[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.
Whilst we currently have an extensive (and the largest) library of developer tools and resources for Cardano, this is not complete and can be expanded and evolved into a dedicated developer portal that is the go-to resource for developers on Cardano.
We will, firstly, find and list all of the developer tools and developer education resources that are available on Cardano. As we do so we will categorize, tag, and organize them into easily explorable categories. Including tags and categories such as: API, Oracle, CLI, Smart Contract, Developer Education, Indexer, Open Source, Wallet Libraries, etc. We will also tag each tool with the language it is written in, enabling users to explore these tools in multiple ways.
We will go through our existing library and reorganize and retag the tools and resources that we have listed with more comprehensive tags, including the previously mentioned language tags.
Whilst this is underway we will create a separate UI flow that is dedicated to the exploration of Cardano developer tools and education resources, allowing for the searching of these tools in an intuitive ways by developers of all levels.
We allow community contributions to our library and will continue to do so. This enables developers and community members to add their tools and content for others to discover and use.
[IMPACT] Please describe how your proposed solution will address the Challenge that you have submitted it in.
There is no comprehensive database of the tools, libraries, and education resources for Cardano developers (both new and aspiring). The lack of accessible and discoverable resources can deter want-to-be Cardano developers.
We will fully develop and organize a comprehensive, ever expanding, and community contributed resource that new developers can be directed to when asking questions about the tools and educational resources available to them on Cardano.
Having such a well organized and easily browsable database available for new developers creates a positive learning experience and facilitates easy onboarding into the Cardano ecosystem. It will also give them a resource to return to as their knowledge grows and their inevitable need for more tools expands.
This will not only be good for onboarding developers but it will provide existing developers with an easily searchable database of the tools, libraries, and other resources that have been create by other members of the Cardano community.
[IMPACT] What are the main risks that could prevent you from delivering the project successfully and please explain how you will mitigate each risk?
The main risk of this proposal is non-fulfillment of promises by the team. Given that we are deeply entrenched in Cardano and have already collected over 70+ developer tools this risk is a very small one.
[FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed plan, including timeline and key milestones for delivering your proposal.
This project should take 6 weeks to complete. Both elements, tool and resource gather and development of the enhanced UI, will run side-by-side.
Tool and resource gathering, posting and tagging, will take a maximum of 4 weeks (slightly flexible depending on responses from members of the developer community that we reach out to). Once the database is as complete as possible the finalization and audit of the user interface (already started alongside the tool and resource collation task) will take a maximum of 2 weeks.
[FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown.
Total requested budget - $7700
Locating Tools and Resources - $4200
$70 per hour for 60 hours
This includes collecting existing developer tools and resources (searching through Github repositories, searching through previously funded Catalyst proposals, contacting developer organizations in the ecosystem to share the resources and tools they use) writing up descriptive summaries for these tools and resources and tagging them appropriately. It also includes the retagging and updating of existing developer resources.
Platform Development - $3500
$70 per hour for 50 hours
This includes the development and audit of the UI for exploring the listed developer tools and resources, ensuring that it is intuitive for new users so that they find what they need quickly and efficiently.
[FEASIBILITY] Please provide details of the people who will work on the project.
Ben - Content writer and Organizer of the Built on Cardano tagging system - Ben has created the majority of the listings on Built on Cardano, researching and tagging all the projects that are listed on the website; including the developer tools we have listed here. He is very familiar with the technical terms involved and is adept at searching every nook and cranny of the ecosystem for the tools and resources that exist in and for Cardano.
Website - https://benjaminbeddow.com/ - For a general overview of his work
Built on Cardano Developer Tools - https://builtoncardano.com/search?q=dev%20tools - For work specific to this proposal, he has researched and added 80-90% of the tools already listed here.
Gabriel - UI developer and engineer for Built on Cardano - With over 5 years experience building successful UIs, Gabriel has assisted in gathering developer tools from around the ecosystem and has created the search function that facilitates, with a great UX, the exploration of the unique tagging system found on Built on Cardano.
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-loubier-54731115a/
[FEASIBILITY] If you are funded, will you return to Catalyst in a later round for further funding? Please explain why / why not.
Once built this developer portal will continue to be updated by us and community members who want to contribute the tools and resources they create to it. Thus, we will not require more funding from Project Catalyst.
[AUDITABILITY] Please describe what you will measure to track your project's progress, and how will you measure these?
A complete (and ever growing) library of developer tools and resources that is shared (on platforms like the Cardano Forum and Cardano Stack Exchange) and utilized by developers inside and outside the ecosystem - The number of tools listed in the portal will be on display on the portal and users can watch it steadily grow as more and more tools become available for Cardano developers. This can be joined by the number of "Developers Helped" (i.e. site visits) if this is a metric that the community will find useful to monitor this tool's usage.
[AUDITABILITY] What does success for this project look like?
A platform that continues to grow through our continued research and contributions from the community. A platform who's usage rate grows and who's content continues to grow and evolve with Cardano.
True success would be a larger number of developers coming to and staying in the Cardano ecosystem because of this portal and, when looking back, them citing it as a positive influence as to why they stayed in Cardano.
[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.