What is Burblr?

Let’s make books fun. Welcome to Burblr - the world’s first NFT Dapp on the Cardano ecosystem that allows users to collect and trade exclusively minted Works (eBooks and audio books) from their favorite authors.

 

Why now?

Over the next 5-10 years, we believe digitalization of assets has a strong outlook and will continue to trend upward, specifically for literary assets in the form of eBooks and audio books. This presents a timely opportunity for Burblr to offer a way for people to collect, showcase, and trade literary assets. As certain aspects of society become more and more centralized, Burblr can leverage the Cardano ecosystem to offer access to authentic literary assets in a decentralized way.

 

How does it work?

Getting started - Users can access Burblr from the good old fashioned internet where they can create a free account at burblr.io.

 

• Boxes - next, users can choose their favorite genre of eBooks/audio books such as mystery, autobiography, or others, then wait for the next Box Drop to buy their first Box. Box Drops happen periodically and any user can join the fun with just a credit card. Each Box consists of various Works, or eBooks and audiobooks with serialized minted NFTs.

Boxes come in 3 flavors:

o Basic (starting at $6) - contains numerous Basic Works (eBooks/audio books) across various genres unless stated otherwise.

o Rare (starting at $49) - contains multiple Rare Works (eBooks/audio books) across various genres unless stated otherwise.

o Immortal (starting at $149) - contains some Immortal Works (eBooks/audio books) across various genres unless stated otherwise.

 

 

• Marketplace - Users can buy and sell Works they acquire on the Marketplace. Works can be purchased in fiat or crypto such as ADA (we are planning to add support for other cryptos as the need arises). Sellers are charged a 5% transaction fee for each sale. Works will fluctuate in value based on many factors, including but not limited to serial number and type of Work. Works on can be shared on social media so anyone could view them on the Marketplace (though they’d need an account to buy).

 

• Library - Users can store Works in the Library and read/listen to them at any time. They can also showcase their favorite Works to the Community by making them public.

 

• Community - Users can view other users profiles, including any published social media links, favorite genre, and showcased Works.

 

• Challenges - Users can participate in periodic Challenges where they need to collect specific Works in order to claim the Challenge Box which would contain special edition Works. For example, they might need to collect 8 different autobiographies in order to unlock the Challenge Box which contains a Rare autobiography.

 

• Status - The Status of a user represents how much they’ve accomplished, the higher the Status the more they can unlock.

Status levels:

o Noob o Amateur o Pro o Elite o Legend o Icon

Where would these Works come from?

• Burblr would mint NFTs for these Works in conjunction with established publishers as well as independent authors (self-publishing). In order to bring larger publishers on board, we take a partnership approach by offering a percentage of seller transaction sales in the Marketplace for affiliated Works. We would also make it frictionless for independent authors, allowing them to simply provide their eBook/audiobooks which would be minted into serialized NFTs for a fee.

 

How are Works in Boxes selected?

• We deploy a proprietary algorithm that curates Works into various Boxes based on a range of criteria, including but not limited to genre, rating, author, and historical sales.

 

Why Burblr?

• Mass adoption

There are millions upon millions of people who read on tablets, smartphones, and laptops. If you were to walk into a bar with 10 people and ask them about NFTs, how many would know what you’re talking about? The guy who had too much to drink doesn’t count because he agrees with everything, but it’s likely that perhaps one or two, ok maybe three, would nod and say something like yea NFTs are great! Realistically, they likely wouldn’t know what NFTs truly are and what value they provide. But, what if someone could engage with NFTs from their tablet, laptop, or smartphone without even knowing it because it’s just that easy? Burblr takes a deeply intuitive approach by allowing users to buy Boxes in fiat or crypto, eliminating a massive barrier to entry for humans who are not crypto-centric. This means that users can seamlessly use Burblr without any roadblocks other than a credit card - in and of itself we believe this to be a significant element in attracting mainstream usage of Burblr and thus the Cardano ecosystem.

