MaverickKuhn
New member
Hello DashNation,
We're excited to share with you a project we've been working on for quite some time now. We love this community and would love your honest feedback on our proposal.
Problem
Hype around Cryptocurrency and Blockchain is at an all time high, but education hasn’t kept pace. We all know, firsthand, the power of cryptocurrencies and blockchain. But the average person? Probably not.
Why?
Well, there are a number of factors limiting widespread adoption and acceptance, but we believe the most important one is education–the barriers to entry for the cryptocurrency industry are monumental, and there is a widespread lack of quality educational content for first-time users.
Currently available educational options are disjointed, untrustworthy, and confusing. If it was easy for your average Joe to understand the implications and use cases of blockchain, we’d see mass adoption occur far more quickly. This would benefit not only the cryptocurrency market/blockchain space but also our global economy and society as a whole.
That’s why we created BitSavvy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing unbiased and accessible crypto-educational content for all. Our platform includes guides, explainer videos, and tutorials about wallets and exchanges, all for free. Our overarching mission is to advance the adoption of decentralized technologies, and we feel that the best way to do this is to distribute education as broadly as possible.
Goals
We aim to educate the public about the value of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, including Dash. As a nonprofit organization, we believe strongly in unbiased analysis of the space. Our credibility, and by extension the value of our organization, rests on our objective explanations of concepts, cryptocurrencies, and products.
That said, Dash is an beautiful case study in self governance and integration of multiple consensus models, and as such we mention Dash and these unique features on our beta site.
What have we done so far?
We have produced a full platform that includes 4k videos, animations, guides, and in-depth content. It currently serves thousands of users and we are continuously improving based on feedback we get. We’ve taken the last half year to produce the content, web dev, design, and videography all in house. It’s up at www.bitbuddy.org (our current website is Bitbuddy, but we are rebranding to BitSavvy).
We are planning on making significant changes to our branding and platform. In order to appeal to a mainstream audience we plan to mature our brand into a more professional and rock-solid platform while still maintaining an approachable and engaging UI. Our website as it stands serves as a beta, and when we switch from Bitbuddy to BitSavvy, we will not only expand and improve upon all content currently on the website but also include entirely new features. Making this change to a more professional platform takes seed funding, hence our proposal.
We’re now in the process of securing sponsorships and funding to focus on expansion of educational content and distribution to those outside the space. We feel that partnerships with reputable organizations like Dash could be beneficial to both parties.
Who are we?
We are four undergraduate students from Brown University who are passionate about decentralized technologies. We have been interested in cryptocurrencies since 2013, and our frustration with the space’s lack of transparency and accessibility motivated us to create a better educational solution. We’ve taken time off school to work on this full time, living in Berkeley, CA, living and breathing Cryptocurrency and Blockchain.
You can check out our bios and learn more at: https://www.bitbuddy.org/about
Offer
By voting yes, you are sponsoring the BitSavvy platform. What does this mean? At the top of the landing page and in our content, we will give credit to the generosity of the Dash network, which has allowed our nonprofit, free educational resource to continue to operate and expand.
This benefits Dash in three main ways:
Marketing Strategy
We think it’s relevant to do a little competitive analysis here and present to you the educational resources out there right now. These tend to fall into two broad categories: Product/News Sites, and For Profit Education. Many news outlets and products (i.e. Coindesk and Coinbase) have put out their own crypto-beginner-guides. These often haven’t been given the energy or resources to create valuable content and tackle the confusions of new users. With that in mind, we do not see this type of content as providing the necessary value for new users. This brings us to for profit educational sites, like 99Bitcoins or WeUseCoins. These websites are sometimes able to produce understandable content, but they run into a trust issue. These websites very often use unmarked referral links, or are generally more concerned with pushing you to buy a certain coin than explaining fundamentals. Thus, the user is not sure if they can trust the education provider. Our impression of these websites is that they are trying to skim off the top, so to speak, and use newcomers to profit. This is to the detriment of both the user and the crypto-space. We will change this culture.
As it stands, no crypto-brand has been able to break out of the crypto ecosystem. There are cryptos, exchanges, wallets, and education sites, but none have successfully broken through to mainstream awareness besides maybe Bitcoin itself, but most people don’t even understand what that word means!
