Please describe your proposed solution.

Our proposed solution is to host informative Twitter Spaces and podcasts focused on Cardano: with news section, guest interviews, new projects analysis, market situation and last but not least - demystifying the technology behind Cardano stake pools. We perceive a lack of accessible resources that explain stake pool technology in a user-friendly manner especially in local language - Polish, hindering widespread understanding and participation in the Cardano ecosystem.

Our approach combines engaging live discussions on Twitter Spaces with recorded podcast episodes (sometimes published as a video material on YouTube). This allows us to reach a diverse audience and cater to different preferences for consuming content. By mixing "regular", Cardano-related show with educational content breaking down complex concepts and providing clear explanations, not only do we aim to make growth of local Cardano excitement but also make stake pool operations more accessible to newcomers and existing community members.

Our project will engage Cardano enthusiasts, investors, projects developers, and potential stake pool operators who seek a deeper knowledge of the Cardano ecosystem. We will feature interviews with experts (so far we recorded shows with people working in i.e. IOHK), start-up projects members, provide current news focusing on Cardano and practical guidance on setting up and managing stake pools.

How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

We believe that the Cardano community will benefit from a more educated and empowered user base, fostering greater participation, and contributing to the long-term success of the Cardano ecosystem. Demystifying Cardano Stake Pools should lead to increased decentralization of the whole Cardano network.

How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

To demonstrate our impact, we will track engagement metrics such as the number of participants in Twitter Spaces and podcasts, social media interactions, and feedback from the community. We believe that by increasing understanding and engagement, we will contribute to the growth and decentralization of the Cardano network.

We would like to track all the successful stories that emerge from our podcasts, i.e. new stake pool operators.

Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

We will use the feedback, insights, and all the data collected to identify areas for improvement, refine our approach, and contribute to the continuous growth of the Cardano ecosystem even more.

By staying actively involved in the Cardano community, collaborating with users, stakers, devs and regular crypto-enthusiasts, leveraging the knowledge gained from our project, we aim to foster a cycle of learning, improvement, and innovation in our future research and development endeavors.

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

We have a strong track record and the necessary capabilities to deliver our project with high levels of trust and accountability.

First of all, Wieczorowa Pora has a history of over 220 episodes (see Spotify for details). We boosted our focus on Cardano ecosystem also thanks to the Catalyst Fund 8, where we were successfully funded to provide even more outstanding shows. Our Fund 8 project was finished and the final report was accepted by the Catalyst Team. That proves that our dedication is real and we are capable of reaching new milestones, with focus on improving not only awareness but also decentralization of Cardano.

We are a single stake pool operators and thanks to this experience and contacts we are able to deliver reasonable and proper content regarding Cardano SPOs.

What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

The main goals for our project are:

• Encourage active participation and discussion among Cardano current and future hodlers through interactive sessions and Q&A segments during podcasts and Twitter Spaces.
• Promote Cardano adoption and utilization. Showcase real-world use cases, projects, and opportunities within the Cardano ecosystem, including DeFi solutions, gaming, NFTs, and other innovative applications.
• Increase awareness and understanding of Cardano Stake Pools

To confirm results we will assess the level of community engagement through the number of live participants, comments, questions, and discussions during and after the sessions.

We will also try to measure the growth of the Cardano community members involved in stake pool activities.

In terms of implementation, our approach involves consistent content creation, marketing campaigns and collaboration with relevant people. We will allocate resources to host weekly podcasts and Twitter Spaces sessions, ensuring high-quality content. The engagement and feedback from the community will guide our continuous improvement and adaptation of topics and formats.

Some goals can be measured quantitatively, such as the number of listens and community growth, other goals like improving user knowledge may require qualitative assessment. At some point we could organize live quizzes to check our listeners understanding of Cardano and the technology behind it.

Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Milestone 1: 1st month

• Host 4 Twitter Spaces
• Organize guests for the episodes, pick appropriate news content
• Include SPO column in a structured and logically organized way
• Record, edit, and publish the sessions on Spotify/YouTube (with timestamps)
• Analyze feedback that appears during and post-spaces.

