Andamio (Core Team): Learning & Contribution Platform

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Roberto Mayen

[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)

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)

Andamio is an Education and Contribution Management Platform that helps organizations onboard skilled Contributors and reward them accordingly.

[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 AndamioJS library is already open source and available here. The Andamio course and project management smart contracts will be open sourced at a later date.

[METADATA] SDG rating

SDG Goals

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

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

10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries

SDG Subgoals

5.b - Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women

8.2 - Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors

8.6 - By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

8.2.1 - Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person

8.6.1 - Proportion of youth (aged 15–24 years) not in education, employment or training

16.7.2 - Proportion of population who believe decision-making is inclusive and responsive, by sex, age, disability and population group

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

About Andamio:

Andamio makes it easy for Cardano organizations to create courses, train contributors, and reward their efforts. Andamio generates on-chain credentials showing skills that participants pick up so organizations can offer them contribution opportunities and rewards.

Imagine you want to be a reviewer in Project Catalyst. You go through a course, you acquire reviewer skills which are recorded on-chain and enable you to start contributing by reviewing Fund 11 proposals and get rewarded from the treasury based on your work. This all happens on-chain instead of doing manual work. This is what Andamio provides.

Here is an example:

• Cardano needs skilled Plutus developers 
• Gimbalabs create a Plutus Project-based Learning program using Andamio: https://plutuspbl.io/
• Once the course is completed the learners can start working in the Cardano ecosystem on Plutus related tasks and get rewarded.

 

Andamio makes onboarding smoother by linking skills to tasks. Organizations can spot essential tasks they need help with, provide resources, and let individuals deliver on the task in return for rewards and recognition of work in the form of credentials.

We built Andamio to clearly record what a potential contributor can or can’t do. It cuts out risks like fake credentials and messy hiring and training.

Andamio also improves communication using smart contracts to ensure everyone knows what to expect right from the start.

By pointing out the tasks the organization needs help with and allowing them to provide the resources necessary to deliver those tasks, Andamio helps organizations carry out a focused onboarding process.

In order to demonstrate our impact, we will track and report on:

• No. of organisations using Andamio 
• No. of contributions made through Andamio
• No. of skills recorded on-chain
• Amount of Ada distributed as rewards for contributions

Andamio Status:

Andamio already has several clients including Gimbalabs, Governance Guild, Mesh, and DeepFunding Academy from SingularityNET. The next step will focus on improving the user experience, add some technology features and branding for go to market

The focus on this proposal will be to develop:

1. Improving the user interface & user experience
2. Optimizing on-chain functionality & marketing & branding strategy
3. Web design & development
4. Improving role-based access functionality and automating the Andamio instance deployment
5. Release of MVP

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

Andamio can help small organizations, grassroots initiatives, and projects bootstrapping their MVP to get critical work done without incurring expensive and lengthy recruitment and onboarding processes.

Large Cardano organizations like the Cardano Foundation, Emurgo, and IOG can use Andamio to provide engaging learning resources and link them with contribution opportunities to incentivize participation and student retention. 

Andamio can make it easier for Cardano DAOs to implement decentralized governance by helping them keep track of the distribution of tasks, contributions, and rewards.  

Measuring Andamio’s impact on the Cardano community is straightforward and transparent, as Andamio records transactions on-chain to be audited by anyone interested. We will also provide written progress reports detailing our efforts and their outcomes and create dashboards and interfaces on Andamio, where we will offer this on-chain information in a more user-friendly way. 

To be specific, this information will detail: 

• Cardano organizations using Andamio.
• Individuals using Andamio.
• Skills acquired using Andamio.
• Contributions completed using Andamio.
• Rewards distributed as compensation for contributions using Andamio.
• Learning resources available to the Cardano community on Andamio.
• Contribution opportunities available to the Cardano community on Andamio.

All of this information will be available in written form via Catalyst reporting and on the Andamio website.

[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?

The Andamio team

We are a unique blend of experienced developers, project managers, and business experts working together in the Cardano ecosystem for years. Our roots trace back to Gimbalabs, a project deeply engaged in Cardano's growth, fostering shared values and goals that unite us into a dedicated and cohesive team. Throughout the past year, we have actively bootstrapped Andamio as a practical solution to the challenges confronting Cardano organizations and the community. 

