Research on Mentorship Tokenization

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

Seedstars is proposing a research project into the potential feasibility of tokenizing a mentorship community and turning our current centralized mentorship hub into a DAO.

Our unique reasons for approaching it in this way

• The Seedstars' mentorship hub is an active community with individuals focused on innovation, making a receptive audience for research and testing
• We believe that a DAO will allow startups and mentors to interact on our platform without our interference of confirming that sessions took place
• We believe tokenization will create unique opportunities for incentives for mentors to engage with emerging market startups

Our audience is

• Startups in emerging markets and mentors on the Seedstars mentor network

The outputs will be

• Research questions to answer:
• Can tokenization be used in a mentorship community?
• What incentives will a mentor have to partake?
• What incentives will a startup have to partake?
• What can a token be used for?
• How can involved parties earn a token?

The implementation will be

• We will undertake this challenge by taking a selection of mentors and startups in our community and incentivizing them to participate as a test cohort.

The results will be

• If successful, we will look to implement it across our entire mentorship hub and provide a framework for others who want to decentralize similar communities.

[IMPACT] Please describe how your proposed solution will address the Challenge that you have submitted it in.

Through this research project, we will come to a conclusion on whether or not a DAO and tokenization is the right solution to increase mentorship opportunities for startups in emerging markets. If so, our solution can provide a framework for more communities to build DAOs on the Cardano blockchain.

[IMPACT] What are the main risks that could prevent you from delivering the project successfully and please explain how you will mitigate each risk?

Risk: Mentors & Startups will not be interested in interviewing for research purposes

Mitigation: Seedstars will engage with mentors and startups already engaged in blockchain solutions. Additionally, we will set aside funds in our budget to compensate individuals for their time.

Risk: We aren't asking the right questions

Mitigation: Seedstars will work with organizations and individuals who have already successfully created DAOs in their communities to ensure we are covering all of our bases in terms of the data we plan to gather.

Risk: We have no clear conclusions from our research

Mitigation: Seedstars has a history of experimentation and product creation. We will use our internal documented best practices to create parameters for this experiment to have clear data points and outcomes to our research.

[FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed plan, including timeline and key milestones for delivering your proposal.

Milestones & Deliverables

1. Oct-Dec, 2022: Research Phase (Desk Research & Interviews)
2. Mapping of players & identification of key products offering same tokenization value proposition
3. Identification of key challenges that hinder those Tokenization products
4. Understanding the added value for users
5. Understanding User Adoption
6. Understanding the potential product sustainability
7. January 2023: Findings Reporting
8. Synthesize & Analyze Research Findings to Prepare for Implementation
9. Feb-Mar 2023: Testing
10. Create Testing Cohort
11. Conduct Tests

Managing the workload of this and other proposals:

At the proposal stage we will be understanding and highlighting deliverables and team allocation.

During the implementation stage we will be working on each team members’ dedicated tasks and goals. Moreover, we will organize weekly check ups to understand where each team member stands and will brainstorm on the next stages. During our work we will be using automations, no code tools and a functioning platform which will help us to work faster and more efficiently.

[FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown.

Research Phase (Desk Research & Interviews)

• Dedicated researcher
• Survey & Interview Incentive Fees (depending on sample size)
• Incentives for potential interviewees
• Tools for meetings, surveys, and data gathering

Total: USD $20,000

Findings Reporting

• Dedicated Report Analyst
• Report Design

Total: USD $5,000

Testing

• Screen campaign for cohort
• Fees for Tokenization tech implementation
• Create Testing Cohort
• Conduct Tests/Mentorship Fees
• 1-to-1 and mentoring support
• 30 mins per support session
• Mentorship Hub Platform
• Results Reporting
• Dedicated Report Analyst

Total: USD $25,000

Cardano Partnership, Advisory, & Maintenance

• Internal costs for Cardano advisory services and team allocation

Total: USD $15,000

[FEASIBILITY] Please provide details of the people who will work on the project.

Seedstars

• Zeb Hastings, Project Manager for Seedstars, coordinating Seedstars’ projects and capacity-building programs focused on startup development in emerging markets in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East regions. In addition to these projects, Zeb leads the company's data analytics strategy and reporting, focusing on emerging market ecosystem trends, products, sales and marketing, and business operations. Zeb currently manages other approved Cardano proposals from Fund 7.
• Mira Charkawi, Startups Lead at Seedstars leading all the sourcing and screening campaigns of the acceleration programs across MENA, LATAM, Africa, Asia and CEE. Mira is also a Product Manager of internal Seedstars products built to help startups scale in emerging markets. Prior to that, she worked as the Community & Events Manager in the MENA region organizing various pitching and training events, in addition to, interacting with the most active startup ecosystem builders in each country, from corporates to governments, startups, mentors, and investors.
• Zarina Gabdolova, Product Lead for Mentorship Hub at Seedstars. Managing product development, progress, and features from ideation. In addition to this, Zarina leads the mentors’ and alumni startup community focusing on day-to-day communications, community events, and engagement.
• Ratko Ivanovic, IT Specialist and Support Professional. Ratko is Founder at Zeal Agency and Co-Founder at Snipers.sale. Ratko loves to find ways to break down and automate complex activities, and has been involved with Seedstars for 5+ years.

Smart-Chain

• Trishala Suresh, is a graduate of Sciences Po Paris in International Public Management with a focus on Global Health and Global Risks. Prior to that she studied at Yale-NUS Singapore and George Washington University, USA. She gained her first experience in the financial inclusion space at AXA followed by the UN World Food Programme. Her passion for textile traceability, financial inclusion and new technologies led her to SmartChain, where she works on applying blockchain solutions to impact projects. At Cardashift, she is the Lead for Impact Assessment and works with the team on a variety of topics.

Stim

• Yannis Baala, is passionate about exploring highly innovative topics. He joined Stim as an innovation consultant. Prior to that, he worked in strategy consulting with a focus on developing countries and also in the private equity industry. He graduated from HEC Paris, the leading European’s business school, with a Master’s degree in Innovation Management in partnership with Ecole Polytechnique. As part of the Cardashift team, he is in charge of designing the project owner’s journey and the selection process, including the impact assessment part.

[FEASIBILITY] If you are funded, will you return to Catalyst in a later round for further funding? Please explain why / why not.

Yes.

If we are able to prove through our research that there is a viable use case to creating a DAO out of our mentorship hub then we will return for future funding to implement tokenization across the entire platform and create a documentation process on how to do this successfully for others who want to create DAOs on the Cardano blockchain.

[FEASIBILITY] Are you or any member of your team working on any other proposals in this Fund9?

[FEASIBILITY] Are you or your team working on any other proposals from previous Funds?

[AUDITABILITY] Please describe what you will measure to track your project's progress, and how will you measure these?

Progress will be measured against monthly progress and a KPI tracker aligned with our project plan. Progress reports will be shared with the Cardano community through the evidence field in our monthly submissions and through our regular community meetings.

[AUDITABILITY] What does success for this project look like?

Success for this project will mean that we answer all research questions and run a conclusive experiment with the selected cohort for tokenization. Upon completion of the project, we should have a clear understanding of whether a DAO and tokenization can be a viable solution for a mentor network, and whether it can contribute to more startup mentorship opportunities in emerging markets.

[AUDITABILITY] Please provide information on whether this proposal is a continuation of a previously funded project in Catalyst or an entirely new one.

This is an entirely new proposal.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Rating

SDG goals:

4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

• 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship

8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

• 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors
• 8.6: By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training