[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

More than 2 years in the Cardano NFT space has provided us with unique insights, particularly in identifying gaps in knowledge accessibility for developers new to Cardano. Our F11 Catalyst Proposal addresses these gaps with two key initiatives:

NFT Help Desk: We're establishing an NFT Help Desk to aid newcomers and creators in navigating the Cardano NFT ecosystem. This platform will offer accessible, clear information on technical aspects, standards, best practices, and specific NFT issues on Cardano. Our diverse global team, with expertise in development, art, and community management, will ensure relevant and informed assistance.

'The NFT Guild Shorts': We will edit our comprehensive NFT Roundtable discussions into concise, 5-10 minute videos. These 'Shorts' will distill key insights, making complex information more accessible. Covering all past, and the next 6 months of roundtable discussions, this initiative will transform in-depth discussions into easy-to-digest content, enhancing community understanding and participation in the Cardano NFT ecosystem. For a full presentation see our “NFT Guild: Developer Roundtables & Open Community Calls” proposal <https://cardano.ideascale.com/c/idea/111039> and the Roundtable Archive on our website <https://www.nft-guild.io/the-nft-roundtable>

This dual approach facilitates effective participation in the NFT space and strengthens Cardano's reputation as a collaborative environment. It aligns with Cardano's vision of democratizing knowledge and increasing community engagement, particularly for those interested in NFTs. The impact will be measured through user feedback, engagement levels with the Help Desk, and increased viewership of 'The NFT Guild Shorts'.

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

Our project, "NFT Guild: Developer Education Initiatives," is designed to enhance the Cardano community in several key ways:

Enhancing Accessibility and Understanding: By offering the NFT Help Desk and 'The NFT Guild Shorts', we're making the Cardano NFT ecosystem more accessible, especially for new developers. The Help Desk provides direct support, while the Shorts offer condensed knowledge from our roundtables, making complex information easily understandable.

Lowering Entry Barriers: Our initiatives will lower the entry barrier for developers, attracting both new and experienced creators to the Cardano ecosystem. This boosts the community’s capacity for innovation and growth.

Boosting Developer Engagement: By simplifying the learning curve and providing direct support, we expect to see increased developer activity and productivity, leading to a more vibrant Cardano NFT space.

Community Growth and Engagement: Our efforts will foster a supportive environment, retaining current members and attracting new ones. This contributes to a stronger, more diverse community.

Building a Knowledge Base: Over time, the NFT Guild Developer Help Desk and ’The NFT Guild Shorts' will form a comprehensive knowledge base on the Cardano NFT ecosystem, serving as a valuable resource for developers, and the broader Cardano community.

Measuring Impact:

We’ll track the number of inquiries at the Help Desk, the variety of issues addressed, and the engagement metrics of 'The NFT Guild Shorts' (views, likes).

Feedback from users, success stories, and community discussions will provide insights into our effectiveness and the increased understanding and adoption of Cardano NFT standards.

Sharing Outputs:

Communication Channels:

We will utilize our website, social media platforms, and community events to regularly update and engage with the community about our progress and learnings.

Collaborations:

Working closely with other Cardano entities, we will amplify our reach and impact.

Future Development:

Insights gained will guide future content creation and community initiatives, continuously improving and adapting to the community’s needs.

[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?

Capability and Trust:

The NFT Guild, originally founded by the Cardano Foundation and now led by dedicated community members, showcases a diverse team with expertise spanning development, art, and community management. Our record includes successfully organizing over 25 roundtable events and delivering on two funded proposals in Catalyst Fund 8, focused on NFT standards and royalty systems.

Standard for verification of NFTs:

<https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/8/f8-open-standards-and-interoperability/standard-for-verification-of-nfts>

NFT Royalty Standards:

<https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/8/f8-open-standards-and-interoperability/nft-guild-nft-royalty-standards>

In addition, we also successfully completed and closed-out an NFT infrastructure development project.

NFT Swap Infrastructure Templates 1:

<https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/8/f8-open-source-development-ecosystem/nft-swap-infrastructure-templates-1>

We maintain high levels of trust and accountability through:

Transparent Operations: Our activities and fund management are openly tracked and communicated via our Discord server, ensuring transparency and community engagement. All fund movements are transparently tracked in dedicated channels in our Discord server: <https://discord.gg/7HCxDryPHk>

Proven Track Record: Our past successful projects and regular community events demonstrate our ability to deliver on commitments and manage funds responsibly.

The contributions of the NFT Guild have been recognized by IOG in their recently released 'Institutions in the Age of Voltaire' infographic. Yet we face a pivotal moment, our operations have not received any funding since Fund8. Your vote could preserve this key institution and continue our shared journey in Cardano’s evolution.

Feasibility and Goals:

Our project aims to:

Establish the NFT Help Desk: Providing comprehensive support for Cardano NFT creators and developers, thereby lowering entry barriers and boosting productivity.

Produce 'The NFT Guild Shorts': Condensing roundtable insights into short, accessible videos to enhance community knowledge sharing and engagement.

Validation of Feasibility:

Help Desk Operations: Monitoring the launch and sustained activity of the Help Desk over a six-month trial period.

