[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

AskAda: Unified Intelligence Layer for Cardano Docs

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

55000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

7

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

No

Original Language

en

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

Resources are scattered across dozens of sites (IOG docs, community tutorials, GitHub repos, blogs), forcing developers to manually piece together incomplete information from multiple sources.

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://youtu.be/ZkeCgbZUwrI

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

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

No

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

No dependencies

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

Yes

Please provide details on the intellectual property (IP) status of your project outputs, including whether they will be released as open source or retained under another licence.

MIT License

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal

AI

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Describe what makes your idea innovative compared to what has been previously launched in the market (whether by you or others).

AskAda is the first AI-powered unified documentation platform for Cardano that synthesizes fragmented knowledge from multiple sources (IOG docs, community tutorials, GitHub repos, Stack Overflow) into comprehensive, conversational guides. Unlike traditional documentation aggregators, we use advanced LLMs to intelligently combine and contextualize information, providing developers with coherent answers rather than just search results. This AI synthesis approach is unprecedented in blockchain documentation.

Describe what your prototype or MVP will demonstrate, and where it can be accessed.

Our MVP will demonstrate:

• A working documentation aggregator pulling content from 5+ major Cardano sources (IOG docs, CIPs, community tutorials)

• AI-powered content synthesis that combines fragmented information into coherent guides

• Interactive chat interface where developers can ask questions and get contextual answers

• Search functionality with semantic understanding of Cardano concepts

• Live demo available showing core features for Plutus documentation

The MVP will prove that AI can effectively synthesize scattered Cardano knowledge into a single, accessible platform.

Describe realistic measures of success, ideally with on-chain metrics.

Success Metrics:

User Adoption:

• 200+ monthly active users within 6 months
• 2,000+ documentation page views per month
• 50+ daily search queries

Quality Metrics:

• 85%+ user satisfaction score (survey-based)
• Average session duration of 8+ minutes
• 70%+ of queries answered without external search

Developer Impact:

• 50%+ reduction in time spent searching for Cardano documentation (user survey)
• Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 40+

On-chain Potential:

• Track unique wallet addresses connecting for personalized features
• Smart contract for community contributions/rewards (future milestone)

Platform Performance:

• 95%+ uptime

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

We're building the first AI-powered unified documentation platform for Cardano that transforms how developers access and learn from scattered knowledge across the ecosystem.

The Core Problem We're Solving

Cardano developers currently face a massive information fragmentation problem:

• IOG official docs contain technical specifications but lack practical examples

• Community tutorials provide real-world insights but may be outdated or inconsistent

• Stack Overflow answers solve specific issues but lack broader context

• GitHub repositories have working code but minimal explanation

• Developer blogs share experiences but aren’t systematically organized

• Discord/Telegram discussions contain valuable knowledge that disappears

This forces developers to spend 60–70% of their learning time hunting and cross-referencing instead of actually building.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

Developer Efficiency

• Reduce learning time from days to hours for new Cardano concepts
• Eliminate frustration from hunting through scattered documentation
• Accelerate onboarding for developers new to the Cardano ecosystem

Ecosystem Growth Catalyst

• Lower barrier to entry = more developers building on Cardano
• Better informed developers = higher-quality dApps and projects
• Faster development cycles = more innovation and experimentation

Knowledge Amplification

• Community wisdom gets preserved and systematically organized
• Best practices become easily discoverable across all skill levels
• Real-world experience combines with official documentation

Quantified Impact

• If 1,000 developers save 10 hours each: 10,000 hours = $500,000+ in developer time value
• Platform scalability: Following the DevDocs model, potential for 10,000+ active users within 2 years
• Ecosystem acceleration: Faster developer onboarding directly correlates with increased dApp development

Measuring Success

• Usage metrics: Daily active users, session duration, knowledge discovery patterns
• Quality metrics: AI synthesis accuracy, user satisfaction scores, content freshness
• Growth metrics: New developer onboarding rates, time-to-first-deployment for new devs
• Community metrics: Contribution submissions, knowledge sharing engagement

Long-term Vision

Become the definitive learning resource for Cardano development, similar to how DevDocs.io serves the general web development community

Post-funding, we plan to introduce a 'Power User' tier for heavy API usage or seek specific ecosystem infrastructure grants to keep the core service free for the general community, ensuring the platform remains live.

