Interactive Cardano Onboarder for All Apps (GuideLight)

[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)

Guidelight is a shared, interactive onboarding system that all projects can use to convert confused mainstream consumer traffic into active participants where users start and end on your website.

[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

The code for the web app described in this proposal will be fully open source, in case a future development team wants to expand on this idea of a dynamic educational interstitial web app. Furthermore, the original app will be properly fleshed out with all the content and functionality needed to be used by all Cardano projects with a live server running the code, ready to onboard new users.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

This app would be a free service for Cardano web apps with a bidirectional relationship. Using URL parameters and an open API, this educational app would act as an interstitial “conversion booster” for those visiting any Cardano project website.

The intent of this app would be to specialize in the act of onboarding mainstream consumers from absolute zero, to purchasing the NFT related to the origin project, and returning that consumer back to the project site ready to interact. In essence, the app will: 

1. Customize the appearance and content based on the originating URL
2. Guide the user to creating their first browser wallet
3. Embed an NFT sale mechanism related to the originating dApp
4. Send the user back to the partner dApp ready to interact with it

The team behind the web app has a background in web analytics and will constantly monitor the performance of the educational app with “drop-off funnel” style analytics and click heatmap solutions such as Hotjar. With optional demographics surveys, A/B testing and drop-off analytics we can make the portal perpetually faster and easier to use for everyone.

Main Goals

Eliminate the need for developer teams to allocate time and resources building their own educational onboarding content, because existing content didn’t quite fit the context.

Open wide the number of new Cardano app users by converting a much higher percentage of passive visitors into active dApp users, in the smallest amount of time. 

Continually improve the UI experience for the highest “goal conversion rate” possible, and onboarding users in the quickest amount of time. The primary goals for web traffic to this app are to generate a wallet, purchase an NFT with a credit card or crypto, and go back to the originating dApp ready to interact.

Provide analytics on the performance of their brand conversion goal (the NFT sale) when mainstream consumers are exposed to it in a way that removes the tech barrier excuse.

This app would be a free service for Cardano web apps with a bi-directional relationship. Using URL parameters and an open API, this educational app would act as an interstitial “conversion booster” for those visiting any Cardano project website.

The intent of this app would be to specialize in the act of onboarding mainstream consumers from absolute zero, to purchasing the NFT related to the origin project, and returning that consumer back to the project site ready to interact. In essence, the app will: 

1. Customize the appearance and content based on the originating URL
2. Guide the user to creating their first browser wallet
3. Embed an NFT sale mechanism related to the originating dApp
4. Send the user back to the partner dApp ready to interact with it

The team behind the web app has a background in web analytics and will constantly monitor the performance of the educational app with “drop-off funnel” style analytics and click heatmap solutions such as Hotjar. With optional demographics surveys, A/B testing and drop-off analytics we can make the portal perpetually faster and easier to use for everyone.

This proposal outlines a solid budget dedicated to clay animation production, for a short reusable series of animated articles used as the primary educational material for the app. The purpose behind this is scientific - from an ecommerce perspective, the longer a consumer stays on a page, the more likely it is that they will ”convert”. We can convey the most important aspects of how blockchain works and how to use it, in a way that is concise, memorable and attention-grabbing. One example of a team that would do that well would be the Claymates, who have already expressed an intent to create this content.

With each iteration of improved content, the time it takes to convert a total newcomer into a web3 shopper will get shorter and shorter. The experience will include opportunities to skip ahead and customize the journey to hasten onboarding time for users who do have some level of understanding of blockchain or NFTs. 

We will use JPGStore embedded selling technology, customized by the dynamic reference to the NFT collection, in order to make the utility NFT available for sale by crypto or credit card. A similar dynamic embedding mechanism will be available for projects with NMKR minting campaigns.

With these core components in place, the Guidelight app is positioned to turn otherwise wasted web traffic into engaged consumers. As an affiliate marketing app it has a distinct advantage of completing the dApp partner’s primary conversion goal, an NFT sale, prior to being sent back to the partner site. As sales occur on the blockchain, it can provide reporting with an unmatched level of transparency as an affiliate marketing mechanism. This affiliate networking server solution will be fully open-source so that others can develop their own variants of this solution and build on it.

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

Ecosystem Impact

App developers, particularly those building things with clear mainstream appeal like music and video, will for the first time have a realistic chance at converting non-blockchain audiences, which can enable new forms of marketing and new economies of scale.

The more apps being used by a volume of newcomers to Cardano will be good for the economy overall. Making a wallet and purchasing ADA and NFTs are interactive modules covered by the app so that the user is ready to interact with that particular app by the end of the experience.

The ease at which web2 consumers are being converted directly to Cardano apps could attract new development teams to start building on Cardano, creating even better games and tools that will attract even more web2 consumers.

[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?

Deliverability

The team involved in this project has already created Cardano apps in prior funds and are looking to expand on what we have learned along the same theme of token-gating as a service.

Three primary physical components have been broken into eight actionable use-case milestones, which were then broken down into 19 detailed work sprints. Each work sprint has been defined in scope and given a thoughtful conservative estimate of work-hours until completion. These and other internal diagramming provides me with the confidence that I will complete these milestones within the stated timeframes.

We have already set up our UML diagramming, shared drives, and project management through ClickUp. Top-level work-sprints were made to assess the time and cost of this project, and once funded will be broken down into smaller tasks for assignment.

Market Adoption

We will partner with existing content creators on Cardano as well as physical events in order to cross-promote artists with other events and projects, using this service layer suite as a go-between for branded third-party entertainment websites, token holders, and the web2 video streaming world. Our primary focus will be Cardano adoption - while we want to assist cNFT projects to start using the tool, we see a major opportunity to provide web2 users with easy access to all the great things being built on Cardano.

