[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Kornel Gajewski

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

Entity (Not 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)

We want to demystify Cardano by hosting informative podcasts to educate and engage Polish community. Spaces will include interviews, news and obligatory educational column.

[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

Created content will be fully free to redistribute, share, copy.

[METADATA] SDG rating

SDG goals:

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

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

Our proposed solution is to host informative Twitter Spaces and podcasts focused on Cardano: with news section, guest interviews, new projects analysis, market situation and last but not least - demystifying the technology behind Cardano for Polish users. We perceive a lack of accessible resources that explain technology in a user-friendly manner especially in local language - Polish, hindering widespread understanding and participation in the Cardano ecosystem.

Our approach combines engaging live discussions on Twitter Spaces with recorded podcast episodes (sometimes published as a video material on YouTube). This allows us to reach a diverse audience and cater to different preferences for consuming content. By mixing "regular", Cardano-related show with educational content breaking down complex concepts and providing clear explanations, not only do we aim to make growth of local Cardano excitement but also make stake pool operations more accessible to newcomers and existing community members.

Our project will engage not only Cardano but general crypto enthusiasts, investors, developers, who seek a deeper knowledge of the Cardano ecosystem. We will feature interviews with experts (so far we recorded shows with people working in i.e. IOHK), start-up projects members, provide current news focusing on Cardano and practical guidance on Cardano-related matters (dApps, wallets, web3 solutions etc).

How will we engage these new people? The ideas include, but are not limited to:

• interactions with popular Polish crypto influencers that do not speak about Cardano (yet!)
• targeted marketing on social media
• collaborations with existing Twitter Spaces hosts

It's worth noting that "Wieczorową Porą" brand also has a series about TradFi which may also bring fresh users to the crypto world.

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

We believe that the Cardano community will benefit from a more educated and empowered user base also in Poland (over 45M people speaking Polish around the world), fostering greater participation, and contributing to the long-term success of the Cardano ecosystem.

To demonstrate our impact, we will track engagement metrics such as

• the number of participants in Twitter Spaces and podcasts,
• social media interactions,
• feedback from the community.

The reports will be shared in 'Catalyst monthly reports' and on the website www.cardanocenter.pl

We believe that by increasing understanding and engagement, we will contribute to the growth and decentralization of the Cardano network.

We will use the feedback, insights, and all the data collected to identify areas for improvement, refine our approach, and contribute to the continuous growth of the Cardano ecosystem even more.

[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?

We have a strong track record and the necessary capabilities to deliver our project with high levels of trust and accountability.

1. Wieczorowa Pora has a history of over 220 episodes (see Spotify for details). We boosted our focus on Cardano ecosystem also thanks to the Catalyst Fund 8, where we were successfully funded to provide even more outstanding shows.
2. Our Fund 8 Project was delivered and the final report was accepted by the Catalyst Team. That proves that our dedication is real and we are capable of reaching new milestones, with focus on improving not only awareness but also decentralization of Cardano.
3. We are a single stake pool operators and thanks to this experience and contacts we are able to deliver reasonable and proper content.

To confirm results we will assess the level of community engagement through the number of participants, comments, questions, and discussions during and after the sessions (overall interactions). 

In terms of implementation, our approach involves consistent content creation, marketing campaigns and collaboration with relevant people. We will allocate resources to host weekly podcasts and Twitter Spaces sessions, ensuring high-quality content. The engagement and feedback from the community will guide our continuous improvement and adaptation of topics and formats so our feasibility will be continously validated, "updated" and should become even better with every couple episodes.

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

1st month outputs and acceptance criteria:

• Host 4 Twitter Spaces
• Pick appropriate news content, organize guests for the episodes when relevant
• Record, edit, and publish the sessions on Twitter/Spotify/YouTube (with timestamps)
• Analyze feedback that appears during and post-spaces (in a form of report, with statistics).

2nd month outputs and acceptance criteria:

• Host 4 Twitter Spaces
• Pick appropriate news content, organize guests for the episodes when relevant
• Record, edit, and publish the sessions on Twitter/Spotify/YouTube (with timestamps)
• Analyze feedback that appears during and post-spaces (in a form of report, with statistics).

3rd month outputs and acceptance criteria:

• Host 4 Twitter Spaces
• Pick appropriate news content, organize guests for the episodes when relevant
• Record, edit, and publish the sessions on Twitter/Spotify/YouTube (with timestamps)
• Analyze feedback that appears during and post-spaces (in a form of report, with statistics).

4th month outputs and acceptance criteria:

• Host 4 Twitter Spaces
• Pick appropriate news content, organize guests for the episodes when relevant
• Record, edit, and publish the sessions on Twitter/Spotify/YouTube (with timestamps)
• Analyze feedback that appears during and post-spaces (in a form of report, with statistics).

5th month outputs and acceptance criteria:

• Host 4 Twitter Spaces
• Pick appropriate news content, organize guests for the episodes when relevant
• Record, edit, and publish the sessions on Twitter/Spotify/YouTube (with timestamps)
• Analyze feedback that appears during and post-spaces (in a form of report, with statistics).

6th month outputs and acceptance criteria:

• Host 4 Twitter Spaces
• Pick appropriate news content, organize guests for the episodes when relevant
• Record, edit, and publish the sessions on Twitter/Spotify/YouTube (with timestamps)
• Analyze feedback received so far
• Prepare Close-Out Report and Video.

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

Nikodem Zegzda ($nikodem) - main host; already successful podcaster, YouTuber, owner of Wieczorową Porą brand, entrepreneur, founder of Lideruj.pl, company focused on organizing online and offline trainings and workshops - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikodemzegzda/; https://twitter.com/apetoshi84

Kornel Gajewski - co-host; Cardano Stake Pool operator running CCPL stake pool; 6 years of experience as blockchain translator, writer and editor in top Polish crypto media outlet BeInCrypto (focused mainly on "Learn" educational series)(https://pl.beincrypto.com/author/kornel/), Cardano Ambassador since 2018 (https://forum.cardano.org/u/cornl) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kornel-gajewski-93508b165/

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

Estimated episode budget:

• social media announcements, brainstorming topics > 1h
• picking the most important news from the week > 2h
• organizing guests, planning interviews > ~3h
• live session (~60 minutes) > 1h
• editing and publishing > 2h
• feedback tracking and processing, debriefing > 2h

= 11 hours; at a rate ~30 USD/hour = 330 USD -> ~850 ADA. 

+200 ADA - marketing funds:

• designs
• social media ads
• collaborations
• quizzes, "best question" contests with small prizes in a form of NFT or reviewed projects' tokens etc. to engage listeners/viewers

1050 ADA x 4 weeks x 6 months = 25200 ADA

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

The cost of the project represents value for money for the Cardano ecosystem in several ways. Firstly, the proposed costs are justified based on the scope and deliverables of the proposal. In our opinion they align with industry standards and the level of effort required. We do not include equipment here as we bring it as our part in the project.

Additionally, the costs have been compared to market rates and average wages in the relevant industry to ensure they are reasonable and proportional. The wages were corrected by our dedication and true passion for Cardano. We are sure that the proposal's budget is realistic and fair. We are also aware that marketing can "eat" as much funding as there is - sky (and common sense) is the limit.

Furthermore, the project's value for money is evident in its potential impact and outcomes which can be measured qualitatively (content quality) and quantitatively (statistics provided in our reports). By creating engaging Twitter Spaces and producing high-quality content on Cardano as a whole the proposal aims to educate, inform general crypto community and expand the Cardano community. The benefits and value derived from these activities will contribute to the growth and adoption of Cardano, both as a Community and as a Network.

[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