Learn Cardano: DeFi Courses for Cardano's DeFi Summer

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

We will develop 10 Cardano DeFi courses, including written and video content, similar to existing material on the Learn Cardano website, such as the Minswap course. Community input will shape our selection of the top 10 DeFi protocols. Over four months, we'll create, publish, and gather feedback for course improvement. The final month will involve feedback integration and course material finalization. User that have completed courses will be rewards with a reward token from the platform in order to obtain on-chain metrics of wallet usage and course competition.

Perception of the Problem:

Cardano's DeFi ecosystem is on the rise, but many users remain on the side-lines due to a lack of understanding. The majority of users, despite their interest in cryptocurrency, are hesitant to dive into DeFi due to unfamiliarity with its potential benefits and risks. Most users are content with staking their ADA, but as staking rewards gradually decrease, users start seeking higher returns elsewhere on other chains or out of crypto altogether.

Approach Rationale:

Education is the linchpin of crypto adoption, and the same holds true for Cardano's DeFi. The project's approach centres on demystifying DeFi concepts and making them accessible to a broader audience. By providing step-by-step tutorials and clear explanations of how various DeFi protocols work on Cardano, we empower users to make informed decisions and confidently participate in the ecosystem. Moreover, addressing the challenge of wallet compatibility will ensure a smoother transition for users familiar with other DeFi ecosystems.

Engagement Strategy:

Our project engages with multiple facets of the Cardano community. We collaborate closely with DeFi projects, involving them in content creation and development. We actively involve current Cardano users, seeking their recommendations and insights to refine our educational materials. Finally, our primary focus is on new Cardano DeFi users, as they stand to benefit the most from our comprehensive guides to the top 10 DeFi protocols on the Cardano platform.

Demonstration of Impact:

The impact of our project will manifest through increased Total Value Locked (TVL) in various Cardano DeFi protocols. As users become more educated and explore opportunities in the Cardano ecosystem, we anticipate a gradual rise in TVL. The project's success will be evident in the growing number of users confidently participating in Cardano's DeFi space.

DeFi is hard, there are many concepts that are completely foreign to many and need to be explained in a simply coherent manner. This will help with onboarding more users and grow the ecosystem together.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community.

The success of our project will significantly benefit the broader Cardano community in the following ways:

Enhanced DeFi Adoption: By providing comprehensive educational resources and tutorials, we will empower users to confidently engage with Cardano's DeFi protocol
Increased TVL: As users become better informed and feel more comfortable participating in DeFi, we anticipate a rise in the Total Value Locked (TVL) within various Cardano DeFi protocol
Community Empowerment: The open survey approach ensures that the community has a say in determining the top 10 DeFi protocols to be covered, fostering a sense of ownership and participation. Along with the feedback phase we plan to have the community engaged along the way of development.

Measuring Impact:

We will measure the impact of our project through a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods:

TVL Growth: Quantitatively, we will monitor the TVL in the selected DeFi protocols before and after the project's completion to gauge the increase resulting from more educated and engaged user
User Engagement: We will conduct user surveys to gather qualitative feedback on the effectiveness of our educational materials and the overall impact on their DeFi engagement
Community Feedback: Continuous feedback from the Cardano community, collected through forums, social media, and direct interactions, will provide qualitative insights into the project's success

We will also provide a reward token through the platform for users that have successfully completed the course material. This will allow us to measure the amount of active wallets that are in use and the successful competition of courses via on-chain metrics.

Sharing Outputs:

We are committed to transparency and community involvement. Our outputs will be shared through various channels:

Online Platforms: Educational materials, including written and video content, will be published on the Learn Cardano website, <https://learncardano.io>, ensuring they are readily available to the community
Community Engagement: We will actively engage with the Cardano community through forums, https://forum.cardano.org, social media, https://twitter.com/learncardano, and the main Learn Cardano website to encourage engagement and participation
Reports and Publications: We will create comprehensive reports detailing the project's progress, impact measurement results, and community feedback all via the Learn Cardano website on a monthly basis.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Our capability to deliver this project with a high level of trust and accountability is grounded in our experience and commitment to the Cardano ecosystem.

Here's how we validate the feasibility of our approach:

Track Record: We have a proven track record of delivering educational content and engaging with the Cardano community. This includes creating educational material for the Learn Cardano website and actively participating in Cardano-related projects.
Community Engagement: Our longstanding engagement with the Cardano community demonstrates our commitment and trustworthiness. We have built relationships with stakeholders, users, and project teams, further reinforcing our dedication to the ecosystem.
Transparency: We are committed to transparency in managing funds. Budgets and expenses will be meticulously tracked and reported to the community. Detailed breakdowns and milestones will be provided, ensuring accountability.
Funding Management: We will follow best practices for managing project funds, prioritizing the use of funds for content creation, community engagement, and project development. Any unused funds will be returned to the community.

Peter Bui's Role:

Peter Bui's prominent position as a Cardano educator lends credibility to the project. His extensive experience in creating educational content for the Cardano community, including the Minswap course on Learn Cardano, demonstrates his capacity to develop high-quality course material. Peter's deep knowledge of Cardano and his active role in the ecosystem make him well-suited to lead this project.

