[Proposal] Cloudie.so - The Sanctum Hub for Education and Onboarding

Hello Cloudmen! In case you haven’t met me here or on Discord, my name is n8tr0n (a.k.a. n8, Nate, or just bro).

:white_check_mark: My value proposition is simple: GROWTH AND ADOPTION

Preface

I have seen multiple posts concerning education and onboarding. So I am formally proposing to lead this initiative by developing and organizing a hub for all things Sanctum and LSTs.

The following will give some basic details, so please load up this thread with any and all ideas that are related to a central hub for onboarding new users, and educating all of us.

Other posts on a similar vain:

  1. https://research.sanctum.so/t/sanctum-educational-resources
  2. https://research.sanctum.so/t/onboard-newbies-to-lst-proposal
  3. https://research.sanctum.so/t/sanctum-educational-resources

Objective

I propose to develop Cloudie.so, a dedicated platform that will serve as an educational hub for Sanctum users, and potential users, focusing on simplifying the onboarding process and enhancing understanding of LSTs and the Solana ecosystem.

URL: https://cloudie.so
Password: C10udm3n2024!

Key Features

  • Educational Resources: Comprehensive guides, tutorials, and articles to teach users about LSTs, staking, and DeFi on Solana.
  • Interactive Onboarding: Step-by-step onboarding for new users, simplifying the process of setting up wallets, staking SOL, and using LSTs.
  • Multimedia Learning: Video tutorials, infographics, and downloadable PDFs for diverse learning preferences.

Why Cloudie.so?

  • Simplified User Experience: Making it easier for beginners to understand complex DeFi concepts and become active Sanctum users.
  • Boosted Engagement: Encouraging more people to explore and invest in Sanctum by demystifying LSTs and their benefits.

Development Plan

Phase 1: Research & Content Planning

  • Identify key educational topics around LSTs and Solana ecosystem.
  • Develop a content strategy focusing on beginner and advanced user needs, including guides, FAQs, and tutorials.

Phase 2: Design & Build the Platform

  • Create a clean, intuitive user interface focused on user experience and ease of navigation.
  • Develop the site to be responsive, meaning it will look, feel, and function excellent on all devices.

Phase 3: Multimedia Integration

  • Incorporate video tutorials, interactive modules, and infographics to make learning engaging.
  • Optionally include a progress-tracking system for onboarding steps.

Phase 4: Launch & Initial User Feedback

  • Soft launch the platform, gathering initial feedback on content clarity and functionality.
  • Refine based on feedback to enhance onboarding pathways and educational materials.

Phase 5: Ongoing Content Updates, Marketing, and Outreach

  • Regularly update educational content to reflect changes in the Sanctum ecosystem and Solana network.
  • Expand resources to include more advanced DeFi concepts and staking strategies.
  • Promote Cloudie.so across social channels, partner with Solana-focused communities and content creators, and collaborate with Sanctum to drive user engagement.

Conclusion

Cloudie.so will serve as a central resource and onramp, enhancing the user experience for both new and advanced users in the Sanctum ecosystem. By building a structured, accessible educational hub, we’ll empower more users to participate confidently in staking and DeFi activities.

Looking forward to all your thoughts and suggestions, so bring it! :pray:t4:



UPDATE 09/22/24
Jupiter has put together 3 sites that I believe Cloudie.so can learn from and emulate in some regards. Perhaps a combination of what is being done on these sites:

  1. https://station.jup.ag: “Welcome to the space station - home for catdets curious about Jupiter”
  2. https://welcome.jup.ag: “Start exploring the Solana ecosystem with our easy step-by-step guide”
  3. https://www.jup.eco: “Join our space cats to explore all of Jupiter and beyond.”


UPDATE 09/28/24
The conversation is also on the Discord server if that is more convenient for you: Discord



UPDATE 10/08/24

  • Courses are being developed. Please let me know if you would like to be a part of this process.
  • Dark mode is live! I decided to go ahead and get this done sooner than later considering I use dark mode on any application that includes it. And then I use a browser extension for the ones that don’t. There was also a considerable amount of requests for Sanctum dark mode, and many of you have confessed your love for it. :laughing:
  • The cloudie.so official X profile has been activated! Join us there for the latest news and updates. We will also use X to notify the community of the latest newsletter editions when they drop. So be sure to follow and turn on notifs!
  • The Cloudie Shop is also under development and should be ready by the end of October 2024. Remember, this is unofficial merch, but still awesome. If anyone wants to contribute to the merch designs please do let me know.

