Gimbalabs | Genius X - Hong Kong Cardano Developer Series

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Gimbalabs

[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)

6

[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)

Deliver a developer series, including workshops, bootcamps, seminars, hackathon with further incubation support from Genius X and Waffle Capital.

[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

The whole development process would be on an open source GitHub repo with Apache-2.0 license. All education materials would be also open with the Andamio platform and Genius Academy.

[METADATA] SDG rating

Goal 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Goal 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.

Goal 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation. By providing skill-building opportunities and knowledge in emerging blockchain technologies, our project supports sustained economic growth and productive employment.

Goal 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals - Our project involves meaningful collaborations with organizations like Gimbalabs and Genius X which emphasizes the importance of global partnerships for sustainable development.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

We are delivering a comprehensive developer series designed to cultivate Cardano talents and innovation in Hong Kong. Leveraging our development experience in multiple reputable Cardano projects, along with our extensive network - local network with SIDAN Lab and Waffle Capital; globally diverse network with Gimbalabs and Genius X - we will offer in-depth workshops, practical bootcamps, and a hackathon.

Key components include:

Technical Workshops and Bootcamps: Utilizing the existing open-source content and resources from Gimbalabs, MeshJS (an open source Cardano development SDK) and our own expertise at SIDAN Lab, these sessions will cover topics from basic blockchain principles to advanced Cardano-specific development skills.

Hackathon and Project Incubation: Participants will apply their learning to develop real-world applications on the Cardano blockchain in a hackathon. In partnership with Genius X and Waffle Capital, promising candidates would have the opportunity to bring their ideas to the real world with aid from Genius X’s accelerator program and potential investment from Waffle Capital.

Business Seminars: Addressing the non-technical aspects of blockchain innovation, these seminars provided by Genius X will cover legal, marketing, and tokenomics, essential for successful blockchain startups.

This series is designed not only to educate but to actively foster the development of practical, innovative solutions for the Cardano ecosystem, thereby contributing to its growth and dynamism in the Asian market.

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

Onboard a new batch of Cardano developers in Hong Kong. With all-rounded support from Cardano OGs, the new developers can get full speed in developing on Cardano, bringing in new projects / new startups and new attention outside of 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?

Trust and accountability - our proposers are key players in the Cardano ecosystem.

• Gimbalabs, a Cardano developer ecosystem
• Genius X, an accelerator empowers early-stage Cardano startups
• Waffle Capital, a Cardano-focused investment fund based in Hong Kong
• SIDAN Lab, a Hong Kong based Cardano technical solution provider

Approach feasibility:

• Technical Expertise

One of the key focuses of Gimbalabs is to deliver quality education on Cardano. We have all the technical know-how in delivering the content we need. We have Dr. Lars Brünjes from Genius X, who is also the Director of Education from IOG to deliver the education. On localization, both SIDAN Lab and Waffle Capital are based in Hong Kong and capable of delivering localized content.

• Proven Track Record
• Gimbalabs has track records of onboarding promising Cardano developers through its PPBL open source course. 
• Genius X has the track records of accelerating multiple promising projects on Cardano, with all Cardano specific business know-how needed. 
• SIDAN Lab has the track records of building several open source Cardano tooling and delivering community sharing.
• Waffle Capital has the track record of bringing fresh capital into the Cardano ecosystem.

• Local execution
• Both Waffle Capital and SIDAN Lab are based in Hong Kong. We have an extensive network in Hong Kong to align all the resources we need, including operational logistics, marketing, personnels for delivering the developer series. 

• Review on activities 
• Monitor Progress: Regular assessments of workshop effectiveness and participant engagement will be conducted.
• Engage with the Community: Collect attendees’ feedback for the program's impact and areas for improvement.
• Track Startup Development: Post-hackathon, we will monitor the progress of startups incubated.

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

Setting up Project Management and Operations & Kick-off Preparation (3 weeks)

• Complete Funded Proposer Onboarding
• Setup Project Management & tools
• Setup Project Team Lead
• Prepare the perks to give away in the offline kick-off sessions, for examples T-shirts / hoodies / stickers etc
• Budget: 30,000 ADA

Education Materials - Phase 1 (4 weeks)

• Building the education materials on Andamio - Hong Kong PBL, covering
• Cardano ecosystem basics
• Cardano technology overview
• Onchain code development (in Aiken)
• Budget: 50,000 ADA

Kick-off session & Education Materials - Phase 2 (4 weeks)

• Building the education materials on Andamio - Hong Kong PBL, covering
• Offchain code development (in Mesh)
• Dapp integration & deployment
• Host an offline gathering session, announcing the Cardano Hong Kong developer series, with refreshment and Cardano perks give-away.
• Build and host a telegram for the Hong Kong community. Also inviting any prospective devs to Gimbalabs.
• Open and invite for sign-up to the main content developer series - HK PBL
• Budget: 30,000 ADA