 

• Utility and Value

NFTs of neon cheeseburgers and sparkly cats are great, but Burblr also offers a layer of meaningful utility where you can actually access and read or listen to your Works, just like you would outside of crypto. This makes it something that can be used in conjunction with one of the world’s oldest past times, reading. By utilizing Burblr, publishers and independent authors can create a new revenue stream by leveraging NFTs to track the sale of their works, allowing them to capitalize on opportunities otherwise unavailable on the secondary market. In other words, if you were to read something and give it to a friend nobody else would really know. The author also doesn’t get paid, hence the astronomical price of text-books, as publishers know the likelihood of losing money on the secondary market is magnitudes higher than not. Now with Burblr, each Work would correspond to an NFT with a smart contract that is structured to pay out commission on each sale.

 

• Fun

Books are inherently boring, ok maybe the things you read are interesting but a book by itself is merely, well, boring (seriously). The novelty of being in a bookstore has faded and is logistically difficult in a post-Covid world. Burblr delivers the experience in a whole new way where there is excitement at every level, allowing readers to not only derive value from the things they read, but also from the initial purchase down through showcasing a collection (humans love to collect things). The prospect of opening a Box that may have exceptionally valuable and interesting Works is something that is incredibly fun.

 

How much money are we asking for?

• We’re asking for thirty-thousand dollars ($30,000). Twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) would be allocated to tech and development while five thousand ($5,000) would go towards tax and legal fees. Marketing, Sales, Partnership Acquisition, and other necessary functions will be performed gratis.

 

What is our definition of success after 3, 6, and 12 months?

• 3 months - On the technical end, development is at full-speed and the Dapp is in the process of being built. On the business development side, partnerships with major publishers and self-publishing authors are being explored. Marketing efforts are being accelerated to increase exposure and drive pre-signups on Burblr.io.

• 6 months - On the technical end, development is nearing completion and testing/QA is being performed. Finishing touches are being added to have a fully functioning robust web Dapp. On the business development side, partnerships with major publishers and self-publishing authors are coalescing into the final stages of agreeing upon terms, content selection, distribution, and minting of NFTs. Marketing is preparing a push to engage our customer segments for our official web Dapp launch.

• 12 months - On the technical end, iOS and Droid apps for smartphones and tablets are being developed. Additional development is also being done on the web Dapp to fix any bugs and optimize performance. On the business and marketing side, existing partnerships with major publishers continue to expand and flourish with the addition of new content. Additional partnerships with major publishers are being pursued. Formal joint marketing and PR efforts are being pursued with existing publishers and independent authors.

 

How would Burblr generate revenue?

• 5% Marketplace Seller transaction fee

• Box Sales

• Fees from Publishers to mint NFTs of eBooks/audio books

• Fees from Independent Authors to mint NFTs of eBooks/audio books

 

What would the future beyond the initial web Dapp look like?

• Burblr mobile Dapps for smartphones and tablets

• Expand and develop partnerships with key publishers

• Add additional employees to scale growth

Why Cardano and Project Catalyst?

• Secure, cost-effective blockchain designed to scale for future growth

• Non-rivalrous process

• Engaged and energized community

• Exceptional leadership and execution

 

How does Burbr impact key metrics of this challenge?

When asking, is Burblr an NFT Dapp that will attract users near and far from the world Cardano? The answer is a resounding Yes. Why? It’s quite simple, humans tend to be more comfortable with what they know. People are comfortable using fiat currencies, they are buying food and their morning cup of coffee with it. I think the saying goes - if it ain’t broke then..create a Dapp that allows people to simply use a credit card to seamlessly access the Cardano ecosystem without even knowing it, or something like that.

The point is - credit cards are easy, accepted, and intuitive (did I mention easy?). By building a bridge between mainstream and Cardano with fiat, we believe this will significantly strengthen the viability of our Dapp immediately as well as in the future.

 

Why will Burblr provide maximum value for end users in 2021?

