Fueling Web3 Adoption and Empowering Education via a Social Learning Platform

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Marzi Zadeh

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

info@ervin.app

Additional applicants

Mohammad Jalilvand

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

9

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

No

[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?

No

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

The Smart Contract aspect of this project will be open source, ensuring transparency and allowing all users and the Cardano community to verify its correctness and accuracy. However, the educational functionality of the platform will not be open source, as this is necessary to maintain privacy and enhance security for our onboarded users.

[METADATA] Category of Proposal

Other

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

Our proposed solution aims to facilitate the democratization and adoption of web3 assets, particularly within the Cardano ecosystem, by introducing a new social platform that provides the following features:

Private Online Classes: Professionals from various fields can publish their available time slots and durations, allowing interested users to sign up. This fosters live knowledge sharing and interactive chat sessions with experts, surpassing the vast pool of static educational content available.

Content Library: Users will have the opportunity to access a diverse range of bite-sized educational content published by experts. Users can actively engage with the content and contribute to the platform, earning valuable engagement and contribution points. These points will be taken into account for our reward system, further incentivizing active participation and knowledge sharing within our platform.

Rewards-Driven Teaching and Learning: Our platform not only facilitates the transition of users to the web3 ecosystem through ADA token payments, but it also incentivizes and promotes positive user behavior through e-coin rewards. By encouraging users to teach, learn, and invite others to join this innovative educational social network, we create a next-level learning experience with rewarding benefits.

Personalized Recommendation System: Leveraging machine learning algorithms, our platform will provide personalized content recommendations and suggest upcoming live classes based on users' individual interests and specific learning needs. This intelligent system ensures that users receive tailored suggestions, enhancing their learning experience and maximizing their engagement with relevant educational materials and live sessions.

Community Engagement: Our platform encourages active participation by providing forums and discussion groups where all users can engage. This fosters a vibrant learning community where users can enrich their educational experience, share insights, and support one another. This rewarding aspect is crucial as it defines the true value of our platform. By facilitating education and interpersonal interactions, we aim to convert users into enthusiastic supporters of Cardano, creating a social channel that goes beyond mere transactions and embraces the power of knowledge exchange.

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

The widespread adoption of any innovation is driven by democratization. This has been evident in the cases of the internet, computers, and even recent advancements like generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs). The underlying technology behind these breakthroughs existed for several years before their global usage, and this was made possible through democratization via accessible platforms and products. Our proposal is inspired by a similar vision. While digital assets have been in existence for years and have experienced exponential growth, attracting a broader community requires real-world integrations that go beyond closed-loop use cases like trading and collecting.

Social media platforms such as Instagram and LinkedIn have become explosive phenomena in global human interactions with technology, attracting millions of users from diverse backgrounds and countries to connect and engage online. Another significant category is knowledge sharing, with platforms like Coursera and Udemy offering in-depth educational resources, while LinkedIn Learning and creators on Instagram and YouTube provide frequent but bite-sized information.

Our proposed solution represents a unique synthesis of these recent digital advancements, focusing on the highly sought-after human interests of social interaction and learning. This is achieved through web3 integration, utilizing token payments and rewards system to enhance the platform. We firmly believe that by pioneering the first social educational platform within the Cardano Ecosystem, funded through this initiative, we will significantly expose many users to the ease and benefits of digital assets. Moreover, it will seamlessly overcome the major challenge of integrating and adopting Cardano and the Web3 world.

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

The success of this project can be measured conveniently through the following metrics:

• Number of registered users, encompassing both learners and educators.
• Quantity of published and registered classes, posts, and forum activities.
• Statistics on the number of active daily users.
• Cumulative investment made by learners and tokens earned by educators.
• Total staked coins within the platform.
• Online presence and recognition among the general public, as well as within the Cardano and Web3 communities.

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

Since the success and vision of our project relies on people, we will extensively leverage social media channels to provide regular updates and announce our platform roadmap. In order to encourage the creation of educational content, we will allocate incentive tokens to early adopters. We will begin this social engagement within the Web3 and Cardano communities. As our project is open to individuals from all backgrounds, we will actively reach out and collaborate with our extensive networks to onboard early educators and patrons. Once we have a satisfactory number of learner and educator accounts established, the platform will gain momentum through organic word-of-mouth growth, ongoing marketing efforts, and a strong online presence.

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

Motivation and expertise serve as our strongest driving forces in realizing this vision. As a team, we possess a collective professional experience of 11 years, specializing in the delivery of critical applications on a national scale. We have recently completed projects involving Cryptocurrency wallet (DEX) development and NFT staking and trading. (LinkedIn profiles are available in another section as evidence of our professional expertise as experienced developers.)

In addition to our proven track record in development and successful project delivery through both employment and freelance positions, we are personally driven to bring this idea to life. We have already initiated its development and remain committed to realizing this vision, even if it is not funded in this round. However, considering the social significance of this project, it would greatly benefit the web3 and Cardano community if we are considered for funding to accelerate its end-to-end development.

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

The main goals for the project are to democratize and promote the adoption of web3 assets, specifically within the Cardano ecosystem, by creating a social educational platform that facilitates learning, knowledge sharing, and community engagement. The project aims to validate its feasibility through several key factors:

1. User Engagement: The project will measure the number of registered users, active daily users, and the level of participation in forums, discussion groups, and other interactive features. This will help validate the platform's ability to attract and engage users.
2. Content and Class Offerings: The success of the project will be assessed by the number and quality of published and registered classes, as well as the variety and relevance of educational content available. Regular updates and expansions to the content library will demonstrate the platform's commitment to providing valuable learning resources.
3. Token Utilization: The project will monitor the number of transactions involving tokens within the platform to gauge the level of token utilization. This includes tracking the total amount of digital assets earned and rewards distributed to educators for their contributions. By assessing the frequency and volume of token transactions, as well as the accumulation of digital assets and rewards by educators, the project can validate the effectiveness of the token system in incentivizing participation and providing value to educators.
4. Stakeholder Adoption: The project will aim to establish a presence within the Web3 and Cardano communities and collaborate with early educators and patrons. The validation of the approach's feasibility will be reflected in the level of adoption and support from these stakeholders.
5. User Feedback: Ongoing user feedback and reviews will play a crucial role in evaluating the project's feasibility. Gathering input from learners, educators, and other platform users will help identify areas for improvement and validate the effectiveness of the platform in meeting their needs.