[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & 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 Technical Foundation

• DevDocs.io model has served 400k+ developers for years, proving documentation aggregation works
• Modern LLMs excel at knowledge synthesis — our core technical innovation
• Hybrid documentation + chat interface combines proven UI patterns

Team Capabilities

• 4–5 years blockchain development experience with Cardano-specific expertise
• 3–4 years AI/ML and semantic search experience for synthesis pipeline
• Full-stack development capabilities with modern frameworks (React, Node.js, Python)
• Previous successful project deliveries and community engagement

Risk Mitigation Strategy

• Technical Risk: Start with basic aggregation, incrementally add AI synthesis
• Content Risk: Begin with official IOG sources, expand to vetted community content
• Adoption Risk: Leverage existing frustration with scattered docs + previous community validation
• Quality Risk: Implement feedback loops and community review systems

To prevent hallucinations, we use a strict RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) pipeline. The AI is restricted to answering only based on the retrieved context, and every answer will include direct citations/links to the source documentation for verification.

Development Approach

• Agile methodology with 2-week sprints for rapid iteration
• Open source development enabling community oversight and contributions
• Beta testing with select Cardano developers for early validation
• Continuous integration and deployment for reliable delivery

Technical Validation

• Content scraping: Standard web scraping techniques with established libraries
• AI synthesis: Leveraging proven LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic) rather than building from scratch
• Search infrastructure: Modern search solutions (Elasticsearch, Algolia) with semantic layer
• Hosting and scaling: Cloud-native architecture designed for growth

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Foundation & Content Pipeline

Milestone Outputs

• Multi-source content scraping system for IOG docs, community tutorials, and GitHub repositories

• Content processing and storage infrastructure with version control

• Basic AI synthesis pipeline for core Cardano topics

• Foundational website architecture and hosting setup

Acceptance Criteria

• Successfully scrape and process content from 5+ major Cardano documentation sources

• Establish reliable content update detection and re-processing workflows

• Generate 15+ basic synthesized topic pages with proper source attribution

• Deploy scalable infrastructure capable of handling growth

Evidence of Completion

• GitHub repository with documented scraping and processing code

• Demonstration of content ingestion from multiple sources

• Infrastructure documentation and deployment guides

• Initial synthesized content examples with quality metrics

Delivery Month

2

Cost

13750

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

AI Synthesis & Documentation Platform

Milestone Outputs

• Advanced AI synthesis engine generating comprehensive unified content

• Clean documentation website with 50+ synthesized topic pages

• Basic search and navigation functionality

• Content management system with editorial workflows

Acceptance Criteria

• Generate 50+ comprehensive topic pages covering major Cardano development areas

• Demonstrate synthesis quality with measurable improvement over source fragmentation

