A dApp for Business Lead Generation

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Connectality

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

Entity (Not Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Requested funds in ada

85000

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

5

[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)

A community lead gen model that provides business lead generation opportunities to companies working on Cardano, through a trusted network of community members who get remunerated for their efforts

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

Yes

[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.”

The Andamio Platform:

1. Provides a Learning Management System (LMS) for onboarding new lead generators
2. Is built on Cardano with Plutus smart contracts with treasury management, skill accreditation, project contribution, and emergent reputation

To simplify the first phase, we will use the available solution by Andamio.io for skill registration, contribution tracking, treasury management and smart contracts. For the prototype, we decided to count on available & credible service instead of developing one from the ground.

[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 plan is to develop the lead generation dApp as a business and we will decide at a later stage which part of the technology to offer as an open source

[METADATA] SDG rating

SDG 4 - Quality Education: 

• Contributes to this goal by fostering a knowledge-sharing community. The involvement of community members as lead generators allows for a learning process where individuals gain skills in networking, business development, and the use of blockchain technology. This educational aspect can empower individuals with new competencies, contributing to lifelong learning opportunities.

SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth: 

• By creating a platform for lead generation, it enables community members to engage in meaningful work as lead generators. It can provide new income opportunities and professional growth. 

SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: 

• The use of blockchain technology for innovative business solutions contributes to building resilient infrastructure and fosters innovation in the industry.

SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities: 

• The decentralized nature of the project can contribute to more inclusive and sustainable urbanization by providing remote work opportunities and supporting diverse communities globally.

SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production: 

• Through the promotion of a decentralized business modelvcan lead to more efficient resource utilization and reduced wasteful costs in business operations. Optimizing the lead generation proces could help contribute to more sustainable business practices.

SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals: 

• The proposal exemplifies this goal by fostering partnerships among different stakeholders in the Cardano ecosystem. Creating a space to include businesses, lead generators, and tech/business professionals. Efforts like this are essential for achieving all the SDGs, as they bring together diverse groups to work towards common objectives.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

Background:

In fund 8 Smart Hubs had two proposals that were funded to perform and test a decentralised lead generation model:

Cross chain impact lead generation and Community lead generation 

• Closing Report 
• Closing Video 

You can review the extensive work done with the process established and supporting presentations and documentation. The projects were a great success with 28 community members registered as lead generators, reaching over 40 leads and onboarding 10 companies to collaborate with the Cardano ecosystem. 

This video includes an overview of the project as well as testimonials: 

Overview of Decentralized Lead Generator

However the process was manual which created some bottlenecks and required human administrative steps that were not efficient both for the lead generators as well as for the project team. While we piloted the model, we always considered how we could use Caradno technology to streamline the process and scale the service. This proposal is a summary of those next steps: to take the processes of the Lead Generator program and back it with a Cardano-powered platform using credentials, smart contracts, and on-chain treasury.

Following to completion of Fund 8 projects we have continued the work with the following activities:

• Clients/Partners promotions - presentations and feedback from companies working on the Cardano ecosystem (i.e. CF, Emurgo, NMKR...)
• Presenting to the Cardano Ambassadors network as part of the lead generation trusted network
• Evaluation & Discussion for collaboration with Andamio

The opportunity:

We have spoken with numerous companies in the Cardano ecosystem including CF and Emurgo and they are all excited about the lead generator service. "The Cardano ecosystem needs strong business development activities and reach for investors and companies" was the common feedback. 

While most companies in the ecosystem are technology driven, their success and growth depend on securing investment, clients and partners. Market Makers and companies invest significant amounts in business development teams, marketing activities and conferences. 

The status quo is for every company to have its own biz dev team in house. With this proposal, we are demonstrating how this function can be shared across a distributed network of organisations. 

Introducing a community-based lead generation solution will support the company’s growth, go to market and business success. 

The Lead Generation solution:

The lead generation model aims to support companies in the Cardano ecosystem with creating a pipeline of leads to clients, partners and investors. The leads will be generated by a trusted network of community members who are great connectors and networkers. Below are some key details regarding the process and solution. 

Please review the ppt for further explanation: 

For this proposal we will focus on creating the plan for the development of the dApp and will develop the Minimum Viable Product that will include:

• Company:
• A will add basic key info about the company and status
• A company will add request for lead generation 
• Lead generators
• Learn about the company and understand the needs
• Present potential leads that will get approved by the company
• Once the lead generator organise a call between the company and the lead, the lead is confirmed and the lead generator get rewarded

Tech applied in the process:

• Web app - to connect between lead gen and companies
• Knowledge skill acquired by the lead gen is registered on chain - using Andamio
• The rewards mechanism is activated through a smart contract - using Andamio    

For this project we will be working on a concrete example, collaborating with Socious and support their their business needs.