Our goal is to be that brand that breaks through to the general public. How will we do that?
We are practicing social listening to find out the pain points of our users and then addressing those in our content. The quality of our content will be unmatched because it is our primary focus: not profit, not creating some other product, but maximizing value for users. That said, here are our actionable marketing steps:
We want growth to be organic, inspiring peer to peer distribution. Our plan is to build a community on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Youtube, Reddit, Instagram, and Twitter. We will have an active presence on these channels, posting blog updates, videos, and helpful resources.
More specifically, we are working on partnerships with various subreddits, which redirect users to us for beginner education. We are already listed in subreddits with an accumulated 40k followers, but have been in talks with subreddits which would add half a million more subscribers of exposure. For an example of what this looks like see the right side bar of https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoTechnology/
Our other plan for distribution is to leverage strategic partnerships to gain media presence. Our educational content will be featured on various platforms, including Breadwallet and Ethos. We will be featured in media outlets, and connect with influencers to back our project. We have already been featured in a couple crypto-orientated media outlets, but are working towards breaking into mainstream media.
A combination of unmatched, share-ready content, distribution through media of many kinds, and help from strategic partners will allow us to be the first brand that can actually climb of the crypto-space and be known by the public at large. We feel that this will lead to the best, healthiest growth for Cryptocurrency and Blockchain, and, if Dash chooses to support us, our growth will directly support the Dash community.
Why are we asking for funding?
Currently, our beta platform features beginner’s guides, instructional videos, and deeper dives into more complex topics for those that are interested.
We’re looking to expand considerably.
We want to create beautiful, fully animated videos that will allow anyone to grasp key concepts intuitively (for reference, this is the agency we are in talks with: https://www.behance.net/gallery/57561055/Bot-Central-Animation) and fully developed guides complete with cohesive illustrations for every complex concept, procuring an educational flow.
We are focused on User Experience and dedicated to nailing down First Principle fundamental knowledge for our users. We don’t want them to leave the site having watched another “Bitcoin Video,” we want them to emerge from the site ready to tackle their first transaction, ready to make smart investments, ready to develop new Dash software, ready to provide actual value to the space.
Additionally, we will include screen captures explaining every exchange, honest wallet reviews, even starting tools for developers, and free courses on investment so that people have the fundamental tools to make smarter decisions that are healthier for the ecosystem.
We’ve already partnered with the Blockchain Education Network and Blockchain @ Berkeley to talk about these expansions. We need the seed funding to get BitSavvy off the ground, and while everyone touts the importance of education in this space, relatively few are actually willing to contribute to this cause.
We’re hoping you’re different. We’ve come to Dash because we’ve seen you put your money where your mouth is and contribute to valuable projects.
Expenditure breakdown and content expansion summary:
Production
Web design and development ~ $6,500 (working on a deal with a design firm)
Cohesive Illustrations ~ $7,000 (arranging a package deal with a graphic designer [to work with the motion graphics agency] to produce cohesive illustrations throughout the website, that all match the brand identity)
Jquery interactions specialist ~ $2,500 (We want web interactions such as a blockchain and wallet demo/visualization for immersive User Experience)
Knock ‘em dead animated videos ~ $19,000 (Single agency to produce all motion graphic explainers, including sound design, voiceovers, and animations)
To come after website has been produced and Masternodes approve of quality:
Marketing
SEO consultant ~ $3000 (hourly)
Targeted advertising ~ $7000 (to be used for various social media platforms)
Influencer Partnerships ~ $5000 (Youtube and Twitter)
These funds will allow us to produce fully fluid and professional content, of the caliber that today’s public has come to expect from respectable educational services and nonprofits. Shoddily presented content, even if it’s free, just won’t cut it in this space. There’s money at stake, and if people feel they aren’t in good hands or are in over their heads, they’ll be gone before you can say “blockchain is a distributed, peer to peer technology.”
