ACADEMY Lifelong Learning Suite

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SUMMARY FOR COMMUNITY ADVISORS:

The ACADEMY Idea: How much of what you learned at school or university do you still remember? How many books have you read and forgotten everything about content, key-messages and interesting quotes? ACADEMY is aiming to become your personal lifelong learning partner, assisting you in the initial learning-process, managing your provable merits, partnering with established players AND helping you to keep the treasure-box with all your skills and knowledge easily accessible and alive. For a quick overview, please find our functional overview graphic on our WEB-landing-page: 

https://www.academy-suite.com/

1. Impact / Return of Intention: ACADEMY was initially drafted as conventional application-suite. Being aware that digital ID (DID), tokenomics and data privacy are key foundations for building something really new for attracting a large number of private and institutional participants, the proposers have submitted this proposal to Fund 6 and the Atala Prism Challenge Setting. By showing that this foundation works, new users and substantial attention/value can be brought to Cardano (find more details below).
2. Feasibility and likelihood to succeed: The proposing team combines diversity, a strong background in learning-methods and innovation with senior industry-leadership experience. Our distributed locations in Brussels, São Paolo and Malta help us also with access to key-resources and to important educational institutions and public authorities (find more details below).
3. Auditability: In spite of the grand vision, the deliverables for Fund 6 are carefully set according to the motto: dream big - start small. Besides creating a usable MVP for first basic functionalities, we want to proof that the Cardano technology-stack is providing us with a rock-solid foundation for realizing DID and future-proof tokenomics. We have defined tangible milestones along this Fund 6 journey. For transparency reasons we are establishing, maintaining and visualizing our Business Model Canvas, Activity Backlog and Kanban-Boards in MIRO. The successful deliveries according to our Fund 6 goals are crucial to qualify for next rounds of professional (also outside Catalyst) funding, which we will definitely need for reaching our ambitious long-term goals (find more details below).

THE DETAILS

Our proposal is based on the anticipation that the methods of human learning and role of knowledge will undergo severe changes during the next years and decades. With the emergence of AI and RPA (Robotic Process Automation), a next wave of disruption will free humans from most repetitive tasks. This, on the other hand, will require a radical change of paradigms with respect to continuously acquiring and optimizing our human knowledge. We can see this as a threat or as a huge opportunity for making learning a joyous effort, supported by access to Internet, specific coaching and the availability of a personalized learning & knowledge tools like our ACADEMY Lifelong Learning Suite.

Impact & Return of Intention

This proposal addresses a high-potential application suite outside the typical DEFI space. With digital identity as a key building block, ACADEMY suite aims to build a novel approach to personalized learning and proof of merits. This way, we will introduce the benefits of DLT/Blockchain/DID technologies based on CARDANO to a wide public. Even with starting humble and small, the number of potential users of the ACADEMY Suite in its early stages reaches from university students to language learners and more, and presents a solid foundation to build on for a much more far-reaching project.

Our Vision - Dream big

ACADEMY is aiming to become a key player in the rapidly growing field of education technology, and add innovative solutions to pressing challenges facing society, integrating emerging technologies like blockchain and DID for real impact. Take a first glance at our ambitions and vision: 

https://www.academy-suite.com/

(see also ACADEMY overview graphics under ATTACHMENT Folder below)

What Distinguishes our Proposal

Academy has the objective of being a learning partner for capturing, retrieving, and refreshing personal knowledge. After building this important foundation, guided learning and gamified learning will come as advanced functionality later on our development journey. Academy is ready to hit the ground running. After completing the conception and design phase for Mindcards, we are ready to provide actual functionality within months.

What Is MINDCARDS?
Mindmaps + Flashcards = Mindcards.

While the equation is simple, the potential impact is asymmetrically powerful. Whatever you want to learn or memorize, Mindcards provides you with a space to structure your knowledge in a way that is conducive to the formation of your neural network.