Assessment of Assistance Quality: Evaluating the effectiveness of support provided by recording inquiries and solutions, highlighted by success stories.

“Shorts” Usage and Engagement Tracking: Analyzing the number of inquiries and community engagement with 'The NFT Guild Shorts' (views, likes, comments).

Community Feedback and Observation: Gathering direct feedback and observing community discussions to assess the impact on knowledge sharing and standards adoption.

Our team's diverse expertise and history of successful community engagement position us ideally to execute these initiatives effectively.

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

Milestone 1 - Setup and Initial Launch (Month 1)

Tasks:

• Establish infrastructure for NFT Help Desk and 'The NFT Guild Shorts'.
• Develop and implement a promotion strategy.
• Start operations and release the first set of 'Shorts'.

Deliverables & Outputs:

• Operational NFT Help Desk platform.
• First 6 'NFT Guild Shorts' videos published.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Successful setup and launch of the Help Desk.
• Production and release of the first 6 'Shorts'.

Evidence of Milestone Completion:

• Links to NFT Help Desk and ’NFT Guild Shorts'.
• Reviewers will be able to send an inquiry to the Help Desk.
• Reports or analytics on initial usage and engagement.

>Milestone 2 - Continued Development and Engagement (Month 2)

Tasks:

• Maintain Help Desk services.
• Produce and release the second batch of 6 ’Shorts'.
• Compile initial community feedback.

Deliverables & Outputs:

• Ongoing Help Desk operations.
• Produce and publish 6 'NFT Guild Shorts' videos.
• Initial feedback report.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Consistent operation of the Help Desk.
• Release of the second set of 6 'Shorts'.
• Initial analysis of community feedback.

Evidence of Milestone Completion:

• Links to NFT Help Desk and ’NFT Guild Shorts'.
• Reviewers will be able to send an inquiry to the Help Desk.
• Links to the new 'Shorts'.

>Milestone 3 - Expansion and Continued Engagement (Months 3 & 4)

Tasks:

• Continue Help Desk services.
• Produce and release the third and fourth set of 6 ’Shorts' (12 in total).
• Develop a community feedback and progress report.

Deliverables & Outputs:

• Steady Help Desk support.
• 12 'NFT Guild Shorts' videos (6 per month).

Acceptance Criteria:

• Uninterrupted operation of the Help Desk.
• Completion of the third and fourth set of 'Shorts'.

Evidence of Milestone Completion:

• Links to NFT Help Desk and ’NFT Guild Shorts'.
• Reviewers will be able to send an inquiry to the Help Desk.
• Links to the new 'Shorts'.

>Milestone 4 - Continued Production and Support (Month 5)

Tasks:

• Maintain Help Desk operations.
• Release of the next set of 6 'Shorts'.
• Begin preparing for the final report and close-out.

Deliverables & Outputs:

• Continuous operation of the Help Desk.
• A new batch of 6 'NFT Guild Shorts' videos.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Continuous Help Desk services.
• Production and release of the next 6 'Shorts'.

Evidence of Milestone Completion:

• Links to NFT Help Desk and ’NFT Guild Shorts'.
• Reviewers will be able to send an inquiry to the Help Desk.
• Links to the new 'Shorts'.
• Documentation of ongoing Help Desk activities and 'Shorts' engagement metrics.

>Final Milestone - Continued Operations and Project Close-Out (Month 6)

Tasks:

• Maintain Help Desk operations.
• Finalize and release the last set of 'Shorts'.
• Complete analysis of all project operations.
• Compile and present the close-out report and video.

Deliverables & Outputs:

• Continuous operation of the Help Desk.
• Final 7 'NFT Guild Shorts' videos.
• Comprehensive analysis of project data.
• Final detailed report and video.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Continuous Help Desk services.
• Production and release of the final 7 'Shorts'.
• In-depth final report illustrating project achievements and impacts.
• Informative close-out video.

Evidence of Milestone Completion:

• Links to NFT Help Desk and ’NFT Guild Shorts'.

• Reviewers will be able to send an inquiry to the Help Desk.

• Links to the new 'Shorts'.

• Published close-out report and video.

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

The NFT Guild core team is a global team comprised of individuals with a diverse set of skills and backgrounds. Our team members are spread across various time zones and can offer a broad range of expertise in Cardano and NFTs, covering areas like development, stake pool operations, art, NFT project creation, community management, organization and project Catalyst.

The NFT Guild Core members that will be working on this project are:

Anamaria Kövesdi

<https://www.linkedin.com/in/anamaria-k%C3%B6vesdi-354649106/>

https://www.newmindflow.com

Artist and entrepreneur, in the Cardano NFT space since Day 1. Creator of the Trybbles & Icons Cardano NFT projects. Cardano Project Catalyst funded proposers. Members in various Cardano & Catalyst projects, initiatives & communities over the past 2 and a half years.

Award-winning film director, app and game developer.

In January 2021 moved into the web3 economy granting new life to a previous project in the form of an NFT collection on Cardano.

Since then she has released multiple art NFT collections on Cardano, and has been involved in multiple NFT and Cardano related groups and organisations, most notably being a core member of the NFT Guild.

