AdaLink: Affiliate Network for Cardano Businesses

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

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

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

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

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

We will integrate Cardano businesses into the AdaLink Affiliate Network and marketing platform, enabling them to promote their products and services and attract new customers.

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

[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?

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

While we value the principles of open source, AdaLink will initially keep core components proprietary to establish a strong brand identity and ensure platform stability. We plan to gradually open source certain elements, such as specific smart contract modules and APIs. This phased approach allows us to refine the platform while contributing to the Cardano ecosystem, balancing innovation with strategic growth.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Platform Overview

AdaLink is a partnership and affiliate management platform designed specifically for the Cardano ecosystem. It connects SPOs, influencers, NFT founders, creators, and marketers to boost the visibility of their pools. By leveraging blockchain technology, AdaLink tracks affiliate conversions and distributes rewards with high accuracy and transparency.

 AdaLink is currently developing the first iteration of our Affiliate Network MVP, focused on connecting SPOs with affiliates. This proposal outlines the development of an MVP that will expand AdaLink's current capabilities, specifically to allow Cardano businesses to seamlessly create and integrate their own affiliate and referral programs. This expansion will provide robust tools for managing and optimizing marketing strategies, facilitating stronger partnerships and broader reach.

 What is Affiliate Marketing?

• Affiliate Marketing: This is a practice in advertising where third-party publishers are compensated for directing customers to a company's goods and services. It's an effective, low-budget, low-risk, and popular method for boosting a company’s visibility and revenue.
• Global Impact: Affiliate marketing is a multibillion-dollar global industry, demonstrating its effectiveness and wide acceptance. It's a proven strategy that transcends borders and industries, making it a viable solution for diverse ecosystems like Cardano.
• Popular Among Top Brands: More than 80% of top brands run an affiliate marketing program.
• Publishers Love It: 94% of publishers join 2 or more affiliate programs.

How will AdaLink work?

AdaLink is a blockchain-based affiliate network tailored for the Cardano ecosystem, designed to boost business visibility and marketing efficiency through secure, automated processes.

Here's how the platform operates:

1.   User Registration and Profile Management: Cardano businesses, SPOs, NFT founders, creators, and marketers can register, create profiles, and provide essential information for affiliates.

2.   Affiliate Interaction: Affiliates receive a unique ID upon registration, select business referral programs to promote, review commission rewards, and generate unique affiliate links.

3.   Business Referral Program: Programs are defined by the business, campaign duration (number of epochs), and maximum rewards per epoch, aiming to attract new users or customers.

4.   Reward Distribution: At the end of each epoch, AdaLink calculates conversions from each affiliate's efforts and automatically distributes the appropriate commission rewards.

5.   User Dashboards: Users manage their activities and monitor performance through personalized dashboards, which track their interactions and campaign progress.

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

Positive Impact of AdaLink on the Cardano Community

AdaLink significantly boosts the marketing capabilities of Cardano-based businesses through affiliate marketing. By connecting businesses with influencers, NFT founders, creators, and marketers, it fosters partnerships that drive user growth.

We expect AdaLink to attract a substantial number of new users to the Cardano community. Initially targeting influencers and creators already familiar with crypto, the platform aims to expand its reach to creators from various niches as it matures, attracting those who see potential in enhancing their income by promoting Cardano businesses and the broader ecosystem.

Impact Measurement

1. Community Growth: We will measure the increase in the number of new users and affiliates joining the Cardano ecosystem through AdaLink, tracking metrics like user registration rates and active user engagement.
2. Ecosystem Strengthening: The impact on Cardano’s adoption rate will be assessed by monitoring the volume of transactions and the number of businesses implementing affiliate programs through AdaLink.

Our plan for sharing AdaLink's outputs and results includes:

1. Community Engagement: We will regularly update the Cardano community on our progress, milestones, and impact through social media, forums, Medium articles, community Spaces, Townhalls, and GitHub. We value transparency and will actively seek community feedback.
2. Documentation and Reports: Comprehensive documentation and reports on AdaLink's development, implementation, and results will be publicly available for anyone interested in our project.

[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 AdaLink team is uniquely positioned to deliver the project, thanks to a diverse set of skills and experiences.

In terms of trust and accountability, our team's past experiences in managing high-value media production content and NFT minting services demonstrate our ability to handle resources responsibly. Our long-standing involvement in the Cardano community underscores our commitment to the ecosystem and its values. We commit to maintaining transparency, providing regular updates to the community, and managing the funds entrusted to us with utmost responsibility.

