dRepWatch - A Sustainable Platform for Informed Voters

[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)

Leverage existing dRepWatch, and bring it up a notch to create a user friendly interface that offers transparency and facilitates communication between voters and dReps on various governance issues.

[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.”

1. The dRep needs to become an active body in Cardano governance for an active community to engage.
2. NMKR will need to finalize the Fund 10 dRepWatch proposal and hand over to Photrek.

[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

Yes, the project will be fully open source. 

Photrek utilizes a GNU GPL 3.0 license for other projects, which requires users of the software to maintain their code as open source. We will consider if this is the appropriate license to use for the dRepWatch.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

dRepWatch - A Sustainable Platform for Informed Voters

Cardano's governance system currently lacks a widely adopted platform to empower voters and strengthen communication between voters and dReps. Although a functional dRepWatch platform has been built by NMKR (funded through Fund 10), it currently sits unused because it hasn't yet been deployed and promoted within the Cardano community. This limits the platform's potential to mature and gain traction in order to promote voter confidence, dRep accountability, and overall governance participation.

Photrek will tackle this challenge by providing the support necessary to make dRep watch production ready, and transform it into a user-friendly platform that empowers voters and strengthens Cardano governance through the following:

• Deployment & Marketing Strategy: We will focus on deploying the existing dRepWatch platform and implementing targeted marketing campaigns to raise awareness and drive user adoption within the Cardano community.
• Community Building & User Engagement: Fostering a strong community around dRepWatch to encourage user participation, feedback, and a sense of ownership.
• Empowering Features:
• Comprehensive dRep Profiles: In-depth information on each dRep, including background, values, and voting history.
• Accessible Voting History: Easy access to a Drep's past voting record for informed decision-making.
• Direct Q&A with dReps: A dedicated platform for voters to directly engage with and ask questions of their dReps.
• Continuous Development: A collaborative approach that integrates user feedback will ensure the platform remains relevant and adapts to the evolving needs of the Cardano community.

Long-Term Sustainability & Revenue Exploration:

Our vision is to establish dRepWatch as a thriving, self-sustaining platform with a dedicated full-time development and community management team. The initial funding requested in this proposal will be used to deploy the platform, establish a user base, and demonstrate its value. We will then explore potential revenue models that align with dRepWatch's open-source ethos, such as:

• Donations: Allow users to voluntarily donate to support dRepWatch's development and maintenance.
• Sponsorships: Partner with Cardano-related organizations or projects willing to sponsor dRepWatch in exchange for brand recognition.
• Optional Premium Features: Consider optional premium features that provide additional benefits to users without compromising core functionalities (e.g., advanced analytics, data export options).

By implementing these strategies, we aim to achieve long-term financial stability and support a dedicated team to continuously improve dRepWatch and empower Cardano governance.

Building a Self-Sustaining dRepWatch

Objective: Our vision is to establish dRepWatch as a thriving, self-sustaining platform with a dedicated full-time team.

Strategy:

1. Community Growth: We will leverage Photrek's experience in Cardano governance to spearhead strategic marketing campaigns and community management efforts. This will expand the user base and create a self-reinforcing cycle of engagement and continuous improvement for dRepWatch.
2. Exploring Revenue Streams: We will explore potential revenue models that align with dRepWatch's open-source ethos. This could include options such as donations, sponsorships, or even premium features that provide additional value to users without compromising core functionalities.
3. Full-Time Staffing: The funding requested in this proposal will lay the groundwork for achieving financial and operational capacity to employ full-time professionals for dRepWatch's maintenance and development in the future.

Photrek & NMKR's Commitment:

Both Photrek and NMKR are firmly committed to building the necessary momentum and community support for dRepWatch. We will actively seek opportunities to ensure the platform's financial independence and operational excellence in the long run.

Expected Outcomes:

• A stable and growing platform that continuously adapts to meet the evolving needs of the Cardano community.
• A dedicated team of professionals working full-time to ensure dRepWatch remains at the forefront of decentralized governance tools.
• Long-term financial viability that allows dRepWatch to adapt and thrive within the Cardano ecosystem.