Funding request: 85 DASH
We estimate that product development and distribution will cost us roughly $50,000. First, we are asking for $35,000 or 85 DASH (plus 5 DASH back for the proposal cost) to produce the website and content. Once the product is up and running, we will return to the Masternodes with a second proposal of $15,000 or 35 DASH for the SEO, marketing, and distribution. Only if the Masternodes are satisfied with the quality we have produced, will we be able to receive the second round of funding.
As we mentioned, we are a nonprofit and haven’t taken a single cent so far as salary. We want this product to be as well produced as it can possibly be, and are committed to a results-first mindset. Due to the up-front nature of nearly all of the above costs, we request that production funding be deposited in one lump sum of 85 DASH.
Communication Strategy
The money granted to us by the Dash treasury would be used to directly produce high quality content. Upon production and launch, we will provide monthly reports on total user base and users directed to the Dash website.
In the event that we ask the Dash treasury to support us again in the future, we fully expected to be judged on the basis of our contribution to the Dash and larger cryptocurrency community, which these numbers will help quantify.
We’re putting our names and reputations on the line, and have no intentions of backing down from our promises (in fact, given the open nature of our site, it’s impossible for us to run and hide).
Summary
BitSavvy seeks to accelerate the adoption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain through free, accessible, reputable nonprofit education. We’re asking for 85 DASH (plus the application fee of 5 DASH) to expand, revamp, and distribute our content. In return, Dash will be listed as a sponsor of our material and therefore recognized as a leader in the educational space and a supporter of nonprofit organizations. Ultimately, this sponsorship will drive traffic to the Dash ecosystem and facilitate the adoption of crypto and blockchain, which is beneficial for the Dash community.
We're excited to share with you a project we've been working on for quite some time now. We love this community and would love your honest feedback on our proposal.
Problem
Hype around Cryptocurrency and Blockchain is at an all time high, but education hasn’t kept pace. We all know, firsthand, the power of cryptocurrencies and blockchain. But the average person? Probably not.
Why?
Well, there are a number of factors limiting widespread adoption and acceptance, but we believe the most important one is education–the barriers to entry for the cryptocurrency industry are monumental, and there is a widespread lack of quality educational content for first-time users.
Currently available educational options are disjointed, untrustworthy, and confusing. If it was easy for your average Joe to understand the implications and use cases of blockchain, we’d see mass adoption occur far more quickly. This would benefit not only the cryptocurrency market/blockchain space but also our global economy and society as a whole.
That’s why we created BitSavvy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing unbiased and accessible crypto-educational content for all. Our platform includes guides, explainer videos, and tutorials about wallets and exchanges, all for free. Our overarching mission is to advance the adoption of decentralized technologies, and we feel that the best way to do this is to distribute education as broadly as possible.
Goals
We aim to educate the public about the value of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, including Dash. As a nonprofit organization, we believe strongly in unbiased analysis of the space. Our credibility, and by extension the value of our organization, rests on our objective explanations of concepts, cryptocurrencies, and products.
That said, Dash is an beautiful case study in self governance and integration of multiple consensus models, and as such we mention Dash and these unique features on our beta site.
What have we done so far?
We have produced a full platform that includes 4k videos, animations, guides, and in-depth content. It currently serves thousands of users and we are continuously improving based on feedback we get. We’ve taken the last half year to produce the content, web dev, design, and videography all in house. It’s up at www.bitbuddy.org (our current website is Bitbuddy, but we are rebranding to BitSavvy).
We are planning on making significant changes to our branding and platform. In order to appeal to a mainstream audience we plan to mature our brand into a more professional and rock-solid platform while still maintaining an approachable and engaging UI. Our website as it stands serves as a beta, and when we switch from Bitbuddy to BitSavvy, we will not only expand and improve upon all content currently on the website but also include entirely new features. Making this change to a more professional platform takes seed funding, hence our proposal.
We’re now in the process of securing sponsorships and funding to focus on expansion of educational content and distribution to those outside the space. We feel that partnerships with reputable organizations like Dash could be beneficial to both parties.
Who are we?
We are four undergraduate students from Brown University who are passionate about decentralized technologies. We have been interested in cryptocurrencies since 2013, and our frustration with the space’s lack of transparency and accessibility motivated us to create a better educational solution. We’ve taken time off school to work on this full time, living in Berkeley, CA, living and breathing Cryptocurrency and Blockchain.