CENT

<https://github.com/cent-development>

Stake Pool operator of the pool CENT since December 2019. 20 years of experience in software development. Creator of the community tool Cardano Blockchain Intelligence. Graduate of the Plutus Pioneers Program cohort 1, 2021. Project Catalyst funded proposer since F6.

Peter Wolcott

Peter Wolcott is an experienced facilitator, a human coordinator and a Project Catalyst decentralized worker. Peter’s small business and startup management insights blend revolutionary stakeholder management ethics with current and evolving virtual office administrativia toolkits. His day job currently is an IT services apprenticeship at a biotech startup.

<https://www.linkedin.com/in/sirwolcott>

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

All received funds will be fed into a project's Treasury. From there the funds will be distributed to project contributors.

The NFT Guild will coordinate all project-related activities and operations and will ensure a fair reward to participating contributors.

In our calculations we used the average price of ADA over the last 90 days: $0.2874.

Our budget reflects the goals of this project, and consequently is split between 2 main activities: the set up and maintenance of the Help Desk and the production and publishing of the NFT Guild Shorts.

Regarding the NFT Guild Help Desk the main task will be that of running it and responding to inquiries in a timely manner.

In addition to the Help Desk inquiries the project will also require a few one-time tasks:

• Help Desk infrastructure setup - 6 hours
• Promotional plan preparations and coordination - 12 hours
• Execution of the initial promotional campaign and continued promotion throughout the first 6 months - 64 hours
• Data collection and analysis report x 3 - 24 hours
• Catalyst Administrative Tasks (monthly reports + milestone proof of achievement submissions + closeout report) - this will cover both parts of the proposal - 36 hours

Since the initial six months of the NFT Developer Help Desk operations will serve as a test run, we estimate we will require approximately 10000 ADA per month for successful operation. This amount takes into consideration the fact that we will need the expertise of Cardano Blockchain developers to answer most of the questions.

Considering the mixture of both technical and non-technical expertise required for the set-up of the Help Desk we estimate an average hourly rate of 200 ADA/hour.

Total: (10000*6)+28400 = 88400

The work that needs to be done for each NFT Guild Short can be broken down into 2 distinct phases: Production and Publishing.

• The Production phase will include:
• design and edit of an intro
• preparing the video content
• making a rough cut of the short
• text animation and explainers
• colour correction
• sound enhancements
• final edit render
• The Publishing phase will include:
• upload of the short to YouTube
• description, keyword, and title crafting
• custom thumbnail design
• transcript and video subtitles
• announcement in the NFT Guild Discord server and social channels
• publishing on the NFT Guild website

We estimate that these tasks will take on average 12 hours per video. The current catalog of NFT Guild Roundtables has 25 recordings that need to be edited, and we anticipate that we will host an additional 12 roundtable meetings over the course of the lifetime of this proposal, giving us a number of 37 recordings to edit.

Our budget is designed to be cost-efficient and is based on standard market rates, consequently we will use an average rate of 200 ADA/h.

Total: 12*37*200 = 88800 ADA

Thus we estimate the total budget required for the completion of all tasks pertaining to this proposal, and the successful delivery of the project to be 177200 ADA.

Given the pioneering nature of this project, and as such, factoring in the higher than average likelihood of unforeseen costs to emerge, we will add a contingency budget of 10% bringing the total amount requested to 194920 ADA.

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

Our budget for "NFT Guild: Developer Education Initiatives" is calculated with a focus on effectiveness and value to the Cardano ecosystem. The costs are based on the estimated effort and hours required, drawn from our experience with similar initiatives. As this is a novel project, our estimations aim to be fair and realistic, using insights from our previous NFT Guild initiatives as a guide.

When evaluating the value for money of the project we need to take into account these key considerations:

Global Team with Fair Rates: Our team, comprising members globally, utilizes average hourly rates that reflect a balance between different regional wage standards. This approach ensures that the project's cost is proportional to typical freelance rates in the blockchain and NFT industry.

Help Desk as a Unique Resource: The NFT Help Desk will serve as a crucial resource, providing clarity and support for NFT-related matters to developers. This enhances user experience in the ecosystem and offers insights into community challenges, guiding future improvements.

'The NFT Guild Shorts' Impact: These shorts will boost community engagement and knowledge sharing. An informed and active community is vital for Cardano’s growth, and these educational resources will facilitate the development and adoption of NFT standards, leading to a more efficient ecosystem.

Long-term Benefits: The project is designed to create lasting resources. Both the Help Desk and 'The NFT Guild Shorts' will continue to provide value well beyond the project's lifetime, with educational content remaining relevant for new and existing community members.

Cost-Effective Investment: Considering the potential long-term benefits and high-quality output, the project is a cost-effective investment. The anticipated increase in community participation, knowledge sharing, and standardization in the NFT space on Cardano represents significant value.

In summary, our proposal represents great value for money, balancing fair compensation for a diverse team with the anticipated long-term benefits to the Cardano ecosystem. The initiative is set to enhance community engagement, streamline knowledge sharing, and support the growth and innovation within the Cardano NFT space.