Phase 3: Enactment (The Build)

The Purpose

Now you build—but not in isolation. This phase is about “building in public” with continuous community feedback, ensuring what you create actually serves the people you met in Phase 1.

The Bridge: Your Validation Compass

Here’s what separates CATS from other hackathons: The Bridge Protocol.

Every 24-48 hours during the build phase, your Weaver (or Bridge role) must:

1. Take your current prototype—however rough—back to community members.
2. Show it to elders, young leaders, and potential users (minimum 3-5 people).
3. Ask: “Does this make sense to you? Would you use this? What’s missing?”
4. Return with feedback to the team.
5. Adjust your build accordingly.

Critical Bridge Questions:

• “Can you explain to me what this does, in your own words?”
• “What would make you trust this?”
• “What worries you about this?”
• “Who did we forget to include?”

Document every Bridge visit in your learning matrix. These conversations are gold—they save you from building the wrong thing beautifully.

[!TIP] Guiding Principle: If the community doesn’t understand it on day 4, they won’t use it on day 40.

Speed to Trust: Your Technical North Star

“Speed to Trust” is a design philosophy that prioritizes transparency, clarity, and accessibility over feature complexity.

In practice, this means:

• Visual Clarity: Every action should have a clear visual confirmation. If someone sends money, they see it move. If someone votes, they see their vote counted.
• Language Accessibility: Build in local languages first, English second. Use icons and images, not just text.
• Low-Tech Friendliness: Assume intermittent internet, older phones, limited data. Can it work offline? Can it work via SMS?
• Radical Transparency: Show the blockchain explorer, explain what’s happening on-chain, make the technology visible but not intimidating.
• Human Touchpoints: Sometimes the best UX is a human being. Can a local community champion help others navigate your tool?

The Non-Tech-Savvy Test:

Before you consider anything “done,” find the least tech-savvy person you’ve met in the community. Hand them your prototype with zero explanation. Watch what they do. Where do they get stuck? That’s where you iterate.

Technical Implementation Notes

Cardano-Specific Considerations:

• Use Cardano’s native token capabilities for community currencies or reputation systems.
• Leverage smart contracts for transparent governance or fund management.
• Consider using CIPs (Cardano Improvement Proposals) that support your use case.
• Build with sustainability in mind—what happens when the hackathon ends?

Documentation Requirements:

• Clear README with local setup instructions.
• API documentation if applicable.
• Video walkthrough of the user journey.
• Deployment guide for community handoff.

[!TIP] Guiding Principle: Technology should feel like magic, not mystery. Make the complex simple, not the simple simplistic.