Deliver the Hong Kong PBL - Phase 1 (5 weeks)

• Deliver the Hong Kong PBL in a mixed mode (offline teaching sessions & online materials), with most of the teaching activities hosted offline.
• Cardano ecosystem basics
• Cardano technology overview
• Onchain code development (in Aiken)
• Budget: 30,000 ADA

Deliver the Hong Kong PBL - Phase 2 & Business Seminar Series (5 weeks)

• Deliver the Hong Kong PBL in a mixed mode (offline teaching sessions & online materials), with most of the teaching activities hosted offline.
• Offchain code development (in Mesh)
• Dapp integration & deployment
• Host several business seminar on how to start-up in Cardano ecosystem, topics covering legal, marketing, tokenomics etc
• Upon completion, students can enroll in the hackathon to spin up their ideas
• Budget: 30,000 ADA

Hackathon (5 weeks)

• Students submit their ideas, talk to Cardano OGs for advice
• After ideas are refined, students get mentors in building the DApps on Cardano
• Team can apply to hackathon competition and perform a pitch and demo
• Winning teams would get seed funding in ADA to kick start their journey, also with chance of being admitted to Genius X for further acceleration support
• Budget: 30,000 ADA

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

Gimbalabs

• Gimbalabs creates scaffolding for a robust and resilient global network of leaders, devOps pioneers, builders, and educators because we know that in the hands of many, Cardano will help to solve real problems.
• Gimbalabs builds education materials for Cardano development and infrastructure toolings, hosting regular sessions for technical sharing, ideas curation and product demos.
• Gimbalabs would provide free license on the existing education content, knowledge and commitment to deliver a Hong Kong oriented PBL course, alongside with the Andamio platform to help with the project delivery.

Genius X

• Genius X is a revolutionary business accelerator program that empowers early-stage startups to build impactful and scalable blockchain-based companies that have the potential to bring positive impact on a global scale.
• Genius X has built a team of experts, mentors, and entrepreneurs with decades of experience in various industries. We accelerate and promote startup growth by providing all the tools needed to succeed in their diverse ventures - not only by connecting them to relevant strategic partners, but by providing technical mentorship and business guidance as well.

Waffle Capital

• A Cardano DeFi investment fund based in Hong Kong (registered in BVI), educating local investors and helping them navigate the Cardano DeFi ecosystem.
• Team includes SPO of Waffle Pool, a prominent pool in the ecosystem that has minted over 8000 blocks since 2021.
• Waffle Capital would provide direct investment opportunities and investor networks to prospective teams, also help with local execution.

SIDAN Lab

• A Hong Kong based technical solution provider, specializing in Cardano development. SIDAN Lab builds open source toolings for the community, and operates the SIDAN stake pool under its brand.
• SIDAN Lab is composed of professional expertise from outside the ecosystem. The team is assembled of mixed skills and Interdisciplinary experts.
• SIDAN Lab would provide technical support, local network and execution.

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

Budget is being estimated based on the assumption of an average man-hour cost of $50 / hour, with ADA price at $0.4.

• Milestone 1 - Total $12,000 (30,000 ADA)
• Project manager - $4,000
• Software and hardware tools for events - $2,000
• Perks arrangement & design - $2,000
• Arrange for kick-off session:
• Venue - $1,000
• Refreshment - $1500
• Perks - $1500

• Milestone 2 - Total $20,000 (50,000 ADA)
• Education material preparation
• Coordinator - $ 5,000
• Educators - $5,000
• Engineers - $10,000

• Milestone 3 - Total $12,000 (30,000 ADA)
• Education material preparation
• Educators - $4,000
• Engineers - $8,000

• Milestone 4 - Total $12,000 (30,000 ADA)
• For each week of Hong Kong PBL - $2,400, breakdown:
• Project manager - $1,000
• Venue - $400
• Teachers - $1,000

• Milestone 5 - Total $12,000 (30,000 ADA)
• For each week of Hong Kong PBL - $2,400, breakdown:
• Project manager - $1,000
• Venue - $400
• Teachers (including seminar speaker) - $1,000

• Milestone 6 - Total $12,000 (30,000 ADA)
• Project manager - $5,000
• Mentors - $1,000
• Price to winning teams
• 1st: $3,000
• 2nd: $2,000
• 3rd: $1,000

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

• Hong Kong is a highly untapped area in the Cardano ecosystem, where it gathers a high proportion of business-minded individuals. With current Cardano infrastructure becoming more and more mature, it is a good time to onboard Hong Kong’s bright minds for exploring the real world business cases of Cardano blockchain.
• Hong Kong is also one of the places with the highest billionaires concentration. More Cardano activities & quality new projects could potentially invites a new batch of fresh liquidity injected to the ecosystem, further fostering community development.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agrees to Fund 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