Developer Experience Working Group (Q1: Oct–Dec 2025)
Purpose & Why
The Developer Experience (DevEx) Working Group exists to onboard, support, and empower developers and contributors in the Cardano ecosystem. For Q1 (Oct–Dec 2025), our focus is on creating a clear entry path for newcomers, addressing common beginner barriers, and inspiring participation through real stories and practical skill-building. In the process we are looking to document every bit of how to join Cardano in general.
This quarter lays the foundation for long-term engagement by ensuring that every participant:
- Understands where to find resources (repos, docs, tooling, support)
- Gains confidence with practical hands-on experience
- Sees clear pathways to contribute, both as developers and non-developers
- Feels part of a supportive, global community aligned around 2026 goals
Quarter Goals
- Onboard New Developers – Provide clarity on repos, docs, tools, and support channels
- Practical Skill Development – Through beginner and intermediate workshops (environment setup, token creation, wallet integration)
- Highlight Contribution/Builder Paths – Showcase developer and community builder stories
- Support and Troubleshoot – Open clinics to resolve common blockers and share solutions
- Documentation & Open Source Awareness – Teach newcomers how to contribute to repos, docs, and community resources
- Community Alignment – Reflect on 2025 achievements and build momentum for 2026
Session Plan (12 Sessions)
| Session | Title | Focus | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kickoff & Orientation | Clear map of the Cardano ecosystem | Directive teaching |
| 2 | Opportunities as a Dev in Cardano | Explore career and contribution roles | Overview & discussion |
| 3 | Hands-On #1 (Beginner) | Setting up a dev environment | Workshop |
| 4 | Very Important Links to Know | Official repos, docs, APIs, explorers, forums | Resource guide |
| 5 | Spotlight: Developer Story #1 | Beginner journey from idea to MVP | Story showcase |
| 6 | Hands-On #2 (Beginner) | Creating and transferring a native token | Workshop |
| 7 | Contributing to Intersect | Non-dev contribution opportunities | Overview & guidance |
| 8 | Open Clinic #1 | Live troubleshooting for beginner blockers | Support session |
| 9 | Spotlight: Community Builder Story | Impact of non-coding contributions | Story showcase |
| 10 | Hands-On #3 (Intermediate) | Wallet integration fundamentals | Workshop |
| 11 | Open Source & Documentation | Writing docs, repo improvement, issue management | Contribution guide |
| 12 | Ecosystem Wrap-Up & Year-End Reflections | 2025 highlights, 2026 planning, and motivational close | Reflection & planning |
Session Details
Session 1: Kickoff & Orientation
- Objective: Provide a comprehensive map of the Cardano ecosystem
- Key Topics:
- Introduction to Cardano and Intersect
- Core repositories and their purposes
- Documentation resources and learning paths
- Community channels and support structures
- Deliverable: Complete ecosystem navigation guide
Session 2: Opportunities as a Dev in Cardano
- Objective: Show various career and contribution paths
- Key Topics:
- Smart contract development roles
- Infrastructure and tooling opportunities
- Community building and advocacy
- Open source contribution paths
- Deliverable: Career pathway documentation
Session 3: Hands-On #1 (Beginner) - Dev Environment Setup
- Objective: Get participants' development environments ready
- Key Topics:
- Installing cardano-node and cardano-cli
- Setting up Docker environments
- Testnet configuration
- Basic CLI operations
- Deliverable: Working development environment
Session 4: Very Important Links to Know
- Objective: Curate essential resources for daily development
- Key Topics:
- GitHub organizations and key repositories
- Documentation sites and API references
- Block explorers and debugging tools
- Community forums and support channels
- Deliverable: Essential bookmarks list
Session 5: Spotlight - Developer Story #1
- Objective: Inspire through real developer journey
- Format: Interview/presentation with community developer
- Focus: From beginner to building first MVP
- Deliverable: Recorded story for community inspiration
Session 6: Hands-On #2 (Beginner) - Native Token Creation
- Objective: Create and transfer custom native tokens
- Key Topics:
- Understanding native tokens vs smart contracts
- Minting policies and token creation
- Transaction building and signing
- Token transfer operations
- Deliverable: Successfully created and transferred token
Session 7: Contributing to Intersect
- Objective: Show non-developer contribution opportunities
- Key Topics:
- Documentation improvements
- Testing and quality assurance
- Community moderation and support
- Event organization and advocacy
- Deliverable: Contribution opportunity matrix
Session 8: Open Clinic #1
- Objective: Provide live support for common issues
- Format: Q&A and live troubleshooting
- Focus: Environment setup, basic operations, common errors
- Deliverable: Troubleshooting guide from common issues
Session 9: Spotlight - Community Builder Story
- Objective: Highlight non-coding contributions impact
- Format: Interview with community builder
- Focus: Education, advocacy, and ecosystem growth
