, curate, and develop a comprehensive set of multipurpose educational resources, progressively engaging the community to collaboratively expand and sustain these materials.

[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 dependencies

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

Yes

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

All materials would be on (an) open source Github repo(s) with Apache-2.0 license.

[METADATA] Horizons

Education

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Cardano onboarding information has been scattered across the community. While it is already expected for it to be hard for laymen to learn, it is also difficult for more sophisticated investors to climb the learning curve. 

The solution of this proposal comes in 2 parts:

• Summary of existing community resources
• Our initial phase focuses on creating a well-curated summary of all existing community resources within the Cardano ecosystem. Recognizing that previous attempts to develop onboarding guides have varied in quality, we will systematically collect and assess all available materials. We will credit the original content creators, ensuring their contributions are acknowledged and valued. Obsolete information will be updated, forming the foundation for a comprehensive and up-to-date onboarding guide that aligns with the evolving needs of the Cardano community.

1. Development of audience-specific onboarding guides. As new participants join Cardano, they bring diverse interests and objectives. Leveraging Waffle Capital’s operational experience in engaging with a wide range of individuals, we will develop tailored onboarding guides for key audience groups. These guides will be specifically designed for:
2. Students: To foster learning and innovation.
3. Institutions (VCs and Market Makers): To provide insights and strategies for meaningful engagement and investment in the ecosystem.

• Collaborative community maintenance

1. Our ultimate goal is to establish the onboarding guide as a comprehensive and adaptable framework for welcoming diverse groups of users into the Cardano ecosystem. Drawing from past experiences, we recognize that long-term sustainability is best achieved through collaborative community efforts rather than relying on a single entity. In this phase, we will actively engage the broader Cardano community, inviting motivated partners to participate in the maintenance and continuous improvement of the guide. By expanding its reach and involving dedicated community members, we aim to ensure that the onboarding guide remains relevant, accurate, and reflective of the evolving needs of Cardano users.

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

• Aggregating community intelligence
• Cardano is recognized as a hub for brilliant minds, each contributing to innovative projects independently. However, this decentralized approach often results in valuable resources and information being scattered throughout the ecosystem. Our initiative aims to aggregate and curate these materials, bringing together community intelligence into a cohesive and accessible collection.
• Delivering targeted and well-curated onboarding materials
• By developing targeted onboarding materials, Waffle Capital is well-positioned to effectively welcome and integrate influential participants into the Cardano community. These guides will not only streamline the onboarding process but also serve as valuable resources for existing Cardano ecosystem members, enabling them to engage with and educate external audiences. This network effect will amplify the reach of the ecosystem, fostering broader understanding and participation in Cardano’s initiatives.
• Fostering community collaboration
• This proposal establishes a foundational framework designed to initiate and encourage collaboration across the Cardano community. By bringing together previously fragmented resources and knowledge, we aim to create a unified effort where community members can work together to enhance and expand upon the onboarding materials. This collaborative approach not only strengthens the resources available but also builds a sense of shared ownership and collective growth within the ecosystem.

[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?

Waffle Capital has a proven track record of engaging with the Cardano community and supporting its growth, as demonstrated through our past events and consistent presence shared via social media. Our commitment to building platforms that allow the community to shine and provide learning opportunities for those outside of Cardano is evident, and we will continue this effort to ensure more Cardano projects can access and capitalize on business opportunities.

With over two years of experience operating within the Cardano blockchain as an established institution, we have built strong relationships and trust with numerous community members and external parties. This positions us as a reliable bridge between the external business world and the Cardano ecosystem.

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

Objective: Establish a strong foundation for the project by setting up the necessary infrastructure, assembling the team, and defining effective project management practices.

Activities:

• Confirm core team members and advisors.
• Establish project management tools.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Public announcement on core team members and advisors.
• Project management tools and systems set up.

Objective: Map existing resources within the Cardano ecosystem to lay the groundwork for the onboarding guide.

Activities:

• Conduct thorough ecosystem research to identify and evaluate existing educational materials.
• Engage the community by inviting participation in the research process.
• Compose a research report on Cardano ecosystem

Acceptance Criteria & Evidence:

• A Twitter (X) post publicly inviting community participation in the research process. 
• A public GitHub repository link hosting the finalized research report.

Objective: Finalize and launch the onboarding guide

Activities: 

• Draft, develop, and finalize multiple versions of the onboarding guide.
• Organize the guide into functional categories, allowing new users to explore the Cardano ecosystem through clearly defined sections.

Acceptance Criteria & Evidence:

• A publicly accessible link to the completed onboarding guide will be provided.
• The material will be available for all community members and new users.

Objective: Open source the onboarding guide and collaborate with the Cardano community to establish a sustainable framework for its continuous revision, updating, and maintenance. We see it as a Wikipedia for Cardano.

Activities:

• Engage with and establish partnerships with at least two entities within the Cardano ecosystem to co-develop a framework for collaboratively maintaining and updating the guide.
• Prepare and present a close-out report for the Catalyst community, summarizing the achievements and next steps.

Acceptance Criteria & Evidence:

• Public announcement of the established partnerships, with a link to the Twitter (X) post.
• A finalized close-out report. 
• All relevant links will be accessible to the community.

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

Monish Iyer is a Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Waffle Capital. As the COO, Monish is responsible for the management of the Fund, as it relates to the day to day administrative and financial operations. He will be in charge of coordinating and overseeing the implementation of this proposal, ensuring that all milestones are met and that the project's outcomes are in line with the initial objectives.

Roshan Golani is a Decentralised Finance analyst at Waffle Capital. As a DeFi analyst, Roshan plays a pivotal role in identifying and evaluating emerging decentralised applications: understanding their mechanics and crafting insightful research reports. For this proposal, Roshan will be carrying out the bulk of the research and then collaborating with Monish, partners, and advisors on curating the guides.

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

Milestone 1: Preparation and Organization Setup 

Activities:

• 15,000 ADA - Build a framework/plan of the structure and presentation of the ultimate guide.
• 10,000 ADA - Establish project management tools.
• Total Budget: 25,000 ADA

Milestone 2: Onboarding Guide Preparation 

Activities:

• 25,000 ADA - Gather community participation, aggregate and structure data.
• Total Budget: 25,000 ADA

Milestone 3: Launch Onboarding Guide

Activities: 

• 12,500 ADA - Draft, prepare, and finalize the user onboarding guide 
• 12,500 ADA - Categorize the onboarding guide by functionality such as Wallets, Infra, Governance, and DeFi, enabling new users to view the Cardano ecosystem by categories
• Total Budget: 25,000 ADA

Milestone 4: Open Sourcing and Collective Collaboration

Activities:

• 25,000 ADA - Invite and establish partnerships with at least 2 parties/entities in the Cardano ecosystem to set up the framework for revising, updating, and maintaining the guide with collaborative efforts
• Prepare a close-out report for the Catalyst community.
• Total Budget: 25,000 ADA

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

One of the primary challenges facing the Cardano ecosystem is the lack of accurate knowledge about its technology and opportunities. This issue, combined with misinformation and fragmented resources, creates barriers for onboarding new participants. Our project aims to bridge this gap by developing comprehensive, well-organized educational materials that make it easier for individuals and institutions to engage with Cardano.