 KPIs

The success of AdaLink will be measured through a combination of quantitative and qualitative Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These KPIs will provide a comprehensive view of the platform's performance, user engagement, and overall impact on the Cardano ecosystem.

Quantitative KPIs:

1. Business integration Completion: Successful businesses integration to the AdaLink platform.
2. User Registration: The number of registered users on the platform, including businesses and affiliates.
3. Active Partnerships: The number of active partnerships between affiliates and businesses.
4. Commission Rewards: The total commission rewards earned by affiliates through their promotional efforts.
5. Conversions: The number of new users received by businesses as a result of partnerships on the platform.
6. Successful Transactions: Number of transactions that have been executed successfully on the platform.
7. Revenue: We plan to implement a 2 ADA transaction fee on commission reward claims. This means that when affiliates claim their commission rewards, a fee of 2 ADA will be deducted from the total amount. This metric will help us track and measure the revenue generated by the platform through these transaction fees.

Qualitative KPIs:

1. Platform Engagement: Metrics such as website traffic, user engagement, and social media engagement can be used to gauge the level of engagement with the platform.
2. Customer Satisfaction: Measure the satisfaction of customers by conducting surveys, conducting interviews, and analyzing feedback.

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

Pre-Production, Planning, and Trustless Operations Research

Milestone Outputs   

1. Conducted studies on the overall platform architecture, i.e., a description of the different parts of the platform and their relations with each other.

2. Conducted research on trustless operations, with a focus on the use of smart contracts.

3. Platform wireframe and mockups, related to UX/UI.

Acceptance criteria 

A shared PDF documenting the following details:

1) Finalized Overall Architecture of the Platform:

a. A comprehensive document will be created and publicly shared, detailing the overall architecture of the platform. This will include discussions on protocols, logic flow, and how they integrate to form the platform's foundation.

b. The database architecture will be established, with detailed descriptions of table designs, relationships, and data storage requirements made available. This ensures efficient data management and retrieval capabilities are transparent.

c. Research and Documentation of Smart Contract Integration for Trustless Operations: Conduct in-depth research into the potential integration of smart contracts to enable trustless operations within the platform. This exploration will culminate in a detailed documentation of the Smart Contract Design.

The Smart Contract Design documentation will outline the envisioned logic, structure, and functionality of the smart contracts. This document aims to provide a clear understanding of how smart contracts could facilitate trustless interactions within the AdaLink Affiliate Network platform specifically between businesses and affiliates.

2) Completed Wireframes and Mockups for User Interface and User Experience: A set of wireframes and mockups will be developed, reflecting a thorough understanding of the platform's design and functionality. These assets will be compiled into a PDF document that demonstrates the user interface and user experience design comprehensively.

Evidence of milestone completion

1. “Platform Architecture” Document: A PDF document detailing the finalized overall architecture.

2. “Wireframes & Mockups” Document: A detailed PDF document including all developed wireframes and mockups.

MVP Development   

Milestone Outputs   

User interface for minimum viable product (MVP) based on wireframes. Wallet, user, and database integration completed with frontend.

Complete protocols used in the backend.

Acceptance criteria 

1.Completed MVP user interface. This includes:

Ability to login with a wallet.

Ability to register as a user.

2.Functional backend and successful integration between backend and frontend. This includes:

Ability to log back in once registered as a user.

Ability for users to edit their profiles.

Ability to search for registered Businesses and view their profiles and their products.

Ability to generate a unique affiliate link to promote Businesses products and services.

Evidence of milestone completion

Published URL to access the finished MVP.

Alpha Testing           

Milestone Outputs   

Create a closed testing environment consisting of a group of Cardano Businesses and affiliate users and collect feedback to improve the MVP.

 Acceptance criteria 

A shared PDF documenting the details from the closed Alpha MVP user feedback, including:

1. Closed Testing Environment Creation: A report on establishing a closed testing environment for the MVP, involving Cardano Businesses and affiliate users.

2. Feedback Collection and Documentation: A report of the feedback collected from testers on their MVP usage experience. To ensure transparency and effective communication of user feedback, a link to the repository hosting this report will be shared.

3. Feedback Review and Implementation: A report detailing the examination of tester feedback to identify improvement areas, including any edits and fixes applied to the MVP in response. This report should outline the changes made and their impact on improving the MVP.

Evidence of milestone completion

Alpha Testing Report Document: This report will consolidate the three detailed reports outlined in the acceptance criteria into one comprehensive PDF document. To ensure community access and transparency, a link to our repository hosting this consolidated Alpha Testing Report will be shared upon completion.

Testnet launch         

Milestone Outputs   

Ensure peer-to-peer process to allow for Cardano Businesses & Affiliates to interact with one another through AdaLink platform.