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

Empowering Voters & Strengthening Governance

DRepWatch directly addresses a critical need within Cardano by fostering a more informed and engaged voter base. Here's how it will positively impact the wider Cardano community:

• Increased Voter Confidence: Transparency through accessible dRep profiles and voting history empowers voters to make informed decisions when delegating their voting rights. This leads to greater confidence in the governance process.
• Enhanced Accountability: Direct Q&A with dReps allows voters to hold their representatives accountable and ensure alignment with their values. This strengthens the overall accountability within the Cardano governance system.
• Stronger Decision-Making: By fostering informed and engaged voters, dRepWatch contributes to better-informed proposals and ultimately, stronger decision-making for the Cardano ecosystem.
• Active & Vibrant Community: A thriving dRepWatch community fosters active discussions and collaboration among voters and dReps, leading to a more engaged and vibrant Cardano community.

Measurable Impact:

The success of dRepWatch can be measured by:

• Increased Platform Usage: Number of voters actively using dRepWatch to access information and engage with dReps.
• Community Growth: Growth in the dRepWatch user base and community engagement metrics (e.g., forum participation, Q&A activity).
• Voter Confidence & Engagement Surveys: Conducting surveys to measure voter confidence in the governance process and overall user satisfaction with dRepWatch.

[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?

Proven Expertise & Collaborative Approach

Photrek and NMKR bring a powerful combination of experience and capabilities to ensure the successful delivery of dRepWatch:

• Photrek's Team: Photrek offers deep understanding of Cardano governance, fostered through their successful Fund 11 proposal "Sociocratic dReps: A representation framework for Democratic Pluralism" which is currently under implementation. This experience positions them to effectively integrate dRepWatch into the evolving Cardano governance landscape.
• NMKR's Development Expertise: NMKR successfully delivered the dRepWatch MVP through Fund 10, showcasing their technical capabilities.

Collaborative Development & Ongoing Validation

We believe in a collaborative and iterative development approach:

• Community Feedback Integration: A dedicated developer from NMKR will work closely with the Photrek-led community management team to continuously integrate valuable user feedback into the platform.
• Regular Progress Reports & Transparency: We will provide regular progress reports to Project Catalyst, including key metrics and community engagement data to ensure transparency and validate our approach.

Feasibility of Long-Term Sustainability

We will explore various revenue models that align with dRepWatch's open-source ethos, such as donations, sponsorships, or optional premium features. Our initial funding request will allow us to demonstrate the platform's value and build a strong foundation for future financial sustainability.

Commitment to Success

Both Photrek and NMKR are firmly committed to the long-term success of dRepWatch. We are confident that our combined expertise, collaborative approach, and focus on user feedback will ensure the platform's ongoing development and positive impact on Cardano governance.

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

Community Engagement Launch (1 month)

Milestone Outputs:

• Initiate a comprehensive community outreach program through various channels (e.g., social media, forums, AMAs).
• Establish a dRepWatch community forum to foster user discussions and feedback.
• Gather initial user feedback through surveys and polls to understand user needs and expectations.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Comprehensive plan is documented clearly
• Some type of meeting space or social media platform that enables discussions
• Documentation of feedback

Evidence of milestone completion

• Written report that includes detailed information on the outreach roadmap including specifics on the meetings and initial community feedback

Marketing Strategy & Developer Onboarding (2 months)

Milestone Outputs:

• Finalize a detailed marketing strategy with clear branding, messaging, and multi-channel outreach plans (e.g., social media campaigns, targeted content creation).
• Hire and onboard a part-time developer to begin initial platform enhancements based on community feedback.