This Proposal - Start Small

Despite having an ambitious vision, we need to start small and step by step. This proposal focuses on the very basics of the ACADEMY Lifelong Learning Suite. Within Fund 6 we want to achieve the following:

1. MVP with MINDCARDS, allowing real usage, adding value to first users/subscribers
2. Defining the very foundational elements of the technical architecture
3. Leveraging ATALA Prism for creating a digital identity based foundation (users, certificates, merits, etc.)
4. Further, advancing the overall business model with monetizing / tokenomics strategies
5. Roadmap as well as mid- and long term scaling and financing concept
6. Completing the team with adding strong expertise, especially in the DLT/CARDANO/DID environment and partnerships with selected universities and education experts

Business Model Canvas

Within this proposal, we are listing some key-facts of our business model based on a business model canvas approach. This represents a snapshot of our phase 1 approach, and will further evolve as the project progresses.

Target Customers (for this Basic approach in Fund 6)

• Language learners and rehearses
• Students and lifelong learners of all kind
• Lovers of Mindmaps and Flashcards (MINDCARDS)

Value proposition

• Simple way of capturing important information – well-structured, easy to retrieve
• Excellent method for making the first steps in foreign languages
• Clear message: You and your data are NOT the product. Privacy is key.
• Digital identity based proof of merits.

Revenue Streams

• Free entry mode
• Early supporter subscription
• Personal Subscription
• Group subscription 

Channels

During our startup phase, we will utilize specific communities, universities and multiplication over personal networks for conveying our message and for signing up first customers. During MVP stage, ACADEMY Suite will be made accessible over attractively designed IOS and Android APP frontends. 

Customer Relationships

Our first customers will mainly be early adopters and people supporting our overall vision. Learning from CARDANO CATALYST, we will build a strong link with this group of early enthusiasts. This allows us to gain important insights and feedback for our further development journey. For the general users, we will establish a YouTube communication channel and In-App feedback loops. Our plan is to implement digital identity based proof of merits and loyality-schemes right from the beginning.

Key Activities

During the Fund 6 phase, we plan for the following key activities:

• Very careful completion of our team (adding outstanding DLT/Blockchain/Tokenomics/DID expertise)
• Detailed design of our short-, mid- and longterm business model based on DID and tokenomics
• Designing the foundational technical architecture 
• Establishing the basic operational infrastructure (GitHub, starting DevSecOps process etc.)
• Fine tuning of UX/UI approach
• Development of our MVP
• Setting up guerilla marketing channels and activities
• Setting up basic customer interaction and service infrastructure

Key Resources & Key Partners

Our young and diverse team has a strong background in learning-methods and innovation, complemented by senior leadership experience in industry.

• Jonas Weinberger (Brussels - Strategy) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonas-weinberger-0b14801ba/
• Guilherme Pereira (São Paulo - Talent Hub) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/guilherme-pereira-da-silva-977a361a3/
• Heinz Gassner (Malta - Technology and Business Development Advisor) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/heinz-gassner-9540a241/

• UX/design & frontend development partners (Cryberry Studio, São Paulo)
• Searching for complementary expertise in DLT/Blockchain/DID architecture and development

Cost Structure

• Design of foundational architecture (DID/blockchain/tokenomics) 10 000 USD
• UX/UI fine tuning and development of MINDCARDS MVP (based on already existing prototype): 20 000 USD
• Activities related to further advancing business model and organization structure: 7 500 USD
• User aquisition expenses for Mindcards MVP: 7 500 USD

Definition of Success

3 Months:

• Complete team with required expert resources in place
• Foundational architecture blueprint in place
• UX/UI fine tuning completed
• Whitepaper laying out detailed strategic and technology concept, roadmap and milestones
• Detailed Business Model Canvas established for Phase 1 and beyond (in MIRO)

6 Months:

• Required operational infrastructure for working as globally distributed teams established
• Foundational-developments completed
• Basic integration of DID/tokenomics done 
• Completed development of Mindcards MVP

Public launch date of ACADEMY MVP based in MINDCARDS: May 2022

12 Months:

• Achieved 5000+ downloads for Mindcards MVP
• 2-3 partnerships with important multipliers in place (e.g. universities, learning content providers, relevant EU institutions)

Check out further background material: 

https://youtu.be/_Bsyd0XjJhg

To learn more, visit: https://www.academy-suite.com

Further material: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U