By monitoring these key indicators and incorporating user feedback, the project will be able to assess the feasibility of its approach and make necessary adjustments to ensure its success in achieving its goals.

[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.

2023 Q4:

Milestone: Finalize Project Roadmap and Complete Documentation

Timeline: 3 weeks

Tasks:

- Gather project requirements and finalize the detailed plan

- Consult a Web3 financial advisor to determine appropriate percentages for course enrollment fees and rewards

- Write detailed app documentation and Whitepaper

- Complete rewarding system and eCoin calculation

2023 Q4:

Milestone: Application & Platform Development

Timeline: 10 weeks

Tasks:

- Finalize key features for the application and server side, completing phase 1 of the roadmap

- Integrate necessary third-party services like video conferencing, dialogflow, and web3 SDK

- Conduct thorough testing and resolve any identified issues

- Initiate Phase 1 development of a Progressive Web App (PWA) or website for specific end users

2024 Q1:

Milestone: Tutor Onboarding and Resource Allocation

Timeline: 6 weeks

Tasks:

- Launch a promotional campaign to attract tutors

- Create initial content pool for Ervin introduction using Synthesia AI video generator

- Enhance tutor onboarding documentation and establish a dedicated support team

Milestone: Student Onboarding and Resource Allocation

Timeline: 4 weeks

Tasks:

- Launch a promotional campaign to attract students

- Share initial posts and stories in the application featuring online classes and courses from onboarded tutors

- Improve and optimize the rewarding system

Milestone: Finalize Project Execution and Completion

Timeline: 3 weeks

Tasks:

- Facilitate tutors in developing and delivering their classes and content with allocated resources

- Provide continuous support, feedback, and guidance to tutors and students

- Monitor project progress to ensure timely completion

- Conduct quality checks and review online classes and courses

2024 Q2:

Milestone: Effective Marketing and Continuous Improvements

Timeline: 3-13 weeks

Tasks:

- Focus on community engagement through promotional videos and content across social media platforms

- Incorporate feedback from onboarded tutors and students to continuously improve the platform

- Expand team and infrastructure in proportion to user growth

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

2023 Q4:

Milestone: Finalize Project Roadmap and Complete Documentation 

Deliverables: Finalized project plan with requirements and timeline. 

Intended Outcome: Streamlined project specification, Smart Contract Whitepaper, and developer documentation.

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Milestone: Application & Platform Development 

Deliverables: Online platform for tutor registration and project management, including secure payment and staking system. 

Intended Outcome: Fully functional platform ready for user onboarding and seamless token staking.

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2024 Q1:

Milestone: Tutor Onboarding and Resource Allocation 

Deliverables: Successful completion of tutor registration and promotion campaign, selection of tutors for the program, and allocation of funding and resources. 

Intended Outcome: Onboarded tutors equipped to start their online classes or courses with comprehensive support.

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Milestone: Student Onboarding and Resource Allocation 

Deliverables: Completion of student registration and promotional campaign.

Intended Outcome: Ongoing mentorship, guidance, and networking opportunities for participating tutors and initial student users.

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Milestone: Finalize Project Execution and Completion 

Deliverables: Continuous support, feedback, and guidance provided to artists throughout project execution.

Intended Outcome: Timely completion of art projects with high-quality outputs.

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2024 Q2:

Milestone: Effective Marketing and Continuous Improvements 

Deliverables: Increased community engagement and onboarding through targeted marketing and leveraging warm networks. 

Intended Outcome: Platform enhancements, improved user experience, and heightened publicity.

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

Finalize Project Roadmap and Complete Documentation: ₳10,000

Application & Platform Development: ₳25,000

Tutor Onboarding and Resource Allocation: ₳15,000

Students Onboarding and Resource Allocation (continuation): ₳4,000

Finalize Project Execution and Completion: ₳10,000

Finalize Project Execution and Completion (continuation): ₳6,000

Contingency Fund: ₳2,000

Total Budget: ₳72,000

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

If this project proves successful and even captures a small percentage of the current active Instagram or other social media user base, it will significantly drive the adoption of Web3 forms of payment, particularly ADA, instead of traditional means. This will not only lead to an increased volume of transactions on the ADA network but also revolutionize real-world Web3 adoption and fulfill long-desired use cases.

Therefore, we firmly believe that the initial funding required for this project will be negligible compared to the monetary and social value gained within the Cardano Ecosystem.

The majority of the budget will be allocated towards the development of the platform. We have minimized infrastructure and resource costs by leveraging open-source and cost-effective solutions. For instance, we have opted to use JitsiMeet as a low-cost and open-source solution for the video conference aspect of our project.

To maximize our budget, we will hire developers from countries where the compensation is generous for full-time developers, allowing us to achieve cost-effectiveness while maintaining the necessary expertise.

Furthermore, a significant portion of our investment needs to be continuously directed towards marketing and social engagement, as these aspects are crucial for user onboarding. We anticipate driving a cost-free stream of users through word of mouth within the Cardano community and our close networks. However, external marketing efforts will require ongoing funding, which can be adjusted based on other higher-priority costs.

[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.

I Accept