[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

We propose creating an unofficial Cardano community themed apparel ecommerce store that only uses sustainable and recycled materials. It will sell Cardano and ADA themed apparel, alongside apparel that will display Native Asset Tokens so as to promote projects that are built on Cardano. All apparel will be designed with QR codes, so that information about the sustainable nature of the manufacturing and also the Native Asset Token project depicted can easily be viewed. The store front end and back end data will be made public, license free and opensource on github so that anyone can then clone the website and launch their own version (selling whatever products they see fit). This will allow other community members can benefit from the work produced here as well.

Initially Tangent apparel will be sold, before slowly integrating other popular projects on Cardano for representation (subject to their permission and respect for IP). The website will also integrate with ADAPay in order for purchases of the products to be transacted in ADA. With Cardano’s low transaction fees and efficient transaction speeds, the website is sure to show off the qualities that makes Cardano one of the most superior blockchains to-date.

An important principle within the Cardano ecosystem is environmental sustainability. The use of the Proof of Stake (POS) structure, alongside initiatives to plant 1 million trees, are all examples of the dedication the Cardano ecosystem has to protecting the environment. In accordance with this ethos, products sold on the website will be sourced from suppliers who use fabrics made of recycled materials. Additionally, the background of suppliers will be researched to ensure that all products are produced under fair labor principles.

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

Our proposed solution addresses the challenge of the lack of an online ecommerce store that promotes Native Asset Tokens while focusing on sustainability and charity. By creating an open-source and eco-friendly Cardano store, we aim to provide a platform that not only offers merchandise depicting Native Asset Token projects but also promotes environmental responsibility and ethical production practices.

The benefits of this solution to the Cardano ecosystem are significant. Firstly, it fosters community engagement by providing Cardano supporters with a platform to proudly showcase their affiliation with their favorite Native Asset Token projects. By rocking their swag adorned with Native Assets outside in the public, this increases visibility and awareness of these projects within the cryptocurrency community and beyond, attracting more people to join and participate.

Secondly, the emphasis on sustainability aligns with the core values of the Cardano. By sourcing merchandise from sustainable materials and supporting fair labor principles, we promote environmentally friendly practices and ethical production. This sends a strong message about Cardano’s commitment to responsible and sustainable blockchain technology.

Furthermore, the open-source nature of the store allows other community members to replicate and customize the platform, amplifying the project’s impact and extending its benefits to a wider audience. This not only encourages innovation and collaboration within the community but also strengthens the ecosystem as a whole.

While it is difficult to quantify the exact impact in terms of users or transactions within a specific timeframe, we anticipate that the project will attract a significant number of users who are passionate about Cardano and Native Asset Tokens. We expect the store to become a hub for community members to purchase merchandise and engage in discussions about their favorite projects, further solidifying their commitment to the Cardano ecosystem.

In summary, our project will bring value to the Cardano ecosystem by promoting community engagement, increasing visibility of Native Asset Token projects being built on Cardano and demonstrating Cardano’s commitment to sustainability. It will attract users, foster a sense of identity and unity and contribute to the ecosystem’s growth and positive reputation.

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

To measure the success of our project and assess its benefits for the Cardano ecosystem, we will utilize a combination of quantitative and qualitative metrics. These include:

1. Product Range: The number of Native Asset Token Projects who join the store to have apparel and merchandize customized with their logos and names, etc will be a big indicator of the success of the project and its popularity in the community. Any profit generated from the sale of these items can go back into the communities that licensed their images / IP. If the images/IP are royalty free (as often is the case) then that profit will go back into the store itself.
2. User Adoption: We will track the number of users who engage with the ecommerce store, make purchases and actively participate in the Cardano-themed merchandise community. Increasing user adoption will indicate the project’s ability to attract and retain users, leading to a stronger and more engaged Cardano ecosystem.
3. Transaction Volume: Monitoring the volume of transactions conducted through the ecommerce store will provide insights into the level of economic activity generated. Higher transaction volumes will demonstrate the platform’s ability to facilitate commerce and boost Cardano’s productivity in the short and long term.
4. Community Engagement: We will assess the level of community engagement through user feedback, social media interactions and participation in events related to the project. Positive feedback, active discussions and increased community involvement will signify a positive impact on the Cardano ecosystem’s growth and collaboration.
5. Replication and Expansion: The success of our opensource model will be measured by the number of community members who clone the store and launch their own versions. This metric will demonstrate the project’s scalability and its ability to inspire similar initiatives, fostering a decentralized and vibrant ecosystem of Cardano-themed stores.
6. Qualitative Feedback: We will collect and analyze user opinions, testimonials and satisfaction surveys to gauge the project’s impact on users’ experiences and perceptions. Positive feedback regarding the quality of merchandise, sustainability efforts and support for Native Asset Tokens will indicate the project’s success in meeting the needs and expectations of the Cardano community.

