Why is it important?
Cardano needs full time contributors to help improve the development ecosystem in Cardano and stake pool ecosystem
What does success look like?
Cardano community members solving important problems are funded so they can continue providing high impact
Key Metrics to measure
Tracking success for this category will mean:
- Number of contributions to support Catalyst - Code commits, events organised, coordination support between teams, documentation improvements etc
- Community support - Conversations with existing development projects and community members and any contributions that help support them
Tracking success for contributors will include improving the reporting process so it becomes easy for the community to understand what each contributor is working on to support the ecosystem. Progress reporting is a requirement for contributors. The tools that are used to log and present this reporting data will need to evolve over time so that the community can easily track what is happening within the contributor community.
Challenge brief
—- FUNDING CATEGORIES BACKGROUND —-
Funding categories offer an effective approach for doing funding categorisation in the Catalyst funding process. Funding categories if fully adopted can remove the issues and inefficiencies surrounding challenge settings.
Funding categorisation has a number of properties that can be analysed. Categorisation can be broad or specific, inclusive or exclusive and recurring or changing. Funding categories have been created based off the properties which are more effective for funding categorisation. Funding categories focus on being broad, inclusive and recurring - <https://docs.catalystcontributors.org/funding-categorisation-analysis/categorisation-properties>
Using more effective categorisation properties results in a number of advantages. Funding categories offer a more efficient, simple, flexible, scalable and egalitarian approach to do funding categorisation than challenge settings. Funding categories are effective for directing funding and also help to increase healthy competition - <https://docs.catalystcontributors.org/funding-categorisation-analysis/funding-categories-advantages/overview>
Funding categories achieve similar or often better outcomes than challenge settings for ensuring each focus area has access to funding in a given funding round - <https://docs.catalystcontributors.org/funding-categorisation-analysis/historical-analysis-and-comparisons/funding-access-for-each-focus-area>
Funding categories provide a 80% total cost reduction when used as a replacement to challenge settings. The numbers used for this estimation are also conservative - the savings are likely higher! Read more here - <https://docs.catalystcontributoars.org/funding-categorisation-analysis/historical-analysis-and-comparisons/categorisation-overall-cost-comparison>
The full list of funding categories can be found here - <https://docs.catalystcontributors.org/catalyst-funding-categories/>
—- BUDGET WEIGHTING VOTE —-
The total budget that gets applied to each funding category is determined using a democratic budget weighting vote.
Funding categories are assigned a percentage by each voting participant in the vote. A weighted average percentage is then achieved from the voting results. This percentage is then converted into the equivalent ADA value that will be requested for that funding category from the total amount of funding that will be available in the next round.
To register and participate in the budget weighting vote you can find all of the details in this funding categories documentation - <https://docs.catalystcontributors.org/catalyst-funding-categories/budget-weighting-votes/fund-9>
—-
Overview
Cardano Contributors is a group of community members voted on by the community to help support and drive the Cardano ecosystem forward. Contributor roles within the Cardano ecosystem currently include developers, coordinators and analysts that focus on the improvement of the development ecosystem and ease of stake pool operation. The contributors can be seen as a glue that helps bring the Cardano ecosystem together and maximise collaboration and outcomes within the community.
To read the full background, analysis and current documentation for Cardano Contributors please visit - <https://docs.catalystcontributors.org/cardano-contributors/>
Why is this category needed?
There is a benefit to consider other funding models rather than idea based funding. Strong ecosystems are built on good ideas that are well executed. However the ecosystem also relies on impactful community contributors. The future of funding through Catalyst benefits from both funding ideas and full time contributors.
The analysis behind how this contributor focussed category was created can be found here - <https://docs.catalystcontributors.org/contributor-analysis/>
What roles can I apply for?
- Roles - Development, Coordination and Analysis
- Role details - <https://docs.catalystcontributors.org/cardano-contributors/contributor/roles>
Cardano contributors candidate - What should be included in the proposal?
A guide for Cardano contributor candidate proposals can be found here - <https://docs.catalystcontributors.org/cardano-contributors/contributor-guides/candidate-assessment-guide>
Cardano contributors budget guidelines - What budget should a contributor request?