Peter is a prominent figure in the Cardano community, serving as a Cardano Ambassador and actively contributing as a Cardano-focused YouTuber, Learn Cardano. Peter also holds ambassador roles in various Cardano projects, such as Genius Yield, Fluid Tokens, NEWM, and Token Allies.

Additionally, Peter operates the ADAOZ stake pool with over 5000 individual wallets delegated to the pool.

Our track record includes successfully delivering three previous proposals in Fund 9, all aimed at kickstarting the CardanoPress ecosystem, culminating in the plugin's launch and community support.

Please see our previously funded and completed projects.

In summary, our capability and feasibility are rooted in our experience, community engagement, transparency, and the expertise of Peter Bui. We are committed to managing funds responsibly and delivering on our promises to the Cardano community.

[Project Milestones] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Milestone 1: Content Development Kickoff (1 Month)

Objective: Initiate the creation of educational materials for the 10 DeFi courses and lay the groundwork for community engagement.
Launch of an open survey to gather community input on the selection of the top 10 DeFi protocols.
Key Deliverables: Detailed course outlines for all 10 DeFi courses.
Completion of written and video content for the first three courses.
Initiation of interactive workshops and webinars for user engagement.
Acceptance Criteria: Clear and comprehensive course outlines, engaging course content for the initial three courses, a functioning open survey, and active engagement with the community in workshops and webinars.

>Milestone 2: Content Production and Feedback Phase (2 Months)

Objective: Continue content creation, gather community feedback, and refine course materials.
Key Deliverables: Completion of written and video content for all 10 DeFi courses.
Publication of the first three courses for community feedback and review.
Integration of community feedback into course materials.
Completion of interactive workshops and webinars.
Acceptance Criteria: High-quality content for all courses, active community feedback and revisions, and successful completion of workshops and webinars.

>Final Milestone: Course Finalisation and Outreach (1 Month)

Objective: Finalise course materials, publish all courses, and actively promote them within the Cardano community and beyond.
Key Deliverables: Finalised course materials for all 10 DeFi courses.
Quality-checked and polished course content.
Publication of all courses on Learn Cardano website.
Commencement of active outreach and promotion efforts.
Acceptance Criteria: All courses are published and accessible, with no outstanding revisions. Outreach efforts are underway, promoting course availability and encouraging community participation.

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

Peter Bui:

Peter has been creating educational content to onboard crypto users to Cardano since early 2021. With one of the leading Cardano YouTube channels and relationships with many Cardano projects, he's perfect to deliver the course material for Cardano's DeFi ecosystem.

<https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterbui1/>
Learn Cardano on YouTube
<https://learncardano.io/>

Additional content producer:

Creating courses if fun but creating content as a team is even more fun. One person is more than capable to create all the content but having additional helping hands to craft the courses is more than welcome.

We're looking for anyone with the experience in Cardano's DeFi, creating content, step by step tutorials and has excellent written English skills.

Please contact Peter at [email protected].

Please provide previously written tutorials and explain your experience in DeFi.

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Budgeting for the content course creation is based on a industry average of $5,000 per course. Additional costings revolve around marketing, community engagement, admin and project management of the project.

Costings are in USD with a total budget of 160,000 ADA equalling approximately $60,000 USD.

Milestone 1: Content Development Kickoff (Month 1)

Creation of written and video content for the first three courses: $15,000
Project management and initial marketing: $1,000
Open survey and initial workshop/webinar expenses: $1,000

Milestone 2: Content Production and Feedback Phase (Months 2-3)

Completion of written and video content for the remaining seven courses: $35,000
Integration of community feedback and course revisions: $1,000
Workshop and webinar expenses for continuous user engagement: $1,000

Milestone 3: Course Finalization and Outreach (Month 4)

Finalization of course materials and quality-checking: $4,000
Publication of all 10 courses on online platforms: $1,000
Reduced outreach and promotion efforts: $1,000

Total Budget for the Project: $60,000 USD

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The cost of our project represents exceptional value for the Cardano ecosystem for several reasons:

High-Quality Educational Content: The project budget includes the creation of 10 comprehensive DeFi courses, which will serve as invaluable resources for users seeking to navigate Cardano's DeFi landscape. Each course is budgeted at $5,000, ensuring the development of top-tier educational materials.
Community Engagement: The budget also includes expenses for project management, marketing, and community engagement. These funds will be used to actively involve the Cardano community, gather feedback, and ensure the project's success.
Transparency and Accountability: Our budget breakdown is transparent, with allocation to project milestones and deliverables. We have made reductions in outreach and promotion expenses to align with the total project budget of $60,000, demonstrating our commitment to cost-effectiveness.
Proportional Costs: While costs are not explicitly based on average wages or typical freelance rates, they are proportionate to the scale and impact of the project. The allocation of funds reflects the investment required to create high-quality educational content and engage with the community effectively.
Community Benefit: Ultimately, the value for money lies in the long-term benefits for the Cardano ecosystem. The project aims to enhance DeFi adoption, increase Total Value Locked (TVL), and empower users to participate confidently. These outcomes will far outweigh the initial investment, making it a cost-effective endeavour for the Cardano community.

In summary, the cost of our project is justified by the high-quality educational content, community engagement, transparency, and long-term benefits it brings to the Cardano ecosystem. The allocation of funds is proportionate to the project's scale and impact, ensuring that it represents excellent value for money.

A total of 160,000 ADA which is approximately 1.5% of the total budget of the challenge.

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