Through these metrics, we aim to provide a comprehensive assessment of the project’s impact on Cardano’s productivity and growth. By focusing on user adoption, transaction volume, community engagement, replication and qualitative feedback, we can gather both quantitative and qualitative insights into how our innovation positively influences Cardano in both the short and long term.

However some of the impact and success from the project is hard quantify. For example the impact that wearing a hoodie with a cool Native Asset Token logo and slogan on there out in public will have on the promotion and adoption of Cardano. How many people saw it? How many conversations were started based on this will be impossible to tell but still worth the effort.

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

We plan to share the output and results of our project in a number of ways:

1. Community Outreach: Reach out to Cardano project founders, builders, users and community members to see if they would like to have their Projects showcased in the store. What products would they like to see with their branding on? It could be socks, hoodies, mugs, mousepads, etc.
2. Communication Channels: Utilize various communication channels to spread the project’s outputs and impact. This can include creating a project website, blog posts, social media updates and participating in relevant forums and discussion groups within the Cardano community. Regularly communicate progress updates, feature releases and any opportunities that arise as a result of the completed project.
3. Community Engagement: Engage with the Cardano community through events, meetups and conferences. Share the project’s outputs and impact with community members, developers, entrepreneurs and researchers who are interested in utilizing the ecommerce store to promote their own projects or Native Asset Tokens. Encourage feedback, suggestions and collaborations to foster a sense of community ownership and involvement.
4. Open-Source Repository: Publish the ecommerce store template and associated code on an open-source repository platform, such as GitHub. This allows interested individuals and developers to access, use, contribute to and provide feedback on the template. Engage with the open-source community and encourage collaboration to enhance the template’s functionality and address any bugs or issues.
5. Feedback and Iteration: Actively seek feedback from users and stakeholders who utilize the ecommerce store template. This feedback can be valuable for identifying areas of improvement, identifying additional features or functionalities and understanding real-world use cases. Incorporate user feedback into future iterations of the template to enhance its usability, security and compatibility.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

With the successful completion and launch of past Catalyst proposals (we were successfully funded and closed out past proposal during F9), we have a proven track record of delivering projects with trust and accountability. Our capability to maintain these standards is grounded in our experience as a team, full time 9 strong, transparent communication - be it in Town Hall breakouts of elsewhere, community engagement - 5k + active community, adherence to timelines and commitment to continuous improvement. The team is also active in the Cardano community and has deployed their Liquidity Farming and NFT Staking app to mainnet (no small feat). This dapp is live at: https://app.tangent.art. We want to stress that we are a full time team with commitments to build on Cardano.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

The main goals of our project are as follows:

1. Increase Awareness: Our objective is to raise awareness about Native Asset Tokens and promote projects built on Cardano by offering merchandise depicting these tokens. We aim to educate and engage the Cardano community and beyond.
2. Foster Sustainability: We strive to contribute to the environmental sustainability ethos of the Cardano ecosystem by sourcing merchandise made from sustainable and recycled materials. Our goal is to support fair labor principles and ensure the products align with Cardano’s commitment to sustainability.
3. Promote Community Engagement: We aim to create a vibrant community around Cardano-themed merchandise where users can proudly showcase their support for the ecosystem. Our goal is to foster active participation, discussions and collaborations among community members.
4. Enable Adoption of ADA and Native Asset Tokens: By integrating ADAPay as the payment gateway, we aim to facilitate transactions in ADA, promoting the use and adoption of Cardano’s native currency. Additionally, by featuring Native Asset Tokens on the merchandise, we seek to raise awareness and encourage their adoption within the general cryptocurrency ecosystem and beyond.

To validate the feasibility of our approach, we will employ several methods:

1. User Engagement and Feedback: We will track user engagement metrics, such as website visits, product purchases and social media interactions. User feedback and satisfaction surveys will help us understand the level of interest, engagement and acceptance within the community.
2. Market Demand: We will assess the market demand for Cardano-themed merchandise by monitoring sales, product popularity and customer demand. This will help validate the appeal and viability of our offerings.
3. Community Growth: We will measure the growth of the community surrounding the ecommerce store, including the number of active users, community contributions and the replication of the store by other community members. Community growth will indicate the project’s success in engaging and attracting participants.
4. Partnerships and Collaborations: We will evaluate the level of partnerships and collaborations established with Native Asset Token projects, suppliers and other stakeholders. The formation of strategic partnerships and support from relevant entities will validate the project’s feasibility and its potential to achieve its objectives.