Acceptance Criteria

• Marketing strategy clearly documented
• Appropriate developer added to the team

Evidence of milestone completion

• Written report including comprehensive roadmap of the marketing strategy
• Developer will be named in the report as new member of the team

Platform Launch & User Acquisition (3 months)

Milestone Outputs:

• Launch the first series of marketing campaigns across various platforms to drive user awareness and dRepWatch adoption.
• Implement the first set of platform updates and improvements based on the initial round of community feedback.
• Analyze user data and engagement metrics to measure campaign effectiveness and identify areas for optimization.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Activity on social media platforms 
• Updates made to dRepWatch platform
• Report on the analysis done

Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Evidence of social media posting via history or screenshots
• Report detailing the updates made to the platform and analysis of user engagement

Long-Term Sustainability & Growth (5 months)

Milestone Outputs:

• Begin exploring and testing potential revenue models (e.g., donations, sponsorships, premium features) that align with dRepWatch's open-source ethos.
• Develop a plan for transitioning to a full-time development team, including job descriptions and operational logistics.
• Publish a report detailing the progress towards self-sustainability, outlining the steps for future growth and continued platform improvement.

Acceptance Criteria

• Different revenue models are compared
• Job posting if necessary, or could be internal hire, job description clearly defined
• Detailed report with roadmap for sustainability

Evidence of Milestone completion

• Written report of our progress towards self-sustainability including details on the revenue model and hiring plan if needed

Project Close-Out (1 month) 

Milestone Outputs: Final Report and Video

Acceptance Criteria: Report documenting the project outcomes and including close-out video

Evidence of Milestone Completion: Report will be submitted following the closeout guidelines and include a video per the guidelines.

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

This project is led by Photrek, a team with extensive experience in complex decision systems and blockchain governance. Jose Miguel De Gamboa serves as the Principal Investigator, leveraging his expertise in governance, community building, and blockchain education. Dr. Kenric Nelson, Juana Attieh, and Raymond Mata will offer valuable support on this project with their expertise and skills in governance, technology, and strategy. Together, this team offers a well-rounded skill set to further develop, implement and promote dRepWatch as a cornerstone platform for Cardano’s governance.

Photrek Team:

Jose Miguel De Gamboa Management, Economics and HR strategic management from CESA, University of W. Sydney and Cornell University. He is an experienced professional with 25 years in the corporate world specializing in culture and catalytic leadership. He currently teaches blockchain at CESA. In the Cardano community, he serves on Intersect’s Governance Advisory board and in the Civics committee where he is currently collaborating to write Cardano's constitution first draft. He's also a founding member of the Latam Cardano Community, has contributed to Catalyst as Challenge team member/leader and Community reviewer since fund 7 and has co-authored several governance related papers. His work aims to capture collective intelligence at the service of common growth. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-miguel-de-gamboa/

Juana Attieh product lead at Photrek, and lead of Photrek’s SNET circle. Co-founder of Cardano MENA and LALKUL Stake Pool. Interim chair at the Membership and Community Committee at Intersect. Advisor at AMLOK.tech. Juana is committed to fostering decentralized governance and contributing towards optimal solutions for self-organizing systems. With her work, Juana seeks to reimagine societies, unlock untapped potential, and provide inclusive opportunities to those who need them most.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanaattieh/

Dr. Kenric Nelson is Founder and President of Photrek, LLC which is developing novel approaches to Complex Decision Systems, including dynamics of cryptocurrency protocols, sensor systems for machine intelligence, robust machine learning methods, and novel estimation methods. He served on the Cardano Catalyst Circle governance council and is leading a revitalization of Sociocracy for All’s work circle. Prior to launching Photrek, Nelson was a Research Professor with Boston University Electrical & Computer Engineering (2014-2019) and Sr. Principal Systems Engineer with Raytheon Company (2007-2019). He has pioneered novel approaches to measuring and fusing information. His nonlinear statistical coupling methods have been used to improve the accuracy and robustness of radar signal processing, sensor fusion, and machine learning algorithms. His education in electrical engineering includes a B.S. degree Summa Cum Laude from Tulane University, a M.S. degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a Ph.D. degree from Boston University. His management education includes an Executive Certificate from MIT Sloan and participation in NSF’s I-Corp. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenric-nelson-ph-d-7495b77/

