IMPACT PLUS - Which Catalyst projects succeed and why?

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Eduard Peris Deprez

[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)

6

[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)

This research aims to analyze completed Catalyst projects, identifying success factors and trends to improve funding decisions and boost post-grant survival rates for future initiatives.

[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.”

N/A

[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

Yes. We will publish our results.

[METADATA] Horizons

Research

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Our proposed solution is to conduct a comprehensive review of every project funded by Catalyst to evaluate project survivability post completion. Building on previous research done with the Cardano Foundation, we will determine success factors within key grant categories such as Governance, Education, Community & Outreach, Development & tools, and DeFi.

We will apply a survival analysis methodology, commonly used to determine the factors that contribute to long-term success statistically. This analysis will focus on a subset of successful projects to define hypotheses correlating with high survivability, providing insights into how specific project characteristics impact the likelihood of continuing beyond the initial grant period.

By engaging with past Catalyst grant recipients and using data-driven insights, we aim to uncover patterns that have led to successful outcomes. Our project will directly involve the Cardano community, fund administrators, and developers, as well as researchers who can validate our findings.

To prove our impact, we will provide a detailed report highlighting these success factors and recommending future funding cycles. We will also track the application of these insights in subsequent funding rounds, ensuring that our findings lead to tangible improvements in how grants are allocated and managed in the future.

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

This project will provide the community with insights into the factors that lead to project success, enabling more informed funding decisions, fostering sustainable growth, and improving project survivability. By identifying key success characteristics, it will help future projects align with best practices, thus maximizing the effectiveness of Catalyst funds and strengthening the Cardano ecosystem's overall innovation and resilience.

[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 have proven capacity for this project, having worked directly with the Cardano Foundation to analyze the position and growth potential of projects within the ecosystem. This experience has provided us with a deep understanding of the Cardano landscape, and some of its most pressing needs, which resulted in the idea for this new project. The same team involved in the first research will lead this initiative, ensuring continuity and expertise.

To validate our approach, we will:

• Leverage historical data from Catalyst projects to conduct a pilot analysis and test our approach by checking that statistical requirements for survival analysis hold in our sample.
• Test the analysis on a sample of completed projects to confirm data availability and insights.
• Provide transparent updates and seek community feedback throughout the process, and particularly the feedback from two community members (stakeholders) in milestone 3.

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

Milestone 1: Define Methodology in Detail 

Milestone Outputs

• A finalized methodology for analyzing Catalyst-funded projects.
• Detailed framework for survival analysis, including success hypotheses for project longevity.
• Defined categories for analysis (community, research, developer infrastructure, etc.).

Acceptance Criteria

• The methodology is comprehensive, addressing project categorization and the survival analysis approach.
• Clear plan for analyzing project success factors, ready to be implemented.

Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Delivery of a written document outlining the detailed methodology, framework and hypothesis of analysis, and categories. 

Milestone 2: Categorize All Projects and Subset Selection (combine with existing dataset) 

Milestone Outputs

• Complete list of Catalyst projects categorized as "inactive" (unsuccessful) or "active" (successful).
• Selection of a subset of "active" projects from each category for detailed analysis.

Acceptance Criteria

• Every project is accurately categorized as "active" or "inactive."
• A representative sample of "active" projects is selected for further analysis

Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Delivery of a report that categorizes all projects, including the selected subset of "active" projects.

Milestone 3: Preliminary Results Presented, Including Survival Analysis

Milestone Outputs

• Survival analysis conducted on the subset of "Catalyst funded" projects.
• Presentation of preliminary results, identifying initial success factors across project categories.
• Preliminary results reviewed with two community members (stakeholders).

Acceptance Criteria

• Survival analysis completed for the selected projects.
• Initial findings on success factors are clear and actionable, covering the majority of the intended analysis.
• Preliminary results reviewed with two community members (stakeholders).

Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Delivery of a preliminary report detailing the majority of intended results, including survival analysis.
• Comments from two community members recorded in a document.

Final Milestone: Final Results and Recommendations, Video 

Milestone Outputs

• Final analysis, the results completed and critical success factors identified.
• Comprehensive report on the success factors, with detailed recommendations for future funding.
• Production of a video summarizing the research findings and impact.
• Seminar with Cardano Community.

Acceptance Criteria

• The final report covers all data and analysis for all intended projects.
• Video is clear, professionally produced, and effectively communicates the key insights.
• A seminar is conducted with the Cardano Community.

Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Delivery of the final report, including all analysis and recommendations.
• The video is shared with the community and stakeholders, with evidence of engagement (e.g., views, feedback).
• The transcript or recording of the seminar is shared.

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

Eduard Peris Deprez - Team leader

Jofredo Jimenez - Research Lead

Edward Leo - Researcher

Berta Carol- Research Assistant

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

Research and Data Collection (25,000 ADA)

• Purpose: Gather, clean, and categorize data from Catalyst projects.
• Details:
• Data gathering tools and subscriptions: 5,000 ADA
• Research team salaries and compensation: 15,000 ADA
• Administrative costs and coordination: 5,000 ADA

Survival Analysis and Preliminary Results (20,000 ADA)

• Purpose: Conduct survival analysis and analyze data for preliminary insights.
• Details:
• Data analysts/statisticians: 10,000 ADA
• Software tools for analysis: 5,000 ADA
• Internal review and validation: 5,000 ADA

Final Report and Recommendations (30,000 ADA)

• Purpose: Complete the final analysis, write the report, and deliver findings.
• Details:
• Report writing and editorial team: 10,000 ADA
• Peer review and expert consultations: 10,000 ADA
• Final report design, formatting, and production: 5,000 ADA
• Legal, compliance, and approvals: 5,000 ADA

Video Production and Dissemination (15,000 ADA)

• Purpose: Produce and distribute the project video summarizing findings.
• Details:
• Professional video production team: 10,000 ADA
• Post-production, editing, and sound: 3,000 ADA
• Marketing and distribution: 2,000 ADA

Community Engagement and Feedback (10,000 ADA)

• Purpose: Engage with the Cardano community and key stakeholders for feedback and alignment.
• Details:
• Hosting community engagement events/workshops: 8,000 ADA
• Miscellaneous communication costs: 2,000 ADA

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

This research is cost-effective because we've already analyzed preliminary data from a prior project funded by the Cardano Foundation. This groundwork reduces the time and resources needed for new data collection. By leveraging this existing analysis, we can focus on identifying the specific success factors that influence post-grant survivability, leading to better-informed funding decisions and higher project success rates. This ensures more efficient use of Catalyst funds and maximizes their impact, delivering meaningful insights at a reduced overall cost.