By monitoring these key indicators, we can assess the feasibility and progress of our project. While some goals, such as user engagement and community growth, can be quantified, others like awareness and sustainability may require qualitative assessments based on feedback, surveys and overall community sentiment.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] 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: Setup and Launch of Ecommerce Store

• Task 1: Develop the ecommerce website infrastructure, including front-end and back-end development.
• Task 2: Design and create the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of the website.
• Task 3: Integrate ADAPay as the payment gateway to enable ADA transactions.
• Task 4: Collaborate with suppliers to source sustainable and recycled materials for merchandise.
• Task 5: Reach out to project co-founders, Native Asset Token teams and communities to have their projects promoted by the store. Discuss sales and profit sharing with them as well.
• Task 6: Create product listings and upload high-quality images for each item.
• Task 7: Perform rigorous testing and quality assurance to ensure smooth functionality.
• Success Criteria: Ecommerce store fully functional, ADAPay integration successful, product listings and images ready and rigorous testing completed. On boarding 3 different Native Asset projects to sell their custom made apparel.
• Timeline: 8 weeks

Milestone 2: Product Expansion and Community Engagement

• Task 1: Research and collaborate with Native Asset Token projects to secure permissions and design merchandise featuring their projects.
• Task 2: Expand the product range to include Cardano and ADA-themed apparel and accessories.
• Task 3: Develop educational resources and content to promote the Cardano ecosystem and sustainable practices.
• Task 4: Engage with the Cardano community through social media, forums and events to raise awareness of the store.
• Success Criteria: Native Asset Token collaborations established, expanded product range available, educational resources created and active community engagement. On boarding 20 different Native Asset projects to sell their custom made apparel.
• Timeline: 8 weeks

Milestone 3: Open Source and Community Replication

• Task 1: Make the store’s front end and back end data publicly available on GitHub under an open-source license.
• Task 2: Create comprehensive documentation and guidelines for individuals or groups interested in replicating the store.
• Task 3: Provide support and assistance to community members who want to launch their own versions of the store.
• Success Criteria: Store data and documentation published on GitHub, community members successfully replicating the store and support provided.
• Timeline: 8 weeks

Project Management Approach

• The project will be managed using agile methodologies, with regular meetings and updates to ensure effective communication and progress tracking.

• A project manager will oversee the entire process, coordinating tasks, resources and timelines.

• Collaborative tools such as project management software, communication channels and version control systems will be utilized to facilitate seamless collaboration among team members and stakeholders.

• Regular feedback and performance evaluations will be conducted to address any challenges or adjustments needed during the project’s execution.

  [CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Milestone 1: Setup and Launch of Ecommerce Store

Deliverables:

• Fully functional ecommerce website with a user-friendly interface
• Integration of ADAPay as the payment gateway
• Product listings with high-quality images
• Sustainable and recycled material sourcing agreements with suppliers

Outputs:

• Live ecommerce store where users can browse and purchase merchandise
• Smooth payment process using ADA through ADAPay
• A variety of product listings showcasing Cardano, ADA, and Native Asset Token themes
• Transparent information about the sustainable nature of the manufacturing process

Intended Outcomes:

• Provide the Cardano community with a dedicated ecommerce store for purchasing merchandise related to Cardano and Native Asset Tokens
• Promote sustainability by sourcing products made from recycled materials
• Raise awareness and engagement with the Cardano ecosystem through the sale of themed merchandise
• Facilitate the use of ADA as a means of transaction within the store

Measurement of Progress:

• Number of website visits and unique visitors
• Conversion rate of visitors to customers
• Feedback and reviews from customers regarding the user experience and quality of merchandise
• ADA transaction volume and growth within the store
• Supplier satisfaction and compliance with sustainable practices

Milestone 2: Product Expansion and Community Engagement

Deliverables:

• Collaborative agreements with Native Asset Token projects for merchandise representation
• Expanded product range featuring Cardano and ADA-themed apparel and accessories
• Educational resources and content promoting the Cardano ecosystem and sustainable practices
• Active engagement with the Cardano community through social media, forums, and events

Outputs:

• Merchandise collaborations with Native Asset Token projects, enabling representation and promotion of their projects through the store
• Diversified product offerings to cater to different preferences within the Cardano community
• Educational resources in various formats (articles, videos, guides) to increase understanding and awareness of Cardano and sustainable practices
• Community engagement through social media interactions, participation in forums, and organization/participation in relevant events