To learn to use Andamio, visit https://www.andamio.io/ to start your learning journey. 

In the past few months, we've engaged with several Cardano organizations to help them begin integrating Andamio into their workflow and onboard contributors. We've also delivered several workshops on the design & creation of project-based learning content.

Our team members are actively involved in Cardano initiatives such as the certification working group, educational initiatives, etc. The Andamio solution emerged from the needs we saw in different organizations to onboard skilled contributors. 

To ensure utmost transparency the funds will be managed and distributed through an on-chain treasury management system where anyone can audit its use.

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

The first milestone will focus on improving the user interface and user experience.

Milestone output - 4 weeks

• Andamio User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) design

Acceptance criteria 

• The interface is easy to navigate and provides clear instructions.
• Consistent language and layout throughout the user interface.
• The user interface is responsive across different devices.
• Implemented visual cues and feedback mechanisms for users.

Info provided to verify the milestone achievement 

• User testing results: Feedback and insights gathered from users.
• Usability metrics: Task rate success, error rates and time on task.

The second milestone focuses on optimizing on-chain functionality and marketing & branding.

Milestone output - 4 weeks

• Enhanced efficiency of on-chain functionality
• Marketing & branding 

Acceptance criteria 

• Reduced cost of transaction.
• Social media following increase between 12% - 15%.
• Social media engagement increases between 15% - 25%.
• Website traffic unique visits increase by 10% - 20%.
• Generated 5 leads.
• Branding elements align with brand strategy and guidelines.
• The brand is adaptable to various mediums and scalable for future growth.
• The branding is distinctive from competitors.

Info provided to verify the milestone achievement 

• Log comparing transactions over time.
• Marketing campaign progress report.
• Branding visual examples and references.
• User surveys confirming brand’s memorability and distinctiveness.
• Brand guidelines documentation.

The third milestone focuses on design and development of the website.

Milestone output - 4 weeks

• Website development and implementation of branding

Acceptance criteria 

• Website is responsive across all devices.
• Website design is consistent with branding guidelines.
• Website is easy to navigate.
• Website loads quickly.

Info provided to verify the milestone achievement 

• Website screenshots and brand guidelines.
• Website screenshots on different devices.
• User feedback and heatmaps indicating effective navigation.
• Page speed and performance test results.
• Testing results of the website on different browsers.

The fourth milestone focuses on improving role access functionality and automating the Andamio instance deployment

Milestone output - 4 weeks

• Implementation of all Role Based Access (RBAC) features
• Automated Andamio instance deployment

Acceptance criteria 

• All role permissions work as intended
• Role access can be configured through the user interface
• Deployment scripts deploy Andamio instance automatically
• Deployment is integrated with hosting service
• Deployment scripts are comprehensively documented

Info provided to verify the milestone achievement 

• Demo recording of all RBAC features available on YouTube
• Demo recording of automated Andamio instance deployment available on YouTube

The fifth milestone focuses on testing of the platform and releasing the MVP

Milestone output - 3 weeks

• Release of MVP

Acceptance criteria 

• All planned features are implemented and functional.
• The platform is stable and operates without major critical errors.
• Users can perform all tasks.
• The software maintains data integrity.
• Relevant error handling mechanisms are in place.

Info provided to verify the milestone achievement 

• Feature checklist.
• Stability testing results.
• Performance testing results.
• Data verification tests.
• Error handling reports.

• Milestone output - 1 week
• Written close out report
• Video close out report
• Acceptance criteria
• Close out report.
• Provides analysis of data collected and recommendations for further improvement.
• Concludes with insights, lessons learned and plans for further adoption.
• Close out video includes a full walkthrough of Andamio.
• Information provided to verify milestone achievement
• Close out report submission.
• Close out video submission.