Acceptance criteria 

1) Campaign Creation: Businesses users can create their campaigns and list their products and services for affiliates to find and promote.

2) Affiliate Link Provision: Affiliate users can generate unique referral codes to promote listed Cardano Businesses.

3) Reward Handling: Rewards are accurately calculated, distributed, and available for withdrawal by each party.

4) Platform Functionality: The platform is fully operational on preproduction testnet, allowing seamless navigation and testing of all features.

Evidence of milestone completion

1) Launch of AdaLink MVP is live in a closed beta setting.

2) Final close out report.

3) Final close out Video showcasing the platform's features.

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

Team

Our team comprises experienced professionals with diverse backgrounds and skills, each contributing to different aspects of the project.

Lead Developer: Mahmoud Nimer, a Mechanical Engineer with a Master of Science degree in Control Systems and Robotics, has extensive experience in industrial automation engineering. As a Plutus Pioneer, Mahmoud has been an active builder in the Cardano ecosystem and is the founder of Shrooms, a platform that provides specialized services for non-fungible token projects (NFTs), including non-custodial staking, raffles, and token ATMs.

Website 

Project Lead: Natalia Rosa, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Film, brings over a decade of experience working, directing and supervising production departments for various film, television, and multimedia promotional campaigns. She has worked on award-winning projects and with renowned artists. Natalia will leverage her expertise in project management and multimedia production for AdaLink.

Website

Project Lead and Community Manager: Gisela Rosa is the co-founder of Blockverse Media, Inc., a company that develops various crypto products, including AdaLink and La Cryptoría. Since epoch 259, she has been a strong supporter of multiple projects built on Cardano, consistently promoting Cardano's values within the community.

Known as Arcella on CT, Gisela is not only a professional musician with over 10 years of experience but also an educator who has collaborated with world-renowned and emerging artists. Her profound understanding of the Cardano ecosystem enables us to cultivate a welcoming and inclusive environment. With her guidance, AdaLink can become a platform that truly comprehends and serves the needs of the Cardano community.

Socials

Technical Advisor: Keith Hedges, brings a wealth of experience from his time as a software engineer at a Fortune 500 company, where he honed his technical skills for four years. Seeking to immerse himself fully in the blockchain space, he transitioned to a startup, further expanding his expertise. In addition to his professional roles, Keith has been an active participant in the Cardano ecosystem, operating the Hedges Stake Pool since epoch 254. His hands-on involvement in Cardano, makes him an invaluable asset to our team.

LinkedIn

Project Advisor: Bryan Hernández is a software engineer with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico. He co-founded Blockverse Media, the parent company of AdaLink, and has extensive experience in the aerospace manufacturing industry.

Currently, Bryan serves as a Software Automation Engineer in the healthcare sector, where he continues to leverage his technical skills and problem-solving abilities. His passion for emerging technologies, including cryptocurrency and video games, as well as his love for the arts, music, and anime, fuels his innovative approach to challenges. With his guidance, he will assess and provide expert advice as needed, ready to contribute to the successful completion of the project.

LinkedIn

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

The budget for the AdaLink project has been carefully calculated to ensure completion of an MVP platform that offers maximum value for users. We have considered industry standards for similar projects, and the specific needs of our project to arrive at our proposed budget.                                      

The total cost of the project is 100,000 ADA, which covers the following key areas:

Platform Development: 66,000 ADA (~$30,000)

This portion of the budget is allocated for the development of the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) platform. It includes expenses related to software design, programming, and testing. It covers costs associated with both front-end and back-end development.

Project Management: 20,000 ADA (~$9,000)

This allocation supports the project management activities necessary to keep the project on track, within budget, and aligned with the stipulated timelines. It includes the salaries of the project managers and costs associated with management tools and resources.

Basic Marketing: 10,000 ADA (~$4,500)

This budget covers promotional activities such as digital advertising, content creation, public relations, and initial user engagement campaigns. Marketing is essential to build awareness of the platform within the Cardano community and beyond, aiming to attract early adopters and testers.

1 year of Servers: 4,000 ADA (~$1,800)

This budget allocation is for server costs, hosting, and related infrastructure expenses necessary for maintaining the platform’s functionalities without interruption.

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

The AdaLink platform will foster seamless interactions between businesses and their affiliates, promoting a more interconnected and collaborative Cardano ecosystem. By helping businesses attract new users, we believe that this platform will significantly contribute to improving Cardano's adoption. The long-term value of more users and more adoption of the Cardano ecosystem is immeasurable and far outweighs the project cost.