Intended Outcomes:

• Foster collaboration and synergy between Cardano and Native Asset Token projects
• Provide a wide range of merchandise options for Cardano enthusiasts to showcase their support and engagement with the ecosystem
• Educate the community about the benefits and importance of sustainable practices in the context of Cardano
• Establish an active and vibrant community presence, generating interest, and attracting new users to the Cardano ecosystem

Measurement of Progress:

• Number of collaborations secured with Native Asset Token projects
• Sales and customer feedback for the expanded product range
• Reach and engagement metrics on social media platforms (likes, shares, comments, mentions)
• Participation and response rates in educational resources and events
• Growth in website traffic and customer acquisition

Milestone 3: Open Source and Community Replication

Deliverables:

• Publicly available front end and back end data of the ecommerce store on GitHub
• Comprehensive documentation and guidelines for replicating the store
• Support and assistance provided to community members interested in launching their own versions of the store

Outputs:

• Open-source access to the store’s infrastructure, enabling others to replicate and modify it for their own purposes
• Clear and detailed documentation guiding individuals or groups through the process of replicating the store
• Active support and guidance provided to community members to ensure successful replication and customization

Intended Outcomes:

• Foster a collaborative and inclusive ecosystem where community members can contribute and build upon existing projects
• Empower individuals or groups to launch their own ecommerce stores based on the original model, supporting local initiatives and creative entrepreneurship
• Expand the reach and availability of Cardano-themed merchandise through decentralized and community-driven efforts

Measurement of Progress:

• Number of individuals or groups who clone the store’s codebase from GitHub

• Number of successfully launched community-driven ecommerce stores based on the original model

• Engagement and interaction with community members seeking support and guidance

• Feedback and testimonials from individuals or groups who have replicated the store, highlighting their experiences and success stories

  [RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Budget Breakdown

ADA/USD Price = $0.27

Online store Design (internal & external) = 28,000 ADA

Product Sourcing Costs: 8480 ADA

Website Hosting & Maintenance: 2200 ADA

Marketing = 5600 ADA

Total: 44,280 ADA

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Clint Alexander // Co-founder, Head of Development

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/clint-alexander-049742233/
• [email protected]
• Responsibilities within Tangent: overview / decision making / development / basic coding

Bio:

• Serial entrepreneur & cryptocurrency enthusiast since 2013
• Miner
• Investor
• Digital asset fund manager
• Solidity back end smart contract development
• CEO & manufacturer of Bitcoin SHA256 ASIC miners and other electronic hardware
• Worked alongside Bitcoin mining hardware companies such as Bitmain, Rockminer and Gekkoscience

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Ben Gordon // Co-founder, Visionaire & Marketing Technologist

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-gordon-352b37232/
• [email protected]
• Responsibilities within Tangent: overview / decision making / marketing / development

Bio:

• Cryptocurrency enthusiast since 2017

• Previous freelance marketing executive for a number of leading international educational establishments in Asia

• Transitioned to blockchain project development in 2017

• A knowledge of all stages from brand creation, overall strategy, research, analysis, law and and token creation.

• Freelanced on a number of blockchain projects including Northern Lights before creating Tangent in 2021

  [RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] 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:

1. Promoting Native Asset Tokens: By creating an online store that sells merchandise depicting favorite Native Asset Token projects, the project contributes to the visibility and promotion of these projects within the Cardano ecosystem. This can attract more attention, interest and support for these projects, leading to their growth and success.
2. Sustainability and Charity Focus: The project emphasizes the use of sustainable materials for the merchandise, aligning with Cardano’s commitment to environmental sustainability. It also highlights the importance of charitable initiatives by donating a portion of the proceeds to relevant causes. This value-driven approach resonates with the principles and values of the Cardano community.
3. Engaging the Community: The online store provides an opportunity for community members to actively participate by purchasing and wearing Cardano-themed apparel. It fosters a sense of belonging and community engagement, strengthening the bonds within the Cardano ecosystem.
4. Economic Contribution: The project stimulates economic activity within the Cardano ecosystem by creating a platform for merchandise sales. This can generate revenue for the project team and potentially contribute to the growth of the Cardano ecosystem as a whole.

The cost of the project, as outlined in the budget breakdown, is a reasonable investment considering the potential benefits it brings to the Cardano ecosystem. It supports the promotion of Native Asset Tokens, sustainability, community engagement and economic activity. The value provided by the project in terms of visibility, engagement and alignment with Cardano’s principles justifies the cost and represents a worthwhile investment for the ecosystem.