JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<script src="https://github.com/jquery/jquery-tmpl/raw/master/jquery.tmpl.js"></script>
<script src="https://github.com/greenlaw110/knockout/raw/master/build/output/knockout-latest.debug.js"></script>
<script src="https://github.com/SteveSanderson/knockout.mapping/raw/master/build/output/knockout.mapping-latest.debug.js"></script>
<script src="http://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/knockout/2.3.0/knockout-min.js"></script>
<script src="https://raw.github.com/SteveSanderson/knockout.mapping/master/build/output/knockout.mapping-latest.js"></script>
<select data-bind="options: projects, 
    optionsText: 'title', 
    optionsValue: 'id', 
    value: selectedList.id()">
</select>

JavaScript

var initialData = [
    {
        "id": "2150980c-1033-4b20-a58b-9e5400abb651",
        "title": "project1",
        "description": "project 1 description",
        "persons": [
        {
            "id": "1f6f531c-bafa-4fe8-aac8-9e5400abb65a",
            "firstname": "p1_fname"
        },
        {
            "id": "1f6f531c-bafa-4fe8-aac8-9e5400abb65a",
            "firstname": "p1_fname"
        }],
        "tasks": [
        {
            "id": "1f6f531c-bafa-4fe8-aac8-9e5400abb65a",
            "title": "task1"
        },
        {
            "id": "1f6f531c-bafa-4fe8-aac8-9e5400abb65a",
            "title": "task2"
        }]

    },
    {
        "id": "54d4dc7c-0928-4c05-93a2-9e5400abb6a0",
        "title": "project2",
        "description": "project 2 description",
        "persons": [
        {
            "id": "1f6f531c-bafa-4fe8-aac8-9e5400abb65a",
            "firstname": "p1_fname"
        },
        {
            "id": "1f6f531c-bafa-4fe8-aac8-9e5400abb65a",
            "firstname": "p1_fname"
        }],
        "tasks": []
    }
    ];

    var viewModel = {
        projects: ko.mapping.fromJS(initialData)
    };

    viewModel.selectedList = {
        id: ko.observable("")
    };

    if(viewModel.projects().length > 0)
        viewModel.selectedList.id(viewModel.projects()[0].id());

    ko.applyBindings(viewModel);