- Deliverable: Community building inspiration content
Session 10: Hands-On #3 (Intermediate) - Wallet Integration
- Objective: Build basic wallet connectivity
- Key Topics:
- Wallet connector libraries
- Transaction building in applications
- Frontend integration patterns
- Testing with different wallets
- Deliverable: Working wallet integration demo
Session 11: Open Source & Documentation
- Objective: Teach effective open source contribution
- Key Topics:
- Writing effective documentation
- Filing quality bug reports and feature requests
- Code contribution best practices
- Review processes and community standards
- Deliverable: Open source contribution guide
Session 12: Ecosystem Wrap-Up & Year-End Reflections
- Objective: Celebrate progress and plan ahead
- Key Topics:
- Q4 2025 ecosystem achievements
- Individual participant progress review
- 2026 roadmap and opportunities
- Community building and continued engagement
- Deliverable: 2026 engagement plan
Documentation and Media
Repository Structure
All session materials will be published in the IntersectMBO/developer-experience repository:
developer-experience/
├── Working-Group/
│ ├── Q1-2025/
│ │ ├── sessions/
│ │ │ ├── 01-kickoff-orientation/
│ │ │ ├── 02-dev-opportunities/
│ │ │ ├── 03-environment-setup/
│ │ │ ├── 04-essential-links/
│ │ │ ├── 05-developer-story-1/
│ │ │ ├── 06-token-creation/
│ │ │ ├── 07-contributing-intersect/
│ │ │ ├── 08-open-clinic-1/
│ │ │ ├── 09-community-builder-story/
│ │ │ ├── 10-wallet-integration/
│ │ │ ├── 11-open-source-docs/
│ │ │ └── 12-ecosystem-wrapup/
│ │ ├── resources/
│ │ │ ├── troubleshooting-guide.md
│ │ │ ├── essential-bookmarks.md
│ │ │ └── contribution-opportunities.md
│ │ └── media/
│ │ ├── session-recordings/
│ │ └── explainer-videos/
Content Types
- Session Notes: Detailed notes and key takeaways from each session
- Hands-on Guides: Step-by-step tutorials with code examples
- Troubleshooting Docs: Solutions to common issues encountered
- Resource Lists: Curated links and references
- Story Content: Developer and community builder spotlights
- Video Content: Short explainer and recap videos for social sharing
Community Adoption Goal
We hope the community adopts this as the go-to beginner's guide for Cardano development and contribution.
Roles & Delivery
Presenters
Rotating presentation duties between:
- Tyty - Lead coordinator and technical sessions
- Uche - Community building and contribution focus
- Dan - Technical workshops and troubleshooting
- Harun - Developer stories and ecosystem overview
Session Formats
- Directive Teaching: Structured presentations with clear learning objectives
- Hands-on Workshops: Interactive coding and setup sessions
- Spotlight Stories: Developer and builder journey showcases
- Open Clinics: Live Q&A and troubleshooting support
- Ecosystem Reflection: Community discussion and planning
Cadence & Accessibility
- 12 sessions total (weekly schedule)
- Alternating time slots - morning/evening for global participation
- Recorded sessions available for asynchronous access
- Multiple language support where possible
Expected Outcomes
Quantitative Goals
- 15–30 newcomers onboarded into the Cardano ecosystem
- 3 core technical skills gained by participants:
- Development environment setup
- Native token creation and management
- Basic wallet integration
- 100% session documentation published in public repository
Qualitative Goals
- Participants gain confidence to build independently on Cardano
- Clear contribution ladder established for developers and non-developers
- Documented feedback and troubleshooting resources from open clinic sessions
- Shared community identity and alignment heading into 2026
- Reduced barriers to entry for new ecosystem participants
Long-term Impact
- Sustainable onboarding process that can be replicated
- Community-maintained resources that live beyond the working group
- Network effects as participants become mentors for future newcomers
- Improved developer experience across the entire ecosystem
Quarter One Theme
"Laying the Foundations" – equipping contributors with clarity, confidence, and community to thrive in the Cardano ecosystem.
This theme emphasizes that Q1 2025 is about building the fundamental knowledge, skills, and connections that will enable participants to become active, confident contributors to Cardano's growth throughout 2026 and beyond.
Getting Started
For New Participants
- First become a member at Intersect and register at members.intersectmbo.org. After joining, you'll get access to our Discord community
- Introduce yourself in the Developer Experience channel
- Review the Directive: Kickoff & Orientation guide
- Attend the weekly working group sessions
- Follow along with hands-on exercises
- Contribute to documentation and community resources
For Session Leaders
- Review session objectives and materials
- Prepare hands-on environments and examples
- Test all technical demonstrations beforehand
- Document session notes and key takeaways
- Gather participant feedback for continuous improvement
This plan is a living document and will be updated based on participant feedback and community needs.
Last Updated: October 2025 | Maintained by Developer Experience Working Group