“Cardano Cube is your go-to informative platform focussed on the Cardano Ecosystem. We provide our retail users with high quality information so that they can draw their own well-informed conclusions.”
Its developers define the platform this way and it is an accurate description. I have used the platform several times to search for information about developments in Cardano, verifying it has complete content and great presentation.
Cardano Cube has been online for three years in the Cardano ecosystem, and the mission, published on the platform, is to make information for network users more accessible, providing an overview of all the projects that are developed, or are being built, on the Cardano Blockchain.
The platform divides its content into three search menus: “Explore”, “Community” and “Resources”.
In the Explore menu you can find everything related to the projects developed on the Cardano blockchain:
The most prominent members of the community and the projects that are discontinued are published in the Community menu:
In the Resources menu you can find news about Cardano, in the form of written articles and videos, news on the advances of the network infrastructure developed by IOG, and tools for developers:
As I said, it is a very complete and well-organized site.
According to the query I made on the official Project Catalyst site, the developers have submitted one proposal in FUND7 and three others in FUND8, only having received funding in one of them:
FUND7 Cardano Cube – Ecosystem Overview not funded
FUND8 Project Management – Cardano Cube not funded
FUND8 Upcoming Events – Cardano Cube not funded
FUND8 Educational Platform – Cardano Cube funded
Now let’s look at the proposal for this FUND12 from Project Catalyst.
The proposal
Cardano Cube proposes to enhance its current platform to serve as a central site for Cardano-related news and educational content, allowing the community to become content creators.
By consolidating Cardano content into a single platform, users will no longer have to search through multiple outlets to find relevant news and information.
Under the proposal, content creators will benefit from greater visibility of their work. Content creators will have dedicated pages on Cardano Cube, with tools and processes to publish articles on the platform, streamlining dissemination.
The developers of this proposal propose turning the platform into a valuable resource, as a central hub for news and information, for both newcomers and experienced participants. They aspire for Cardano Cube to contribute to the overall promotion and growth of the Cardano ecosystem.
The main features of the platform will include:
- Content creation: typical tools of content management systems, such as adding images, embedding videos, and referencing projects in Cardano Cube. The WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor will work similarly to Medium.com, with quick editing, the ability to write drafts for ongoing editing, and the option to schedule them for publication at any time
- Content Creators: option to indicate whether the article represents a project they are officially affiliated with or an individual entity, improving inclusivity and engagement within the platform
- Classification/taxonomies: ability to reference existing projects in Cardano Cube, and assign categories and tags to index content
- Content source: a dynamic feed will be presented, where the most recent content appears at the top, as well as navigation filters for personalized search
- Subscriptions: subscription option for preferred content, with notifications of new articles
Writer’s note: the proposal doesn’t clarify whether the material is curated.
The Milestones
Milestone 1
User interface design for content exploration on the platform, and the creation and publication process. This includes views for content management.
Milestone 2
Development of the content creation and publication flow. Representation of contents on dedicated article pages. Quality control of the respective functions and beginning of the incorporation of beta users for the initial creation of content.
Milestone 3
Additional development of the representation layer of published content. This includes necessary improvements to user profiles and project pages, a content feed, and user notifications about new content.
Final Milestone
Ensure final quality by testing all functionalities, both desktop and mobile views.
Writer’s note: the proposal does not mention the times for the development of each milestone.
The Budget
The total requested budget is 112,400 USD (*) ~255,000 ADA (1 USD = 0.44 ADA), including the costs of an active marketing promotion for 6 months, which will allow to hire content creators.
(*)Writer’s note: all budget items add up to 113,200 USD
—Design and development: user interface design, backend development, and security measures. Total of 78,800 USD
- Back-end / Front-end: 1 developer 8 hours x 90 days = 720 hours x 100 USD/hour = 72,000 USD
- Design: 1 designer 8 hours x 2 weeks = 80 hours x 85 USD/hour = 6,800
—Quality Assurance and Testing: every development phase will validate user flow and security through testing and quality control. This work will be done by design (front-end) and development (back-end/security). Total of 8,000 USD
- Testing and Quality Assurance Milestone: $2,000 x 4 milestones = $8,000
—Project management and business expenses: project management, coordination of milestones with Project Catalyst, and contact with partners within the Cardano Community. This also includes infrastructure costs and prices for the necessary tools. Total 16.000 USD
- Business costs: 2 hours per day x 50 USD/hour = 100 USD/day x 4 months = 16,000 USD (*)
(*)Writer’s note: the correct calculation according to the hourly cost breakdown, considering 5-day weeks, is 8,0000 USD
—Marketing and community engagement: marketing to promote the new platform and attract core users to Cardano Cube. 1 active marketing specialist is budgeted. Total of 10,400 USD
- Marketing: 8 hours x 26 weeks (*) x 50 USD/hora = 10.400 USD
(*)Writer’s note: in this case, it is understood that they will work 8 hours each week.
The Team
The team members introduce themselves as experienced professionals in design, coding, and content creation, and say that they have worked with some of the largest Cardano projects such as NMKR and Axo, and have collaborated with GeroWallet, Newm, Ore Ore Ore, Book .io, and many more, establishing strong connections with both the community and developers within the Cardano ecosystem.
Let’s meet the team behind Cardano Cube:
Milan Houter is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He says he has more than 15 years of experience in UI/UX design. Milan works on the UI/UX and content creation flow of Cardano Cube.
Robin Boening is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO). His profile says he is a Senior Developer with more than 15 years of development experience. Robin is responsible for Front-end and Back-end development.
Victor Duran is the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). He says he has more than 3 years of experience in Marketing and Communication. Victor is responsible for writing educational blog articles, social media, and marketing issues, as well as communicating with content creators and projects.
Website: CardanoCube
. . .
You can read the original proposal: Cardano Cube – Content Creator HUB (Centralized Cardano Content)