Some of the most profitable apps that serve as the foundation of other ecosystems have one thing in common - they use gamification. Have you ever caught yourself in the iOS or Android store spending yet just a few more dollars to get that special item or unlock that new level? You’re not alone - while it seems mundane, gamification is a truly intricate and profoundly effective way to get millions of people to engage (and have fun). Our unique approach to gamification is a key differentiator of Burblr that will drive growth, allowing for maximum value.

In addition, numerous Cardanians (and non but hopefully soon to be Cardanians) love to read. Burblr reimagines the reading and publishing experience in a whole new way while addressing piracy, freedom of expression, and for the first time ever - a way to capitalize on secondary market sales in perpetuity for authors and publishers (let’s get the disrupting started). It also doesn’t hurt that fees to use Burblr are dramatically more cost effective than other popular eBook and audio book platforms.

We know this (yes this, this whole journey we are all on together through the blockchain frontier) is new for everyone, why over complicate it when you don’t have to? That’s our sentiment with Bublr, a non-art NFT Dapp that makes the largest impact with the least amount of complexity by not reinventing the wheel, just making it more fun and effective.

 

When will Burblr be publicly launched?

• Burblr is expected to be publicly launched by the end of Q4 2021.

 

Who is leading Burblr into battle?

Louis

Louis has held senior leadership positions in various capacities, including Operations, Finance, Sales, Marketing, Management, Product Development, and Partnership Acquisition. Louis entered the tech space in a leadership role at a growth stage RegTech firm where he focused on product development for hedge funds as well as securing deals with major financial institutions. Previously, Louis was Director of Operations at a New York hedge fund where he was responsible for overseeing trading operations as well as contributing to the compliance efforts of the firm. Louis began his career in finance at BNP Paribas Asset Management, where he served in an investment data capacity for fixed income and derivative securities as well as delivered presentations to institutional clients.

 

In addition, Louis has held critical leadership roles in various early stage ventures with a proven track record of success, including appointment setting app Booksy, where he was responsible for establishing sales and partnerships in the U.S. market. Louis had also secured landmark partnerships during other early stage ventures, including with one of the world’s largest electronics retailers and another with a global railway company. Louis is passionate about pursuing excellence and is really just a human who enjoys learning, spending time with his family, and some time outdoors. Louis is not Batman.

 

Sam

Samuel is an experienced Full Stack Web Developer and a Multidisciplinary Production Artist. Developer, Designer, Musician and Photographer, Samuel specializes in building explosive websites and appealing digital campaigns for media agencies, start-ups, businesses and government entities. Meticulous and passionate, Samuel regularly works with some of the largest marketing companies in Eastern and Atlantic Canada and helps bring to life nationwide digital campaigns.

 

With an extensive experience of large-scale corporate infrastructure and 16 years as a successful freelancer, Samuel regularly oversees technical architectures that reaches millions of users.

 

Lauren

Lauren is a results oriented and accomplished Sales & Marketing professional, with notable achievements in the Fortune 500 as well as startups. She had previously served as Head of Sales & Marketing at TruckTractorTrailer.com (“TTT”), an innovative early stage venture disrupting the transportation industry where she established the sales team as well as forged a partnership with global trucking leaders, Schneider, TA Petro, and Taycor Financial.

 

Prior to joining TTT, Lauren spent nearly a decade at Aramark where she was responsible for leading business development efforts and shaping enterprise wide initiatives. In addition, Lauren served as Co-Founder and lead marketing efforts for an early stage virtual reality venture where she played a key role in establishing a partnership with one of the world’s largest energy companies. Lauren has also driven growth for LaunchIt PR by successfully building sales and marketing efforts from the ground up, allowing for rapid expansion into new sectors.

 

Steven

Steven is a full-stack developer with over 15 years of experience in backend and frontend development. Worked on everything from a self-directing photo booth to eCommerce solutions for Fortune 500 companies. Been invested in the crypto sector for a few years experimenting with blockchain and smart contracts.

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