You can check out our bios and learn more at: https://www.bitbuddy.org/about
Offer
By voting yes, you are sponsoring the BitSavvy platform. What does this mean? At the top of the landing page and in our content, we will give credit to the generosity of the Dash network, which has allowed our nonprofit, free educational resource to continue to operate and expand.
This benefits Dash in three main ways:
- By featuring your logo and highlighting the unique aspects of your ecosystem, we drive interest and new users to your network. Users will be able to easily reroute to your website, and we will track the total traffic driven and offer reports on the efficacy of our sponsorship information placement.
- Partnership with us means partnership with an educational nonprofit. Let’s be honest–a lot of the projects in this space (including educational ones) are money grabs. Not us. We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and none of us have taken a cent from the organization thus far. Every DASH you give us will be directly used to promote education. For a low cost, Dash publicly reaffirms their honest educational intentions and demonstrates its commitment to bringing the general public on board in an unbiased way.
- A rising tide floats all boats, including Dash’s. Our full time mission to accelerate Cryptocurrency and Blockchain adoption quite directly affects the success of Dash and its whole ecosystem. We believe that an unbiased, trustworthy, accessible resource for the general public will bring huge interest and capital into the space. If BitSavvy is at the center of that transition, then so is Dash.
- (bonus) Our main theme color actually happens to be blue as well. So, when first time users come into the space, they will associate the blue color with trustworthiness/authority for cryptocurrency related brands.
Marketing Strategy
We think it’s relevant to do a little competitive analysis here and present to you the educational resources out there right now. These tend to fall into two broad categories: Product/News Sites, and For Profit Education. Many news outlets and products (i.e. Coindesk and Coinbase) have put out their own crypto-beginner-guides. These often haven’t been given the energy or resources to create valuable content and tackle the confusions of new users. With that in mind, we do not see this type of content as providing the necessary value for new users. This brings us to for profit educational sites, like 99Bitcoins or WeUseCoins. These websites are sometimes able to produce understandable content, but they run into a trust issue. These websites very often use unmarked referral links, or are generally more concerned with pushing you to buy a certain coin than explaining fundamentals. Thus, the user is not sure if they can trust the education provider. Our impression of these websites is that they are trying to skim off the top, so to speak, and use newcomers to profit. This is to the detriment of both the user and the crypto-space. We will change this culture.
As it stands, no crypto-brand has been able to break out of the crypto ecosystem. There are cryptos, exchanges, wallets, and education sites, but none have successfully broken through to mainstream awareness besides maybe Bitcoin itself, but most people don’t even understand what that word means!
Our goal is to be that brand that breaks through to the general public. How will we do that?
We are practicing social listening to find out the pain points of our users and then addressing those in our content. The quality of our content will be unmatched because it is our primary focus: not profit, not creating some other product, but maximizing value for users. That said, here are our actionable marketing steps:
We want growth to be organic, inspiring peer to peer distribution. Our plan is to build a community on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Youtube, Reddit, Instagram, and Twitter. We will have an active presence on these channels, posting blog updates, videos, and helpful resources.
More specifically, we are working on partnerships with various subreddits, which redirect users to us for beginner education. We are already listed in subreddits with an accumulated 40k followers, but have been in talks with subreddits which would add half a million more subscribers of exposure. For an example of what this looks like see the right side bar of https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoTechnology/
Our other plan for distribution is to leverage strategic partnerships to gain media presence. Our educational content will be featured on various platforms, including Breadwallet and Ethos. We will be featured in media outlets, and connect with influencers to back our project. We have already been featured in a couple crypto-orientated media outlets, but are working towards breaking into mainstream media.
A combination of unmatched, share-ready content, distribution through media of many kinds, and help from strategic partners will allow us to be the first brand that can actually climb of the crypto-space and be known by the public at large. We feel that this will lead to the best, healthiest growth for Cryptocurrency and Blockchain, and, if Dash chooses to support us, our growth will directly support the Dash community.
Why are we asking for funding?