Note: The Cloudie Shop will only take payments by SOL, USDC, and USDT. The proceeds will go directly to the SCO (Sanctum Community Ops) wallet after the printer / drop shipper is paid.

Dark Mode preview



UPDATE 10/11/24

  • Podcasts Archive is finished!
  • Navigate easily between the archive, current Townhall, and previous Townhalls.
  • Watch a video replay of any Townhall.
  • View all the slides from each Townhall.
  • View the POAP from each Townhall.

Preview




UPDATE 10/13/24

Preview



UPDATE 10/31/24

  • Completed development of the “Cloudfile” and gamification functionality.

Go ahead and login to start earning “Sparkies”! You can also login with Google and X! https://cloudie.so

Preview

15 Likes

I love this idea and hub concept (one stop shop). I belive the key on desmistifying LST and crypo it comes from understanding. Sometimes as crypot ans Solana enthusiast we forget new people outside Solana or crypto, don’t understand the terms and right there we already lose them.

However, having this hub, deviding by levels of knowledge, and interactive learning material, make it easier to adapt, a self pace concept would help too. Additionally, I belive it could bemeficial to make some interactive quest once a level is unlocked.

I really love to see one place @Bengshark for everything Cloudie. :heart:

Great post

6 Likes

this would be great, i can imagine a 2 min tutorial on each LST posted to twitter or youtube. Again, helping people make informed decisions.

3 Likes

I hear similarities between @Bengshark proposal for “onboarding newbies” and yours!

With this deep road map by you, and some of the graphics he has already sketched up, this could be a mighty tool.

At the end of the day this information hub will greatly improve understanding of sanctum and its mission. Exciting stuff!

Thanks for a great post.

2 Likes

Indeed! Thanks for reviewing.

Gamifying it would be great! Having a lil Cloudie guiding you through :heart_eyes:

3 Likes

I think the simplest way to explain is to show with tutorials. With words is not always simple to navigate somebody who enters LST space. If i were newbie for me were better to look some simple tutorials( max 60sec long). I remember Coinbase at its beginning. They made like 3-4 tutorials Videos about each Altcoins and after you watched them u got like a small amount of their Tokens. If the cloudie succeeds then were good to make command in discord where you could navigate them to this web directly from discord.

6 Likes

Yes cho, thank you for your input. :pray:t3:

We agree then! :+1:t4:

4 Likes

This is a fantastic and much-needed initiative! Sanctum has everything it takes to be a great onboarding platform and has done an excellent job in creating a welcoming vibe for beginners. The next step is definitely building engaging, fun tutorials, and a dedicated hub for that would be perfect—especially if it’s a fun place to explore and learn.

As someone relatively new to crypto, I still have a lot to learn, and I remember clearly what it felt like to not understand most of it. With each discovery, your world expands, and knowing the path you took helps you guide others. So, we should never forget what it’s like to not know.

Solana is leading the way in making crypto more inclusive, unlike other chains that seem almost intentionally hard to understand. We’re here to change the idea that only people from tech or finance can live this experience. Sanctum is a breath of fresh air, making everything simple, intuitive, and playful.

I fully support @n8tr0n in this initiative, and I think it should be built organically, testing out different approaches since everyone learns differently. It could be a collaborative space where people not only learn but also teach, creating educational materials together. After all, teaching is one of the best ways to learn.

5 Likes

Bro! Thank you for the excellent feedback, perspective, and support! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

2 Likes

Indeed. Video tutorials are always better to learn.
Love the gamified add on too. Can be with tokens or with XP points to claim some tokens at the end off the ride. Like a mini tutorial airdrop or something :wink:

3 Likes

I’ll try to summarize everyone’s opinions:

Step 1: Simplify Concepts from the Perspective of CEX Users

Most newcomers start engaging with cryptocurrencies through centralized exchanges (CEX), where they are accustomed to simple staking operations and fixed returns.