• Socious.io - has the need to reach out to impact driven companies aiming to recruit employees
• Socious will provide key information about the company
• Socious will provide lead request details that will be presented in the app
• Approved lead generators:
• Learn about Socious and their lead gen request
• will suggest potential companies to Socious
• Socious will approve the lead
• The lead generator will schedule a call between Socious and the Company
• Following the call, Socious will approve the lead again
• Through a smart contract the lead generator will receive 200 ADA 

Future plans

The goal is to become a new way to generate leads/agreements while benefiting companies and community members. The scope of lead gen Networks could go beyond the Cardano ecosystem as an offering to any company, while the product is being built on Cardano becoming a successful dApp 

Some future product developments will include:

• DID for lead generators 
• Onboarding & education for lead generators 
• Emergent identity solutions
• Auto match website
• Scale number of lead generators
• Sales and promotions to companies
• Tokenomics ecosystem of lead generator DAO
• Leads approval process
• Level of lead gen based on skills and contributions (scaling governance of lead gen network)

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

The main goal of the lead generation platform is to build a new dApp on Cardano. Connecting already built technology with our researched and tested lead generation model. To optimise the lead generation process through the use of Cardano blockchain technologies. We will both create a great service for the companies operating in the ecosystem as well as showcase some core Cardano technology. 

The results are direct impact on through generating business leads, partnerships leads, or investors leads for companies operating on the Cardano ecosystem.

Why It's Innovative:

• Decentralized Approach: Utilizing blockchain technology for a decentralized lead generation model is innovative in itself. It moves away from traditional centralized business development models to a more distributed and community-driven approach. This can lead to greater transparency, trust, and efficiency in the process.
• Smart Contract Integration: The use of smart contracts for reward mechanisms in lead generation is a novel approach when using blockchain technology. It ensures that transactions are secure, transparent, and automated, reducing the need for intermediaries and manual oversight.
• Community Engagement and Empowerment: Engaging community members as lead generators is a unique approach that empowers individuals within the ecosystem. It creates a business development model where community members can actively contribute to and benefit from the ecosystem's growth.

Value to Businesses:

• Cost-Effective Lead Generation: By leveraging a community-based model, businesses can potentially reduce the costs associated with lead generation and business development. This is beneficial for startups and smaller companies with limited resources.
• Access to Diverse Networks: Community members might have diverse and extensive networks, providing businesses with access to a wider range of potential clients, investors, and partners.
• Increased Efficiency and Scalability: The model allows businesses to scale their lead generation efforts more efficiently. The automation through smart contracts and the decentralized approach can streamline processes and reduce administrative burdens.

Value to Cardano Community Members:

• Economic Opportunities: Community members can earn rewards through successful lead generation, providing them with new economic opportunities within the Cardano ecosystem.
• Skill Development: Participating in lead generation allows community members to develop valuable skills in networking, sales, onboarding new users and understanding blockchain technology applications.
• Strengthening the Ecosystem: The lead generation model contributes to the growth and success of businesses within the ecosystem, community members are indirectly fostering a stronger, more vibrant Cardano community.
• Inclusive Participation: Promotes inclusive participation in the ecosystem's economic activities, allowing a broad range of individuals to contribute and benefit, regardless of their location or background.

This concept phase will provide a proof of concept and all info will be shared with the community as described in the milestones. In the future the app will have statistics showing all the relevant datapoints (lead gens, successful leads, companies using the service...)

[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?

Fund 8 results were a great success. We are developing the platform based on the learning and feedback we received during those projects and starting with a very lean product for the MVP. 

The team has been very active in the community for over 2 years. The fund 8 lead generation project (with the closing report above) is good evidence of it.

For the smart contract and contribution management we will use the off the shelf solution by Andamio.io that is already proven and working i.e. for https://plutuspbl.io/. At this point, we chose to use an available solution (Andamio) by a trusted and experienced team so it is more cost effective and gives confidence for development objectives that is needed to confirm the model.

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

Pre milestone 1 - extensive work was done after fund 8 with much learning that is shared in the links above. This proposal will focus on developing an MVP for lead approval and payment to lead generation. 

Milestone 1: Setting of team and project

Milestone output – week 0-4

• Project setting and onboarding process to Catalyst
• Alignments
• Session with Socious to fine tune lead generation needs and info about the company
• Sessions with lead generators
• Coordinate with Amdamio tech team 

Acceptance Criteria

• Reconfirm project schedule and milestones on the Catalyst Milestone platform
• Socious info ready
• Well defined lead request by Socious
• 3-5 lead gen committed  

 

Milestone Verification  

• Milestones approved by Catalyst
• Share a link PDF of lead generation needs by Socious
• Share list of lead generators

Will focus on the basic UI/UX of the app and design of the various screens.