Budget range guidance for Cardano contributors were defined using research on the average salaries for different roles. Candidates are not forced to follow the guidance provided. The suggested budget ranges for Cardano contributors can be found here - <https://docs.catalystcontributors.org/cardano-contributors/category-proposal/fund-9/budget-ranges>
Cardano contributors minimum thresholds - Is there a minimum number of contributors for each role?
Minimum thresholds have been added to make sure the right amount of each skill set is selected in each cohort of contributors. The minimum thresholds for this fund can be found here - <https://docs.catalystcontributors.org/cardano-contributors/category-proposal/fund-9/minimum-thresholds>
Catalyst contributors minimum thresholds - Is there a minimum number of contributors for each role?
Minimum thresholds have been added to make sure there is enough skills across the cohort of contributors for where help is needed. The minimum thresholds for this fund can be found here - <https://docs.catalystcontributors.org/catalyst-contributors/category-proposal/fund-9/minimum-thresholds>
What is expected from successful candidates?
- Support the ecosystem - Contributors should focus on returning the highest value to the ecosystem and look to solve the largest problems the community is facing at the time. Those problem areas could include support for improving or creating tools, coordination, resolving governance issues, improving user experience etc.
- Support the community - Contributors should understand the ecosystem and be able to help the community where it's needed. That could be answering questions, pointing people to the right resources or bringing more awareness to different areas of the ecosystem that need support.
- High collaboration - Contributors have the power to be the glue that brings the community together and identifies overlapping or duplicated efforts. The community benefits by contributors spending time understanding different related projects and bringing those together where it would be a benefit to them and the ecosystem.
- High participation - To be highly effective contributors will need to understand what is happening across the ecosystem to the best of their ability. Contributors may sensibly focus on one or a few areas within the ecosystem where they ensure they are up to date and are aware of the problems, projects, teams and roadmap.
- Flexible - Contributors will be most impactful if they are able to be flexible in a fast moving environment and move to where they can have a high impact.
What should contributors report?
- Progress reports - Contributors will report weekly progress reports on what they have been working on in the community, any blockers they have and anything else they feel is relevant.
- KPI reports - Contributors would not need to report KPI reports like normal idea focussed proposals do. Instead they would focus on increased regularity of progress reports that keep the community up to date on how they are contributing to the ecosystem.
What sort of candidates are most suitable?
- Approachable - You understand the community will reach out to you regularly and will need to be friendly and supportive to community members.
- Outcome focussed - You understand that the problems within any ecosystem are complex and take time to overcome but are able to communicate and collaborate on finding solutions.
- Open minded - You have insights but are always open to new ideas on how to solve a problem. You look to include all perspectives when solving problems.
- Pragmatic - You understand solving problems often doesn't start with the perfect solution. You understand the difference between short and long term thinking and how to prioritise what is most important and achievable.
What candidates may be less suitable?
- Idea focussed - You have a great idea and want to work on it full time. This candidate is less suitable to become a contributor as contributors should not be tied to a single idea. Instead contributors are a collaborative force that helps pull ideas and teams together. This person can make a proposal for their idea if that's where they want to focus their time.
- Wants full autonomy and independence - Candidates will need to regularly communicate and collaborate with many community members, ideas and projects regularly. If a candidate wants full autonomy and independence to solve problems then they are likely better suited to idea focussed proposals rather than becoming a Cardano contributor.
Community advisors - How candidates should be assessed
Community advisors should use the following guide when assessing a Cardano contributor candidate proposal - <https://docs.catalystcontributors.org/cardano-contributors/contributor-guides/candidate-assessment-guide>
Community efforts that will support success
- Proposal support - Help candidates propose a fair budget and salary expectations for their application. Guide candidates to add more proof of existing contributions or professional background where necessary.
- Progress report reviews - Check on execution of reported progress by candidates to ensure it meets the standards and expectations of the community. Flag and report candidates where necessary for wider community review.
Future improvements for full time contributors
There are a number of improvements that can be integrated into the model of full time contributors that help support different areas of the ecosystem. A list of ideas can be found here - <https://docs.catalystcontributors.org/contributor-analysis/contributor-analysis/contributor-future-improvements>