Milestone 2: 2nd month

• Host 4 Twitter Spaces
• Organize guests for the episodes, pick appropriate news content
• Include SPO column in a structured and logically organized way
• Record, edit, and publish the sessions on Spotify/YouTube (with timestamps)
• Analyze feedback that appears during and post-spaces.

Milestone 3: 3rd month

• Host 4 Twitter Spaces
• Organize guests for the episodes, pick appropriate news content
• Include SPO column in a structured and logically organized way
• Record, edit, and publish the sessions on Spotify/YouTube (with timestamps)
• Analyze feedback that appears during and post-spaces.

Milestone 4: 4th month

• Host 4 Twitter Spaces
• Organize guests for the episodes, pick appropriate news content
• Include SPO column in a structured and logically organized way
• Record, edit, and publish the sessions on Spotify/YouTube (with timestamps)
• Analyze feedback that appears during and post-spaces.

Milestone 5: 5th month

• Host 4 Twitter Spaces
• Organize guests for the episodes, pick appropriate news content
• Include SPO column in a structured and logically organized way
• Record, edit, and publish the sessions on Spotify/YouTube (with timestamps)
• Analyze feedback that appears during and post-spaces.

Milestone 6: 6th month

• Host 4 Twitter Spaces
• Organize guests for the episodes, pick appropriate news content
• Include SPO column in a structured and logically organized way
• Record, edit, and publish the sessions on Spotify/YouTube (with timestamps)
• Analyze feedback that appears during and post-spaces.
• Sum up.

Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Our project involves hosting 4 Twitter Spaces sessions each month, featuring different guests.

To ensure accessibility and convenience, we will publish these sessions on both Spotify and YouTube, allowing viewers to catch up and navigate through the content via their preferred medium.

Additionally, we will closely monitor the metrics of these spaces and community feedback on social media to gather valuable data for review. By analyzing the performance of each session, we will gain insights that will guide us in making necessary adjustments and improvements for future episodes.

Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Estimated episode budget:

• social media announcements, brainstorming topics > 1h
• picking the most important news from the week > 2h
• organizing guests, planning interviews > ~3h
• live session (~60 minutes) > 1h
• editing and publishing > 1h
• feedback tracking and processing, debriefing > 1h

= 9 hours; at a rate ~30 USD/hour = 270 USD -> ~900 ADA.

+100 ADA - marketing funds (incl. Twitter promotion via collaborations, ads, quizzes, images creation etc.)

1000 ADA x 4 weeks x 6 months = 24000 ADA

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

Nikodem Zegzda - main host; already successful podcaster, YouTuber, owner of Wieczorową Porą brand, entrepreneur, founder of Lideruj.pl, company focused on organizing online and offline trainings and workshops - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikodemzegzda/; Cardano Ambassador

Kornel Gajewski - co-host; Cardano Stake Pool operator running CCPL stake pool; 5 years of experience as blockchain translator, writer and editor in top Polish crypto media outlet BeInCrypto (focused mainly on "Learn" educational series)(https://pl.beincrypto.com/author/kornel/), Cardano Ambassador since 2018 (https://forum.cardano.org/u/cornl) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kornel-gajewski-93508b165/

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

The cost of the project represents value for money for the Cardano ecosystem in several ways. Firstly, the proposed costs are justified based on the scope and deliverables of the proposal. In our opinion they align with industry standards and the level of effort required.

Additionally, the costs have been compared to market rates and average wages in the relevant industry to ensure they are reasonable and proportional. The wages were corrected by our dedication and true passion for Cardano. We are sure that the proposal's budget is realistic and fair.

Furthermore, the project's value for money is evident in its potential impact and outcomes. By creating engaging Twitter Spaces and producing high-quality content on Cardano as a whole and Stake Pools, the proposal aims to educate, inform, and expand the Cardano community. The benefits and value derived from these activities will contribute to the growth and adoption of Cardano, both as a Community and as a Network.