Milestone output: 5-8 weeks

1. Welcome page
2. Lead gen login
3. Couple of pages with knowledge about Socious
4. Page with a lead generation request
5. Form to offer target leads to the company
6. Company login
7. Approved/decline suggested lead
8. Once the company have a call with the approved lead they confirm the lead again, this will activate a smart contract that will pay the lead generator a fee of 200 ADA

Acceptance Criteria

• Design of screen above

Milestone Verification  

• Shared Design files

This milestone will focus on the web app development and smart contract development 

Milestone output: 9-12 weeks

• Develop the prototype of the web app with approved screens
• Integrate the Andamio skill registration and smart contract in test net
• Database development to store the information  

Acceptance Criteria

• Prototype of app in test environment ready
• Smart contract ready

Milestone Verification  

• Video showing the app functionality

This milestone will be used for actual test of the prototype by the lead generators and Socious

Milestone output: 13-16 weeks

• Lead gen using the app and start providing leads
• Socious approve the lead and confirm once there is a call with the lead generated
• Smart contract is activated to pay lead gen for approved leads

 

Acceptance Criteria

• App prototype is functional for the described task
• Smart contract is working properly 
• 3 lead gen using the app 
• Generating 5 leads 

Milestone Verification  

• Active screen will be presented with the app usage
• The app can be tested  
• Demo Video

Milestone output: 17=18 weeks

• Summary of finding and next steps
• Closing report and video
• Feedback report from Socious and lead gen

Acceptance Criteria

• Well describe project results, summary and plan for next steps
• Feedback form completed
• Closing report and video

Milestone Verification  

• Information will be shared through linked PDF and video

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

Yoram Ben-Zvi, Project lead, 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoram-ben-zvi-446836

A social entrepreneur. In the last five years, Yoram has been focusing on combining impact and business. A mentor with international board, operations, and startup experience. Yoram is an active Connector in Cardano ecosystem, onboarding investors and companies (i.e. seedstars.com, goodwall.io, Digifam.com). 

Daniel Sampson: Project Manager, UI/UX & Front end

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-sampson-26966a225/

Entrepreneur and innovator in the web3 ecosystem with a strong background in traditional asset management. Experience in marketing, project management and investor relations.

Daniel was participating as a lead generator in the fund 8 proposal. He loved the concept and became very active in generating leads as well as helping to define the model & process.

Supporting teams:

The Andamio.io tech team will help with the integration of the available solution for onboarding lead Gen, smart contract and treasury management

Cole Barteltt will share his knowledge based on the work done related to the lead gen model in past funds - here is more info about Cole background

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

Milestone 1

• Project setting and onboarding process to Catalyst
• Team & and outsource team alignments
• Session with socious to fine tune lead generation needs 
• Align with lead generators 

Done by project team - estimates 30 hours x 250 ADA = 7500 ADA

Milestone 2

UI/UX Design the app screens - 25 hours x 300 ADA = 7500

Project team totals - 30 hours x 250 ADA = 7500

Total 15000 ADA

Milestone 3

• Develop the prototype of the app with approved screens = 40 hours x 400 ADA = 16,000 ADA
• Develop Smart contract = 25 hours x 400 ADA = 10000 ADA
• Project team = 30 hours x 250 ADA = 7500

Total: 33500 ADA

Milestone 4

Milestone output

• Lead gen = 5-10 leads x 200 ADA = 2000 ADA 
• Bug fix & improvements by developers = 30 hours X 400 = 12000 ADA
• Project team = 30 hours x 250 ADA = 7500

Total: 21500 ADA 

 

Final Milestone:

Milestone output

• Summary of finding and next steps
• Closing report and video
• Feedback report from Socious and lead gen

Project team = 30 hours x 250 ADA = 7500

Total project: 85000 ADA

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

This MVP will be the base of developing the lead gen dApp that in essence will help to grow the Cardano ecosystem by delivering leads for partnerships, customers and investors. It will allow us to showcase both the technology and bring value to the ecosystem. We see it as a product that can scale and generate revenue and provide value to many companies in the Cardano ecosystem. The success of this project will be the success of many companies and the ecosystem. 

It is a real world use case combining Cardano tech with value to companies and decentralize systems (the lead gen). It lays the foundation for an innovative business idea that remunerate lead generators for providing leads to companies. Generating relevant leads is time consuming and expensive for companies and in this way it could be done much more efficiently. 

[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