Raymond Mata System Administrator at Photrek. His professional career spans three decades, encompasses a diverse range of experiences and accomplishments. After graduating with a Pre-Med background in Psychology and Biology in Boston, he advanced to a freelance IT consultant and Server Engineer for a corporate datacenter serving 10,000 employees. Raymond later relocated to Hawaii and discovered his passion for education while teaching High School Computer Science and in parallel established a successful IT Managed Services Provider business with a ZERO-data loss track record providing technology solutions and critical support to local businesses across the islands for nearly two decades. Raymond then ventured into the blockchain crypto industry, inspired by its capacity to do good and address wealth distribution inequality. He opened business as a dedicated Cardano stake pool operator for GROW, staked with ~49M ADA and largely recognized for his on-going charitable child-saving initiatives. His present work at the intersection of blockchain and AI technology provides services to projects in the space ranging from community manager, game development & testing to blockchain infrastructure provider and systems administrator that all underscore his passion and commitment to the future of humanity and self-sovereignty.

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

Milestone 1: ₳ 19,000.00 

Milestone 2: ₳ 30,000.00 

Milestone 3: ₳ 65,000.00 

Milestone 4: ₳ 111,000.00 

Final Milestone: ₳ 25,000.00 

Total budget: ₳ 250,000.00 

Project costs are broken into the following categories as referenced in the table below:

Engineering 

• Salaries to developers and consultants

Customer Engagement 

• Compensation for community outreach work

Computing resources

• Various computing costs

Program management

• Project reporting
• Meeting time
• Project coordination

Contingency

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

dRepWatch: Addressing Critical Gaps in Cardano Governance

Introduction

Cardano's innovative Voltaire governance system depends on a well-informed and actively engaged voter base. Recent CIP-1694 workshops around the world identified a critical need for tools that enhance transparency and communication between voters and delegation representatives (dReps). These workshops emphasized the importance of clear visibility into dRep voting behavior and establishing open communication channels – factors essential for the success of the dRep role and, ultimately, the entire Voltaire framework.

The potential frustration stemming from a lack of such tools poses a significant risk: disenfranchisement of potential voters and a decline in overall participation in Voltaire governance. This proposal presents a compelling solution: dRepWatch, a pre-existing platform perfectly positioned to address these critical needs within the Cardano ecosystem.

dRepWatch: A Ready-Made Solution

dRepWatch directly addresses the challenges identified during the CIP-1694 workshops. This user-friendly platform empowers voters and strengthens Cardano governance through the following functionalities:

• Comprehensive dRep Profiles: In-depth information on each dRep, including background, values, and voting history.
• Accessible Voting History: Easy access to a dRep's past voting record for informed decision-making.
• Direct Q&A with dReps: A dedicated platform for voters to directly engage with and ask questions of their dReps.
• Continuous Development: A collaborative approach that integrates user feedback ensures the platform remains relevant and adapts to the evolving needs of the Cardano community.

By leveraging dRepWatch, Cardano can foster a more informed and engaged voter base, leading to a stronger and more effective governance system.

The Photrek Team: Committed to Collaboration and Transparency

Photrek, the team behind dRepWatch, is led by a five-person Leadership Circle that utilizes a consent-based decision-making process. This ensures our policies, objectives, and execution cultivate a collaborative environment for our team, partners, and clients. We are committed to developing solutions that enhance the intelligence and sustainability of the world, as reflected in our concept of "Enlightened Pathways." Our unwavering commitment to transparency extends to our corporate governance practices, as outlined in the Photrek Sociocratic Operating Agreement.

Delivering Exceptional Value & Sustainability

Photrek is committed to delivering exceptional value to our clients. Our competitive pricing methods ensure that both our clients receive the highest value for their investment and our team members enjoy fulfilling careers. Our rates are based on self-employment benchmarks in the US & Canada, factoring in employment overheads for contracted resources. We calculate costs for each project milestone based on the estimated completion time.

Call to Action

By deploying and promoting dRepWatch, Cardano can empower voters, foster trust, and stimulate active participation in its governance future. This proposal advocates for leveraging this pre-existing platform to maximize its impact without the need for costly and time-consuming development from scratch.

Together, let's bridge the gap and empower Cardano's governance future!