Flashcardy.com - A Web3 Alternative to Duolingo Web2 App

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Dang Hong Thai (you can call me "Halley")

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

Entity (Not Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Co-proposers and additional applicants

Gary Tran, Kani Nguyen, Jasmine Pham, Tony Hua, Tuan Le

[GENERAL] Requested funds in ada

150000

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

12

[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)

An exciting language learning Dapp with Cardano-based token rewards, AI assistant, flashcards, social features, and cultural quests, offering a fun, impactful alternative to Duolingo & similar apps.

[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?

No

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

Flashcardy will not fully open-source its product to maintain a competitive edge in the EdTech industry. This decision protects intellectual property while contributing to the Cardano ecosystem and supporting platform growth without exposing critical technology to competitors.

• AI and language learning algorithms: The algorithms driving personalized learning, social networking, flashcard and quiz creation, and gamification will remain closed source to protect against replication by competitors.
• Open-source components: Cardano-based token reward system and certain blockchain integrations will be open source for community collaboration for improved innovations. 

[METADATA] Horizons

Learn to Earn

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Flashcardy has launched version 1.0.Web2 on the web, now available at flashcardy.com. This version enables users to create flashcards for any language pair, interact and learn from others' flashcards via the community feeds feature. 

We are currently developing version 2.0, which will introduce quiz creation with a point system (Flashpoints) that rewards or deducts points for correct or incorrect answers, along with leaderboards to rank users based on performance. Future versions will allow Flashpoints to be converted into Web3 tokens and will introduce AI chatbots, social chat, friend connections, and video calls to enhance social interaction and collaborative learning.

1. Unique Solutions:

• AI-Powered Virtual Assistant: Flashcardy provides a free AI-powered chatbot to help learners answer language questions in real-time and assist in generating flashcards. Unlike its Web2 competitor Duolingo, where AI features are limited to premium subscribers, Flashcardy’s AI-driven features are available for free. In comparison, other Web3 competitors like LetMeSpeak lack AI assistant features.

• User-Generated Content: Flashcardy empowers users to create and share flashcards, quizzes, and Q&A content. Unlike Duolingo and LetMeSpeak, which do not embrace user-generated content as core features, Flashcardy encourages active community participation. Flashcards and quizzes enhance personalized learning and diversify learning materials.

• Social Connection: Flashcardy excels in fostering community engagement through features like community feeds, chat & match, tournaments, competitions, and in-game events. Duolingo offers limited social features, while LetMeSpeak focuses on gamification but lacks a strong social connection between users. Flashcardy provides a richer, more connected learning environment.

• Education Sciences: Flashcardy integrates effective learning methodologies such as spaced repetition, gamification, and real-life cultural quests, enabling learners to apply their knowledge in practical, real-world contexts. Duolingo primarily focuses on language mechanics without offering immersive cultural contexts, and LetMeSpeak lacks this level of educational integration despite having a gamification approach.

• Learn & Earn: With Flashcardy’s learn-to-earn model, users earn token rewards for their learning efforts. In future versions, users will be able to convert Flashpoints into Web3 tokens, unlocking more opportunities for decentralized ownership. Unlike Duolingo, which doesn’t offer any form of Web3 token rewards, LetMeSpeak has a similar system but lacks the deeper educational integration and planned NFT features for original flashcards that Flashcardy will offer in its advanced versions.

2. Who Benefits:

• Language Learners: Individuals looking to learn a foreign language can enjoy a highly personalized and rewarding experience with a clear incentive to progress, thanks to the learn-to-earn model.
• Crypto Enthusiasts: Those familiar with blockchain can benefit from the Cardano-based rewards system, integrating directly with the Cardano ecosystem and adding value beyond just learning a language.
• Teachers and Institutions: Educators can use Flashcardy to create customized, personalized quizzes tailored to their students' needs. This feature allows teachers to assess student progress in a more focused and effective way, making the learning process more interactive and personalized.

3. Why This is Important to Cardano:

• Adoption of Cardano Blockchain: By offering token rewards on Cardano, Flashcardy.com helps drive wider adoption of the Cardano blockchain, showcasing its versatility in non-financial applications such as education.
• Promoting Decentralization in Education: Flashcardy aligns with Cardano’s mission by giving learners ownership of their progress and rewards through a decentralized system, fostering a self-sustaining learning environment. The success of Flashcardy has the potential to attract millions of users from the global language learning community to the Cardano ecosystem, significantly expanding Cardano’s user base and its influence in education worldwide.
• Community Building: The SocialFi elements help grow a global community of language learners within the Cardano ecosystem, building a network of engaged users who contribute to and benefit from the platform.