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

You can find more information about the Andamio team here

PBL Design Team

• James Dunseith - Teacher, Coach, Smart Contract Developer and Facilitator
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-dunseith-0135651/

• Sebastian Pabon - Social Entrepreneur and Educator
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ing-sebastian-pabon/

Software Engineering Team

• HongJing (Jingles) K - Innovative Solutions Developer
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jingles/

• Nelson Kshetrimayum - Software Engineer

• Juan Salvador Magán Valero - Software Engineer
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juan-salvador-magán-valero-9a071442/

Smart Contract Design Team

• M.Ali Modiri - Smart Contract Developer
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-a-modiri/

• Adrian Hüetter - Smart Contract Developer

Business Strategy and Product Development Team

• Roberto Mayen-Hess - Business and Innovation Manager
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberto-mayen-hess/

• Yoram Ben Zvi - Business Models Lead
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoram-ben-zvi-446836/

• Nori Nishigaya - Software Development Expert
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishigaya/

Community Building and Engagement Team

• Sebastian Pabon
• Nori Nishigaya

Project Management

• James Dunseith
• Roberto Mayen

Partnerships and go to market

• Roberto Mayen
• Yoram Ben Zvi

You can find more information about the Andamio team here

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

Milestone 1: Andamio UI/UX

• User research and analysis. ₳ 4,000
• Wireframing and prototyping. ₳ 3,200
• User testing ₳ 4,200
• UI design ₳ 5,200
• UX design enhancements. ₳ 5,200
• Operational expenses (including software licenses) ₳ 14,361
• Project management ₳ 4,167

Sub-total ₳ 40,328

Milestone 2: Optimize on-chain functionality and marketing & branding

• Transaction fee optimization. ₳ 15,000
• State management optimization. ₳ 13,100
• Off-chain processing optimization. ₳ 18,400
• Social media advertising ₳ 2,000
• Content creation ₳ 5,000
• Professional design. ₳ 8,000
• Community management. ₳ 9,200
• Project management ₳ 4,167

Sub-total ₳ 74,867

Milestone 3: Website design & development

• Design ₳ 6,500
• Front end development. ₳ 12,000
• Hosting. ₳ 700
• Domain. ₳ 400
• Project management ₳ 4,167

Sub-total ₳ 23,767

Milestone 4: Improve Role-based access control & automated Andamio instance deployment

• Role-based access control development ₳ 15,000
• Role management user interface design & development. ₳ 10,000
• Automated deployment script development. ₳ 15,000
• Quality assurance and testing. ₳ 13,000
• Project management ₳ 4,167

Sub-total. ₳ 57,167

Milestone 5: Release of MVP

• Quality assurance and testing. ₳ 10,000
• Performance testing ₳ 7,000
• Bug fixing and optimization ₳ 8,000
• Release and deployment ₳ 2,292
• Marketing and promotion ₳ 2,000
• Project management ₳ 4,167

Sub-total ₳ 33,459

Final milestone

• Data analysis and recommendations ₳ 2,000
• Insights, lessons learned and plans for further adoption ₳ 2,000
• Video demonstration with full walkthrough of Andamio ₳ 2,000
• Project management ₳ 4,167
• Price fluctuation contingency ₳ 20,000

Sub-total ₳ 30,167

Grand total ₳ 259,753

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

Over the past years, we have actively engaged with the community to gain insights into their needs and challenges. Drawing upon this research, we have created Andamio, a pioneering innovation designed to address the underserved market of edTech and professional training and development. 

We have worked on the project without any financial compensation for this past year, showing our commitment. In line with Cardano's mission to drive meaningful change and promote adoption, we are now seeking funding to develop an MVP of our product, which has the potential to make a significant impact on organizations both within and beyond the Cardano ecosystem, as well as the broader blockchain industry.

Some important benchmark metrics to keep in mind: 

In the U.S

• USD 170 billion (USD 1,286 per employee) is spent annually on employee training (300 billion worldwide).
• This cost represents, on average, only 42 hours of training per employee. 
• USD 90 billion is spent annually generating internal training resources.
• A typical hiring process consists of at least three stages (recruitment, selection, and onboarding), each with associated tasks and resource requirements. 
• On average, it costs a company between USD 4,200 - 7,500 to hire an employee; this does not consider onboarding costs. 

These problems are exacerbated in decentralized organizations, which depend on bootstrapping or seed funding to find and train talent. This problem is especially true within the Cardano ecosystem, which has a notoriously steep learning curve for new developers.

[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