Therefore, when introducing LST, we should emphasize its advantages over CEX staking, such as higher annual percentage yield (APY), asset liquidity, and opportunities to participate in DeFi. Use straightforward language to explain how LST works, avoiding excessive technical jargon.

For example, refer to Bengshark’s explanatory approach by breaking down complex concepts into easy-to-understand steps and using visuals to make it easier for newcomers to grasp.

Step 2: Establish the Cloudie.so Platform as an Education and Guidance Hub

The Cloudie.so platform will serve as Sanctum’s front-facing interface, offering a user-friendly environment and rich learning resources for newcomers.

The platform’s content can be tiered according to learning stages, gradually guiding newcomers into the Sanctum ecosystem—from basic wallet setup and SOL staking to selecting and using LST.

Step 3: Create Diverse and Engaging Educational Content

Besides textual explanations, produce a variety of educational materials such as videos, charts, quick guides, and interactive modules to meet the needs of newcomers with different learning styles.

You can refer to websites created by Jupiter, such as Station, Welcome, and Jup.eco. These sites employ lively and engaging designs with simple, easy-to-understand language and incorporate gamification elements to effectively introduce users to LST and the Solana ecosystem.

Community members have also suggested creating short video introductions for each LST and publishing them on platforms like Twitter or YouTube, which is an excellent promotional strategy.

Step 4: Promote Community Engagement and Encourage Interaction

Consider Jdd0810’s proposal “[Proposal] Podcast - Townhall” by regularly hosting online live streams or AMAs. Invite LST experts, team members, or experienced community members to share their insights and answer questions from newcomers, fostering an interactive community atmosphere.

Additionally, set up dedicated Discord channels to facilitate newcomer interaction and support, or organize online and offline events to strengthen connections among community members.

Step 5: Design Incentive Mechanisms to Boost Learning Motivation

Implement incentive mechanisms such as awarding tokens or NFTs upon completion of educational courses or quizzes; actively participating in community discussions or activities can elevate community levels or earn special badges.

Make the learning process more enjoyable through gamification—for example, by adopting designs similar to the Pathfinder server—to enhance newcomers’ enthusiasm and participation.

Feel excited, how can we help? :grinning:

5 Likes

I love the idea !
That’s why I built something similar with a friend that I still maintain at sanctum hub
I’m just learning about your project as of today neutron and I love your concepts ! I think we already implemented some concepts in Sanctum Hub but I would love to add a tutorial and a newlestter side in it !
As I said to you previously, I act in good will and would love to help you on what you do.
Additionally, we have the Sanctum Hub twitter handle where we try to communicate there too ! x.com
Thanks for being Sanctum Aligned !


6 Likes

Thanks! You have some nice widgets going on there!

I suggest we explore adding them to the Cloudie.so (which is in development). Or you can keep it separate. It’s really up to you. It seems you are continuing the push of your tool, and that’s great! Idk, maybe 2 are better than 1. An education center, and a news center.

But if we are going to align we should do it quickly so that the “brand” is solidified.

4 Likes

Love this idea! Visual, collectable representation of achievement, similar to what we get here, would be fantastic!

And giving out their first LST for completion is also amazing!

Thank you for contributing!

3 Likes

Hey fam, thank you for the awesome summary!

What are your skills?

I am in the process of developing courses.

Check it out here
Password: C10udm3n2024!

3 Likes

Bro, this is so awesome and very interactive platform. I really love the new Dark Mode, goes well with the new Sanctum dark mode. :heart:

4 Likes

checked it, loved it. Looking forward to the mvp

3 Likes

Great idea. Im not a tech expert and i get a bit lost with proposals at time.

3 Likes

:pray: No worries fam! Thanks for being here and sharing your time and support!

That’s what is great about this new site. Someone with very little tech skills can learn all about Sanctum and LSTs!

Keep learning! And ask anyone in the community for help. We are all here to grow together.

3 Likes

Would be keen to know what your plans are if you had funds to further develop Cloudie.so?

Seems like the choice is picking steam:

Check & Vote here :smiley:

3 Likes