Sharing Results

We will share the progress and results of this work product on our website as blog updates as well as in partnership with project partners on Twitter and Youtube. We want to assist Cardano organizations to utilize this service layer to token gate video such as live streamed events and educational material, ideally through the use of existing popular and commonly used NFT series.

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

The Detailed Plan addendum (link) contains greater detail on the work sprints that comprise the milestone.

• Web App: Setup of the web app framework (Vue) and a supporting API service and MongoDB database. Create the structure of all modules and their dynamic nature according to a library of user flows.
• 3 work sprints covering 235 hours
• Starting 8/1/24, target launch 9/4/24
• Projected cost: ₳15,381 ($8,767)

The Detailed Plan addendum (link) contains greater detail on the work sprints that comprise the milestone.

• Wallet Generation Modal: Create an interface that requires proof of ability and knowledge for interacting with dApps. Generate a wallet on the user's behalf or register with a custodial option.
• 3 work sprints covering 230 hours
• Starting 9/6/24, target launch 10/9/24
• Projected cost: ₳7,698 ($4,388)

The Detailed Plan addendum (link) contains greater detail on the work sprints that comprise the milestone.

• Content Creation: Contracting stop-motion clay animation for the app from a Cardano animator partner.
• 1 work sprint covering 280 hours
• Starting 8/1/24, target launch 9/10/24
• Projected cost: ₳16,887 ($9,625)

The Detailed Plan addendum (link) contains greater detail on the work sprints that comprise the milestone.

• Minting Campaign Integration: Embed a minting campaign from NMKR depending on the URL parameters provided in the incoming link. Detect payment and associate it with the app user history.
• 1 work sprint covering 120 hours
• Starting 10/11/24, target launch 10/28/24
• Projected cost: ₳4,016 ($2,289)
• NFT Marketplace Integration: Integrate with JPGStore to allow browsing and selling of tokens belonging to the origin project, with credit card checkout option.
• 1 work sprint covering 75 hours
• Starting 10/30/24, target launch 11/10/24
• Projected cost: ₳2,510 ($1,431)

The Detailed Plan addendum (link) contains greater detail on the work sprints that comprise the milestone.

• Web App API: An API server that facilitates data storage for the educational web app. It will retain its own logs of wallets created, ADA transferred, timestamped traffic and NFTs purchased for aggregated analytics. Capable of minting course completion certificates to student wallets.
• 5 work sprints covering 465 hours
• Starting 11/12/24, target launch 1/18/25
• Projected cost: ₳15,562 ($8,871)

The Detailed Plan addendum (link) contains greater detail on the work sprints that comprise the milestone.

• Scalable Data Architecture: Creation of securitization of a NoSQL data lake used to facilitate consumer interactions in the onboarding app, education success metrics logging, minting, wallet generation and payment processing.
• 3 work sprints covering 160 hours
• Starting 1/20/25, target launch 2/12/25
• Projected cost: ₳5,485 ($3,126)
• Field Integration: Work closely with specific cNFT partners to beta test the bi-directional relationship of the onboarding app and its ability to serve dynamic content for third party sites.
• 2 work sprint covering 126 hours
• Starting 2/10/25, target launch 2/28/25
• Projected cost: ₳4,217 ($2,404)

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

Project Team

Abe Ellis

Fullstack developer and project manager

Abe creates operational business strategies from competitive and internal analyses of e-commerce brands. As a Plutus Pioneer student he devotes his time to learning smart contracts for use in B2B services to grow utility and tooling on Cardano.

Relevant Experience: In over 14 years of experience in competitive consumer industries, Abe was in charge of strategy development and execution, managing large-scale technical projects with teams of up to thirty-five people. Abe is bringing a mix of Cardano blockchain experience, self-taught coding skills and digital marketing background to the project. Abe was in the Plutus Pioneer Program to lead Haskell development for Cardano projects.

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

Budget Analysis

Here is a breakdown of our projected hard costs and labor, organized by expense category. For a full list of all planned purchases and expected expenses please review the proposal worksheet, tab name Project Costs.

• Project Team
• Abe, Full Stack Developer
• ₳100,800 ($25,200) for 1,321 work hours 
• (omitted), Content Animator
• ₳74,000 ($18,500) for 370 work hours 
• Hardware
• We do not need to purchase any physical equipment.
• Marketing
• This project team does not need to increase the overall asking price of this project by including a marketing budget and would prefer to grow organically.
• Technical Consulting
• We do not require paid outside contractors for this project.
• Service Providers
• Netlify, 12 Months of Pro Tier Account, ₳912 ($228)
• Netlify, 12 Months of Enterprise Hosting, Web App, ₳7,200 ($1,800)
• Render, 12 Months of Team Plan, ₳912 ($228)
• Render, 12 Months Standard Tier Node Service, Web API, ₳1,200 ($300)
• MongoDB Atlas Dedicated Cluster, GCP Tier M20, 12 Months, ₳6,912 ($1,728)

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

The cost of this proposal is a one-time price that will produce a self-service Cardano app that can be used by the entire community to bring on brand new consumers. It has the potential to allow all projects to reach out directly to the mainstream, where most of the revenue is.

Once online, the Cardano community can begin reaching out to web2 creators with a new reason to use Cardano as a regular consumer.

All team members have committed to a baseline cost of living for the duration of the project. All hard costs have been plotted out, and the hourly rate for labor amounts to approximately $12 per hour. We do not plan to outsource development work, and this proposal will allow the team to focus on the project around the clock until it is completed.