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

As of now, with Flashcardy version 1.0.Web2 and our efforts to build a learner and educator community for the upcoming Web3 platform, we already have nearly 7,000 cards created in more than 15 language pairs, over 1,000 active users, and more than 100,000 followers on Facebook social networks (EnglishBox, ChineseBox, KoreanBox, JapaneseBox). We have the potential to grow our impacts more sustainably and significantly with support from the Cardano fund.

A. Positive Impact on the Cardano Community

• The success of Flashcardy will bring significant value to the Cardano community by driving adoption of Cardano’s blockchain in the global education sector, especially within the fast-growing language learning market. Flashcardy’s learn-to-earn model will attract millions of users globally, introducing them to the benefits of Cardano's decentralized ecosystem. 
• Our project also provides a well-rounded learning experience, enabling users not only to learn explicit knowledge (e.g., vocabulary, grammar) but also to acquire cultural understanding—the tacit knowledge needed to master a language.

B. Impact Measurement

1. Quantitative Metrics

• User Growth: Monitoring the number of active learners and content creators on the platform.
• Content Creation: Measuring the volume of user-generated flashcards, quizzes, and other educational content.
• Learning Progress: Analyzing reductions in quiz errors and overall improvements in quiz scores.
• Token Transactions: Tracking the Cardano-based tokens awarded to users for learning, creating flashcards and quizzes, as well as interacting on our platform. In future versions, we will also monitor the exchange and trading of tokens and NFTs within the marketplace.

2. Qualitative Metrics:

• User Feedback: Collecting insights on user satisfaction and learning improvements through surveys.
• Community Involvement: Encouraging Cardano community members to voice their ideas and contribute to the platform’s development in a communal learning environment.
• Educational Value: Evaluating the impact of Flashcardy’s cultural quests and gamified learning experiences on language proficiency.

C. Sharing Outputs and Opportunities with the broader Cardano community

• Educational Resources: We are committed to creating a high-quality, permanently free learning platform for the community, offering features such as flashcards, quizzes, games, and token rewards. This ensures that users can access valuable learning resources without any barriers.
• Open-source Collaboration: Certain elements of the platform, such as our Cardano-based reward system, will be open source for community collaboration.

[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?

We are confident in our ability and commitment to deliver the Flashcardy project with the highest standards of trust, accountability, and transparency, supported by the following key factors:

1 - Experienced Team With Proven Track Record & Expertise In Cardano

Our founding team is made up of seasoned tech entrepreneurs and business managers with extensive experience across both web2 and web3 technologies, particularly in blockchain development within the Cardano ecosystem, especially Cardano's architecture and security protocols.

Our board includes two distinguished leaders in Vietnam’s tech industry. Mr. Tommy Le, co-founder and Chairman of Sotatek, a global blockchain and software development company with over $140 million in annual revenue and a talent pool of more than 1,000 experienced developers, serves as our Chief Advisor and Co-President of the Flashcardy team. Mr. Halley Dang, our CEO, is the founder of YBOX.VN, a well-established career social network with over 1 million monthly users, and one of the top six most trafficked recruitment platforms in Vietnam.

2 - Community Support

At the heart of Flashcardy is our social mission: to create a platform that enables anyone to learn foreign languages effectively and entirely for free. This vision is driven by the collective knowledge-sharing of learners, educators, and educational institutions. We aim to harness the power of community collaboration to build a knowledge base that supports diverse learning experiences. One of our founders' existing social network platform, with millions of users, has enabled us to efficiently recruit a committed team of young volunteers. These volunteers, working remotely and without financial compensation, have been instrumental in creating high-quality flashcards, quizzes, and promoting our platform across social media. This community-driven approach ensures that Flashcardy remains accessible, effective, and ever-evolving to meet the needs of learners worldwide.

3 - Rigorous Development & Community Engagement

The feasibility of our proposal is reinforced by the strong infrastructure and proven methodologies we’ve already implemented. To further validate our approach, we will engage in continuous testing and feedback loops with educational professionals and users. By collaborating closely with early adopters, we will refine and evolve Flashcardy to address real-world needs, ensuring that the platform aligns with community expectations.

4 - Commitment to Transparency & Accountability

We are deeply committed to maintaining transparency and accountability throughout the project. This includes providing clear, detailed reports on funding allocation and project milestones. The project’s progress will be closely monitored, with regular updates shared with the Catalyst community and other stakeholders to ensure full transparency at every stage of development.

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

Launch of Quiz-based Language Learning Platform (3 months)

A. Milestone Outputs:

• Completion of the core functionality allowing users to create and participate in language learning quizzes.
• Implementation of user ranking and the Flash Points reward system, where users earn points based on their quiz performance.

B. Acceptance Criteria:

• Fully functioning quiz creation and participation system available to users.
• Active leaderboards displaying user rankings.
• Flash Points rewards system integrated and operational.

C. Evidence of Completion:

• Live demo of the platform showing quiz creation and participation, user rankings and Flash Points functionality.