• Achieve sub-2-second page load times and responsive design

• Implement content versioning and update tracking

Evidence of Completion

• Demo of synthesized content showing integration of multiple sources

• User testing results from 30+ community developers

• Performance metrics and site analytics dashboard

• Content quality assessment and community feedback analysis

Delivery Month

2

Cost

13750

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

Interactive AI Chat & Advanced Features

Milestone Outputs

• Interactive AI chat interface with context awareness and conversation memory

• Seamless switching between documentation and chat modes

• Advanced search with semantic understanding and code-specific queries

• Mobile optimization and progressive web app capabilities

Acceptance Criteria

• Demonstrate effective AI responses to common Cardano development questions

• Context awareness proven through topic-related conversation continuity

• Search performance under 500ms for semantic queries

• Mobile experience with 95%+ compatibility across devices

Evidence of Completion

• Video demonstration of AI chat handling complex developer scenarios

• A/B testing results comparing chat vs traditional documentation lookup

• Performance benchmarks for search and AI response times

• Mobile testing report across iOS/Android devices and browsers

Delivery Month

2

Cost

16500

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

Public Launch & Community Engagement

Milestone Outputs

• Public platform launch with full feature set and marketing

• Community contribution system for content suggestions and reviews

• Usage analytics and monitoring dashboard with user insights

• Complete project documentation and knowledge transfer materials

Acceptance Criteria

• Platform is successfully deployed and launched

• Analytics showing user engagement and retention metrics

• Complete technical documentation for future maintainers and contributors

• Tutorials for community adoption

Evidence of Completion

• Comprehensive project completion report with impact analysis

• Complete technical documentation for future maintainers

• Professional video demonstration series showcasing features

• User guides and tutorials for community adoption

Delivery Month

1

Cost

11000

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Total Project Budget: 55,000 ADA

Project Duration: 7 months

1. Development Costs: 41,250 ADA (75%)

Team Compensation:

Lead Developer - Dawit Mekonnen

• Rate: 2,567 ADA/month × 7 months = 17,967 ADA
• Responsibilities: Full-stack development, platform architecture, project management, content aggregation systems, user experience design

Senior Backend Developer - Menilik Eshetu

• Rate: 1,833 ADA/month × 7 months = 12,833 ADA
• Responsibilities: Backend infrastructure, content processing pipeline, database optimization, API development, search implementation

Backend Developer & ML Engineer - Tesnim Abdi

• Rate: 1,100 ADA/month × 7 months = 7,700 ADA
• Responsibilities: AI integration, content synthesis systems, machine learning pipeline, data processing, LLM API integration

ML Engineer - Bezawit Abebeaw (Part-time)

• Rate: 367 ADA/month × 7 months = 2,567 ADA
• Responsibilities: AI model optimization, content quality validation, semantic search implementation, ML research support

Technical Development & Integration

• AI API Integration & Testing: 250 ADA

2. Infrastructure & AI Services: 8,250 ADA (15%)

AI-Powered Documentation Infrastructure:

• AI API Costs (OpenAI/Anthropic): 3,300 ADAContent synthesis, semantic search, conversational AIEstimated 50,000+ API calls for development and operation
• Cloud Hosting (AWS/Vercel): 2,567 ADA7 months development hosting + production deploymentContent storage, processing servers, and CDN
• Search Infrastructure (Elasticsearch/Algolia): 1,467 ADASemantic search capabilities, indexing, and query processing
• Development Tools & CI/CD: 733 ADADevelopment pipeline, testing infrastructure, deployment automation
• Domain, SSL & Monitoring: 183 ADAProfessional domain, SSL certificates, uptime monitoring

3. Content & Quality Assurance: 3,667 ADA (7%)

Documentation Platform Content:

• Content Curation & Validation: 1,833 ADAContent source validation, quality assessment, accuracy verification
• Beta Testing & Community Feedback: 1,100 ADADeveloper testing incentives, feedback collection, user research
• Documentation & User Guides: 733 ADAPlatform documentation, API guides, user tutorials

4. Community & Launch: 1,833 ADA (3%)

Community Engagement:

• Launch Events & Workshops: 1,100 ADACommunity demonstrations, developer workshops, platform promotion
• Marketing Materials: 733 ADADemo videos, documentation, community engagement content

Milestone Budget Distribution

| Milestone | Duration | Amount (ADA) | Focus Area |

|-----------|----------|--------------|------------|

| Milestone 1 | 2 months | 13,750 (25%) | Foundation & content pipeline |

| Milestone 2 | 2 months | 13,750 (25%) | AI synthesis & documentation platform |

| Milestone 3 | 2 months | 16,500 (30%) | Interactive AI chat & advanced features |

| Milestone 4 | 1 month | 11,000 (20%) | Public launch & community engagement |

Budget Justification

Cost Efficiency Analysis:

• Total monthly cost: 7,857 ADA
• Developer cost per month: ~5,867 ADA for four team members
• Reasonable rates for AI/ML and documentation platform development
• Includes substantial AI API costs for content synthesis and processing

AI-Specific Investment:

• AI API allocation: 4,500 ADA reflects heavy AI usage for content synthesis
• ML engineering expertise: Dedicated resources for AI optimization and quality
• Search infrastructure: Professional semantic search capabilities

Resource Allocation Rationale:

• 75% on development ensures high-quality AI documentation platform
• 15% on infrastructure supports AI processing and content delivery
• 7% on content quality critical for documentation platform success
• 3% on community ensures adoption and user engagement

Risk Mitigation:

• Conservative AI API estimates with sufficient buffer for experimentation
• Milestone-based payments ensure accountability and progress verification
• Distributed expertise across documentation, AI, and platform development
• Open source approach enables community contributions and sustainability

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?

Exceptional Return on Investment

Developer Time Value Creation

• Conservative estimate: 1,000 developers save 10 hours each = 10,000 hours
• At $50/hour developer rate: $500,000+ in time value created
• ROI: $500,000 value for $55,000 investment = 667% return

Ecosystem Acceleration Benefits

• Faster developer onboarding → more dApps built on Cardano
• Reduced development friction → higher quality projects
• Knowledge preservation → compound learning benefits for entire ecosystem

Competitive Positioning

• DevDocs.io serves 400k+ developers with similar budget
• AI synthesis adds unprecedented value beyond aggregation
• First-mover advantage in AI-powered blockchain documentation

Cost Efficiency Analysis

• Cost per developer served: ~$75 (assuming 1,000 active users in year 1)
• Infrastructure scales efficiently with user growth
• Open source model ensures sustainable long-term value

Risk-Adjusted Value

• Proven model (DevDocs) significantly reduces execution risk
• Incremental development minimizes delivery risk
• AI enhancements provide high differentiation with minimal added risk

Sustainability & Long-Term Value

• Open source ensures community ownership beyond funding
• Modular architecture enables future enhancements
• Established user base supports potential premium features
• Knowledge synthesis becomes more valuable as content grows

Strategic Ecosystem Impact

• Positions Cardano as a leader in developer experience
• Attracts developers from other chains with superior tooling
• Creates reusable patterns for ecosystem documentation
• Establishes a foundation for advanced AI developer tools

Measurable Success Metrics

• 100+ monthly active users by end of year 1
• 2+ hours saved per developer per week
• 90%+ user satisfaction with synthesized content
• Measurable growth in new developer onboarding

[Self-Assessment] Self-Assessment Checklist

I confirm that evidence of prior research, whitepaper, design, or proof-of-concept is provided.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal includes ecosystem research and uses the findings to either (a) justify its uniqueness over existing solutions or (b) demonstrate the value of its novel approach.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal demonstrates technical capability via verifiable in-house talent or a confirmed development partner (GitHub, LinkedIn, portfolio, etc.)

Yes

I confirm that the proposer and all team members are in good standing with prior Catalyst projects.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal clearly defines the problem and the value of the on-chain utility.

Yes

I confirm that the primary goal of the proposal is a working prototype deployed on at least a Cardano testnet.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal outlines a credible and clear technical plan and architecture.

Yes

I confirm that the budget and timeline (≤ 12 months) are realistic for the proposed work.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal includes a community engagement and feedback plan to amplify prototype adoption with the Cardano ecosystem.

Yes

I confirm that the budget is for future development only; excludes retroactive funding, incentives, giveaways, re-granting, or sub-treasuries.

Yes

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

I Agree

Yes