Currently, our beta platform features beginner’s guides, instructional videos, and deeper dives into more complex topics for those that are interested.
We’re looking to expand considerably.
We want to create beautiful, fully animated videos that will allow anyone to grasp key concepts intuitively (for reference, this is the agency we are in talks with: https://www.behance.net/gallery/57561055/Bot-Central-Animation) and fully developed guides complete with cohesive illustrations for every complex concept, procuring an educational flow.
We are focused on User Experience and dedicated to nailing down First Principle fundamental knowledge for our users. We don’t want them to leave the site having watched another “Bitcoin Video,” we want them to emerge from the site ready to tackle their first transaction, ready to make smart investments, ready to develop new Dash software, ready to provide actual value to the space.
Additionally, we will include screen captures explaining every exchange, honest wallet reviews, even starting tools for developers, and free courses on investment so that people have the fundamental tools to make smarter decisions that are healthier for the ecosystem.
We’ve already partnered with the Blockchain Education Network and Blockchain @ Berkeley to talk about these expansions. We need the seed funding to get BitSavvy off the ground, and while everyone touts the importance of education in this space, relatively few are actually willing to contribute to this cause.
We’re hoping you’re different. We’ve come to Dash because we’ve seen you put your money where your mouth is and contribute to valuable projects.
Expenditure breakdown and content expansion summary:
Production
Web design and development ~ $6,500 (working on a deal with a design firm)
Cohesive Illustrations ~ $7,000 (arranging a package deal with a graphic designer [to work with the motion graphics agency] to produce cohesive illustrations throughout the website, that all match the brand identity)
Jquery interactions specialist ~ $2,500 (We want web interactions such as a blockchain and wallet demo/visualization for immersive User Experience)
Knock ‘em dead animated videos ~ $19,000 (Single agency to produce all motion graphic explainers, including sound design, voiceovers, and animations)
To come after website has been produced and Masternodes approve of quality:
Marketing
SEO consultant ~ $3000 (hourly)
Targeted advertising ~ $7000 (to be used for various social media platforms)
Influencer Partnerships ~ $5000 (Youtube and Twitter)
These funds will allow us to produce fully fluid and professional content, of the caliber that today’s public has come to expect from respectable educational services and nonprofits. Shoddily presented content, even if it’s free, just won’t cut it in this space. There’s money at stake, and if people feel they aren’t in good hands or are in over their heads, they’ll be gone before you can say “blockchain is a distributed, peer to peer technology.”
Funding request: 85 DASH
We estimate that product development and distribution will cost us roughly $50,000. First, we are asking for $35,000 or 85 DASH (plus 5 DASH back for the proposal cost) to produce the website and content. Once the product is up and running, we will return to the Masternodes with a second proposal of $15,000 or 35 DASH for the SEO, marketing, and distribution. Only if the Masternodes are satisfied with the quality we have produced, will we be able to receive the second round of funding.
As we mentioned, we are a nonprofit and haven’t taken a single cent so far as salary. We want this product to be as well produced as it can possibly be, and are committed to a results-first mindset. Due to the up-front nature of nearly all of the above costs, we request that production funding be deposited in one lump sum of 85 DASH.
Communication Strategy
The money granted to us by the Dash treasury would be used to directly produce high quality content. Upon production and launch, we will provide monthly reports on total user base and users directed to the Dash website.
In the event that we ask the Dash treasury to support us again in the future, we fully expected to be judged on the basis of our contribution to the Dash and larger cryptocurrency community, which these numbers will help quantify.
We’re putting our names and reputations on the line, and have no intentions of backing down from our promises (in fact, given the open nature of our site, it’s impossible for us to run and hide).
Summary
BitSavvy seeks to accelerate the adoption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain through free, accessible, reputable nonprofit education. We’re asking for 85 DASH (plus the application fee of 5 DASH) to expand, revamp, and distribute our content. In return, Dash will be listed as a sponsor of our material and therefore recognized as a leader in the educational space and a supporter of nonprofit organizations. Ultimately, this sponsorship will drive traffic to the Dash ecosystem and facilitate the adoption of crypto and blockchain, which is beneficial for the Dash community.