Launch of AI Chatbot and Flashcard Generation via AI Commands (2 months)

A: Milestone Outputs

• Integration of an AI chatbot to assist learners with foreign language queries.
• Implementation of an AI-powered feature that enables users to create flashcards automatically through simple commands.

B: Acceptance Criteria

• A fully functional AI chatbot that responds to user queries with relevant language support.
• AI-driven flashcard creation system where users can generate cards based on input commands.

C: Evidence of Completion

• Test cases showing the AI chatbot successfully handling various language queries.
• Demonstrations of automatic flashcard creation via user command inputs from early adopters.

Building of Expert-Designed Quizzes (3 months)

A: Milestone Outputs

• Creation of high-quality quizzes designed by language experts for beginner to intermediate levels.
• Focus on 4 first main language pairs: Chinese-English, Japanese-English, Korean-English, and Vietnamese-English with the goal of at least 100 quizzes or lessons for each pair.

B: Acceptance Criteria

• Completion of expert-designed quizzes for the four language pairs.

C: Evidence of Completion

• Published quizzes available on the platform for each of the four language pairs.

Flash Points to Web3 Token Integration (2 months)

A: Milestone Outputs

• Integration of Flash Points into a web3 token system built on the Cardano blockchain, allowing users to convert points into token rewards.

B: Acceptance Criteria

• Fully operational token reward system where Flash Points can be exchanged for web3 tokens on Cardano.

C: Evidence of Completion

• Successful transaction logs showing the conversion of Flash Points into web3 tokens.

Marketing To Early Adopters (2 months)

A: Milestone Outputs

• Marketing campaigns launched to attract users from four key markets with the goal of reaching 10K learners per market (language pair).

B: Acceptance Criteria

• Marketing campaigns in the targeted regions with measurable growth in learner numbers.

C: Evidence of Completion

• Analytics data showing a growing user base and reaching the target of learner numbers.
• Report detailing marketing campaign spending and supporting evidence of execution

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

We are all foreign language learners and lovers. The founding team are seasoned professionals from diverse backgrounds including Blockchain, Web & application engineering, Marketing Analytics,, Graphic/Motion Design, Management Information Systems, Sales Operations, and Business Development. Together, we're a powerhouse of passion and expertise dedicated to creating an innovative language learning platform.

Linkedin Profiles

1 - Tommy Le - President/Advisor

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tuanle0804 

+ Cofounder & CEO @ Sotatek Holdings (Global Blockchain & Software Development service): $140M+ annual revenue, 1.000+ experienced developers, 8 offices in USA, Australia, Korea, Japan, Vietnam.

+ Former Director of a key Business Unit at FPT Software (#1 Software Corp in Vietnam: $billion annual revenue), managed a team of 250 staff, involved collaboration with major Japanese clients, including Hitachi and Toyota.

2 - Halley Dang - CEO 

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

+ Founder & CEO @ YBOX.VN career & learning social network: 1M+ monthly unique visitors, Top 6 Largest traffic recruitment social platform in Vietnam

+ Forbes Under 30 Awards (Vietnam, 2020)

+ 10+ years of online marketing, and product management

+ Msc. Business Administration @ Halmstad University (Sweden)

3 - Bailey Tran - COO

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tvan611 

+ Over 8 years leading Business Development & Sales Operations in IT Industries

+ Vietnamese, English, Korean and Japanese (N2 level) speaker

+ Graduate of Yonsei University 

  (South Korea)

4 - Kani Nguyen - CPO (Product)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kani-nguyen-4864a651 

+ Over 10 years of graphic/motion design, interactive exhibition and social behavior change communication.

+ Multimedia Greenlight Scholarship universalus Greenwich (UK)

+ Management Information Systems @ Vietnam University of Commerce

5 - Thu Jasmine Pham - CMO (Marketing)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pthu 

+ Over 7 years of Digital Marketing, including leadership @ various web3 corps like Netmarble (South Korea)

+ Master of Marketing Analytics @ Solbridge International School of  Business (South Korea)

6 - Tony Hua - CFO (Finance)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ynotauh 

+ BA. Computer science @ Columbia University

+ Asset Management @ Goldman Sachs

+ Raised $100,000 from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

7 - Gary Tran - CTO (Tech)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/giang-tran-4ba48920a

+ Head of Engineering @ Ace Labs

+ Over 8 Years of Experience in Software Development

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

We do not request any fundings for cloud services or software development, as these are covered by the founding members through personal contributions and internal resources. To successfully execute the Flashcardy project, we have planned and allocated a total requested budget of 150K ADA across different phases, focusing on key milestones. Below is a breakdown of the proposed work and associated costs:

1. Quiz Creation for Four Language Pairs (64,000 ADA)

• Description: This covers the cost of creating at least 100 high-quality quizzes for each of the four major language pairs: Chinese-English, Japanese-English, Korean-English, and Vietnamese-English. Each quiz includes 5 new words to learn and their related questions.
• Resources: For each pair, 2 language experts will be hired to develop quizzes for beginner to intermediate levels.
• Cost per expert: 8,000 ADA (for each language pair)

2. Marketing, Publicity & Community Engagement (80,000 ADA)

• Description: A major part of the budget will be allocated to marketing campaigns aimed at promoting Flashcardy in the four primary markets (Chinese-English, Japanese-English, Korean-English, and Vietnamese-English) with the goal of at least 10K learners per market.
• Resources: Facebook, Google ads, KOLs and partnerships to effectively reach target markets and drive user growth.
• Cost per market: 21,500 ADA (for each language pair)

(*) Alternative Sources of Funding: Should the total cost of the project exceed this budget, we will self-fund or explore partnerships with educational institutions and other blockchain projects to secure additional sponsored or free resources.

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

The Flashcardy project represents tremendous value for the Cardano ecosystem by addressing a crucial need in the education and language learning space. Our solution not only promotes language acquisition but also integrates seamlessly with the blockchain, unlocking new possibilities for decentralized education. Here's how our project justifies the requested budget of 150K ADA and why it represents value for money:

Empowering Language Learning for a Global Audience

Flashcardy is built with a social mission: to provide free and effective language learning tools for everyone. By leveraging the power of community-driven content and expert-created quizzes, we will engage learners across diverse languages and geographies. Each language pair will have expert-designed content, ensuring high-quality and culturally relevant educational resources.

The cost for language experts ensures that our quizzes and learning materials meet the highest standards of educational content, with a total of 64,000 ADA allocated to expert content creation for 4 major language pairs with millions of potential learners. This investment translates into lasting value by creating reusable learning materials that will serve thousands of learners across the globe.

Driving Mass Adoption Through Targeted Marketing

To ensure widespread adoption, we’ve allocated 80,000 ADA to marketing campaigns across our four key language markets. With 20,000 ADA per language pair, these funds will be used to launch targeted marketing initiatives that introduce Flashcardy to thousands of learners. This will be achieved through social media outreach, influencer partnerships, and community engagement efforts. Then, happy learners can organically attract more users to our platform.

This focused approach guarantees that Flashcardy will reach a large and diverse user base, driving adoption and engagement with Cardano’s blockchain technology. By creating a platform that provides tangible benefits to users, we not only grow our own community but also expand the reach and influence of the Cardano ecosystem.

In addition, Cardano’s investment in Flashcardy will be leveraged to gain mass media attention in Vietnam, enabling us to access free marketing opportunities through major Vietnamese news outlets and platforms. The founders of Flashcardy have an extensive personal network within the Vietnamese media industry, which will allow us to secure widespread media coverage and maximize visibility. With strong media support and these relationships, we can promote Flashcardy to the Vietnamese community at zero cost, greatly enhancing our reach without additional budget requirements.

Leveraging Founding Team Resources for Development

One of the key aspects that makes Flashcardy cost-effective is our ability to rely on the founding team for core development. We have internalized the costs of cloud services and software development, eliminating the need for external contractors. By utilizing our own resources, we ensure that 100% of the requested funds go directly to content creation, marketing, and user engagement, maximizing the value for Cardano.

Scaling With Long-Term Benefits for Cardano

Flashcardy introduces blockchain-enabled education to a global audience. The project fosters new user engagement with Cardano through the implementation of web3 tokens, allowing users to earn rewards for learning. By creating a system where learning is incentivized and integrated with blockchain technology, Flashcardy will serve as a gateway for users to explore Cardano further, contributing to its growth and long-term adoption.

Strategic Value for the Cardano Ecosystem

Flashcardy represents an innovative use case for blockchain technology in the education sector. By integrating Flash Points, quizzes, and decentralized rewards, we create a platform that not only educates but also engages users in a dynamic and rewarding experience. The long-term benefits to the Cardano ecosystem include:

• Wider user adoption: By focusing on key language markets, we onboard new users and expand Cardano’s reach.
• Monetization opportunities: The integration of Flash Points into a web3 token system provides learners with blockchain-based rewards, driving real-world use cases for decentralized finance.
• A growing community: Our community-driven content model encourages user participation, creating a thriving ecosystem around decentralized education.

Conclusion

The Flashcardy project offers exceptional value for money by directly addressing a growing global need for accessible and effective language learning, while simultaneously driving engagement with the Cardano blockchain. With well-justified costs for expert content creation, marketing, and community growth, this project will contribute significantly to the expansion of Cardano’s ecosystem. The long-term potential for user adoption, community engagement, and blockchain-based rewards positions Flashcardy as a strategic investment for Cardano’s future.