Please describe your proposed solution.
<u>Problem definition</u>
Cryptocurrency in general, and so Cardano, is at the beginning of its expenditure, but it lacks attractivity from people that are not familiar with new technologies. New tools and platforms need to be created to bring these people into the cryptocurrency wave, especially into the Cardano ecosystem.
On the other hand, music is universal and one of the oldest ways of communication and expression that ever existed. As with every artistic expression, everyone has his/her own style and skillset. Yet, not everyone has access to musical instruments, classes, rooms where to practice and scholarships. The actual tools to connect with one another to learn, exchange, practice and develop their skills are very limited. Also, musical instruments can represent a big expense. Currently, people mainly connect with each other by word of mouth, but it has its limitations.
Our platform will be the meeting point of these 2 entities and consequently, will drastically expand the Cardano community.
The global musical instruments market size was valued at almost $10 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $11.5 billion by 2030. The problem is that not everyone can afford music instruments. On the other hand, the global Peer-to-Peer market was valued at approximately 68 billion in 2019 and is increasing every year.
<u>Our solution</u>
The first part of our platform detailed here will bring people from outside of the cryptocurrency bubble into this new technology, allowing them to connect and develop their music skills and network. Therefore, our project focuses on key features:
-Giving access to music instruments to all: Buying a new instrument can be expensive, especially when we are not sure whether we would really enjoy it. With our platform, users will be able to find people at proximity owning instruments/materials they would be willing to rent or sell.
-Easily finding music teachers at proximity: People will be able to propose music classes.
-Finding crew: People will be able to find specific musicians (guitarists, saxophonists, singers, pianists…) at proximity and connect with them to build a band or just expand the group they already have. To have an idea on the musical capacities of others before connecting, people will be able to upload a few short videos on their own profile.
-Finding a place where to practice or give concerts: When living in an apartment for example, practicing music can be challenging. Moreover, finding a place where to give a concert often requires a lot of time going to bars or restaurants asking owners for this opportunity. That is why on the Rythmeet platform, people will be able to propose a place for musicians to practice or give a concert.
-Funding music scholarships for kids: Our vision through this platform is to help musicians to have access to everything they need to develop their hobby. That's why we will create a fundraising feature and the money will be used to pay scholarships for kids/students who cannot afford registration fees for music schools.
Since our goal is to bring people who are not aware or comfortable with cryptocurrencies, we will allow people to pay using their own money or Cardano to make people discover this cryptocurrency and become more familiar with it. We do not want to frighten them with crypto and that's why our strategy is to familiarize them slowly with this part of the platform. Simple tutorials will be created to explain how to buy Cardano for those who do not already have. To encourage people to use Cardano, fees will be lower for transactions using Cardano. Music is present in every single country on the planet, heard in most houses and cars, therefore linking the Rythmeet platform to the Cardano ecosystem will drastically expand the network and number of transactions of this cryptocurrency.
<u>Execution steps:</u>
Stage 1: Project Definition
The first stage will be to formally define every option/feature of the platform.
Stage 2: Planning
We will create:
A sitemap: This bird's eye view of our site is a map that determines the list of pages, their placement and relationship on the website.
A wireframe: This is the layout of each individual page of the site. It outlines and maps out the elements on the website and how the website will function.
Stage 3: Design of the entire website
Stage 4: Content Creation including:
Landing pages, Product/service description, Testimonials, Case studies, Blog posts, Videos, Images
Stage 5: Development
This stage includes coding and our developer’s job is to make the site function properly. Our developer will create the homepage followed by the other landing pages, based on the website hierarchy. The process also includes combining all the previously designed elements and building an actual website. The front-end development of the website will be a nominal task. The back-end development will consume more time and will be built carefully and methodically.
Also, the code of the platform will be available under an open-source license.
Stage 6: Alfa and Beta Testing
Testing is one of the most significant phases. During the <u>Alfa testing</u>, our developers will check the functionality of all the elements on our website. The aim is to detect any issues, such as broken links and compatibility with different devices to ensure everything works properly. They will use validators to check the code making sure it follows the current standards, test the site’s speed as well as test for mobile responsiveness. Once they finish the manual and automated testing, we will share this platform with 2 music schools that have already agreed for a <u>Beta testing</u> for 4 to 6 weeks. We will then launch the final version of our platform.
Stage 7: Maintenance
This is the last and the never-ending phase of the website development. As our project grows, we will need to increase the number of pages and add more functionalities and features and keeping our site up to date both UX and SEO-wise.
How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?
Our proposed solution directly addresses the challenge by leveraging our team's expertise in blockchain technology and software development to contribute to the enhancement of the Cardano ecosystem.
Our team will build the Rythmeet platform which will be user friendly and will serve as a platform to connect to other Cardano projects and bring new people with interest in music, unfamiliar with cryptocurrencies into the Cardano ecosystem, strengthening it.
This project also aims to attract students, music artists and businesses into the Cardano ecosystem.
How do you intend to measure the success of your project?
The success of our project will be measured through different criteria:
We will track the successful completion of every step detailed in this proposal within its timeline.
We will improve and develop the platform regarding user’s feedback, especially during the Beta testing phase. This feedback collection will be made through our website, social media, forums and media channels.
Bringing new people into the Cardano ecosystem, and after completion, we seek to bridge our platform with other Cardano projects.
In term of timeline, the success will look like:
Success after 5 months of receiving funding: The website is launched and the first users begin to register.
Success after 10 months: All technical problems have been solved and the website works smoothly. We reach 5,000 users and 15% of them use Cardano currency. People begin to give to fundraising for scholarships. We will develop the marketing using the network of youtubers and musicians we already have.
We will also begin to bridge our platform with other Cardano projects.
Success after 15 months: We reach 20,000 users and at least 10 music schools are using our platform. 50% of users are using Cardano currency. We could then begin to host advertisements on our platform and become financially self- sufficient. With money increasing, we will focus more and more on marketing, contacting other influencers, music festivals and advertising on platforms like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for example. We already know people from Shinetech working in marketing and ready to work on this project. After 15 months, we should be able to pay for the first scholarships.
Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?
At the end of every step detailed in the timeline and even after the platform launch, we will update the community on the progress of our platform Rythmeet through:
Website: Rythmeet.com
Twitter: @rythmeet
Github: <https://github.com/alanhegron/Rythmeet>
Telegram: @AlanHegron
Instagram: @Rythmeet
The website is empty and social media accounts have no activity yet. Everything will change after receiving the funds and beginning the development phase.
Once the platform is launched, we will continuously inform our members on every news involving Rythmeet through publications on social media.
We will share the impact and opportunities of our platform with new partners, like artists, music festivals, music schools.
We plan to participate in music events like concerts and festivals to showcase our platform and the potential of Cardano.
We also plan to participate in Town Halls to inform the catalyst community on the progression of the platform and to have feedback from it.