Papi Simulator: Developer Tool and Playground for Polkadot

Treasury OpenGov Proposal - Medium Spender Track

📋 Executive Summary

Project: Interactive PAPI Console - Developer Experience Platform
Team: aipop.fun (Fred - @codingsh | GitHub: @developerfred)
Requested Amount: $75,000 USD (≈ 21.92K DOT)
Track: Medium Spender
Duration: 10 weeks
Immediate Payment: $15,000 (marketing + infrastructure)

Platform: https://papi-simulator.aipop.fun
Code: https://github.com/developerfred/papi-simulator

The Real Problem

Facts:

73% of developers cite setup complexity as the main barrier
Average onboarding time: 4-8 weeks vs 2-4 hours in other ecosystems

Polkadot Hub arrives Q3 2025. Ethereum developers need to migrate. Where are the tools?

Our Solution (Already Working)

PAPI Simulator vs Existing Tools

	PAPI Simulator	Substrate Playground	Polkadot-JS
Focus	Visual UX for PAPI	Substrate learning	Advanced tooling
Target	Web2→Web3 migration	Substrate learners	Expert users
Approach	Complementary + UI layer	Educational focus	Technical interface
Templates	✅ Community library	❌ Basic examples	❌ None

Positioning: We build on top of existing tools, we don't compete.

Track Record: 2 Fast Grants Delivered

✅ Milestone 1: Delivered
✅ Milestone 2: Delivered

Result: Platform online, active users, positive feedback.

🛠 What We'll Build (10 weeks)

Milestone 0: PAPI Launch & Growth Acceleration ($15,000)

Why immediate payment? Polkadot Hub Q3 2025 = critical marketing window.

Targeted Marketing: $9,000 for developer acquisition
Premium Infrastructure: $3,000 to scale platform
Development: $3,000 to accelerate features

Milestone 1: PAPI Simulator 2.0 - Hub Integration (4 weeks - $24,000)

EVM Templates: For Ethereum→Polkadot Hub migration
PolkaVM Support: Next-generation architecture
Visual XCM Builder: Simple cross-chain development
Hot Reload: Development with instant feedback

Milestone 2: PAPI Simulator Pro - Production Toolchain (3 weeks - $18,000)

Universal Export: Next.js, Vite, Create React App
Component Library: Reusable NPM package
Performance Tools: Automatic bundle optimization
Enterprise Ready: Cross-browser testing, CI/CD

Milestone 3: PAPI Ecosystem - Community & Growth (3 weeks - $18,000)

"Zero to Hero" Course: Web2 devs → Polkadot pros
Parachain Templates: Acala, Moonbeam, Astar specific
Community Platform: Showcase + peer review
Growth Analytics: Ecosystem impact dashboard

💰 Efficient & Complementary Budget

Ecosystem Investment:

Polkadot-API: $327,000 (fundamental infrastructure - excellent!)
PAPI Simulator: $75,000 (developer experience layer)
Synergy: We use Polkadot-API as base, add UX/UI

Our proposal complements existing investments:

Polkadot-API: Robust library ✅
PAPI Simulator: Visual interface that makes it accessible ✅
Result: Developers use both = greater adoption

Allocation:

Development: $48,000 (64%)
Marketing: $23,000 (30.7%)
Infrastructure: $4,000 (5.3%)

Treasury ROI: Complementary tools maximize impact of previous investments.

📊 Why Approve Now?

Perfect Timing

Polkadot Hub Q3 2025: Ethereum migration needs tools
JAM Upgrade: Preparation for new architecture
Competition: Other ecosystems investing heavily in DX

Proven Track Record

100% delivery rate Fast Grants
Working platform: https://papi-simulator.aipop.fun
Community feedback: Positive in testing

Unique Opportunity

Zero setup time: Developers start in minutes, not hours
Production ready: Direct export for deployment
Community driven: Templates shared between devs
Visual tools: Visual XCM, easy to use

👥 Team & Execution

Fred (@developerfred)

8+ years React/TypeScript
4+ years Polkadot ecosystem
Track record: 2/2 Fast Grants delivered

Contractor Network Strategy

Senior React Dev: Full-time with Polkadot-API experience
DevOps Specialist: Infrastructure and CI/CD
UX/UI Designer: Interface and experience
Technical Writer: Docs and tutorials

Quality: Code reviews, community testing, security audits.

Growth Strategy

Partnerships & Validation

Fast Grants Curators (Already Supporting PAPI Simulator):

Otar Shakarishvili: Project Advisor and Governance Specialist at JUST Open Source, ex-Parity Project Manager
Sacha Lansky: Developer Relations at WebZero, ex-Parity Engineering
Phil Kwok: Co-Founder of EasyA and the EasyA x Polkadot University

Future Strategic Partnerships:

Universities: Curriculum integration
Hackathons: Tooling for Polkadot events

Content & Events

Weekly tutorials: YouTube + live coding
Conference presence: Sub0, Decoded, meetups
Developer workshops: Hands-on sessions
Community challenges: Template competitions

🎯 Success Metrics

6 months:

500+ Active Developers using monthly
100+ Templates in community library
50+ Production Apps deployed via console
10+ Parachain Integrations specific

Impact:

Onboarding time: 4-8 weeks → 2-4 hours
Developer satisfaction: Polkadot as preferred blockchain for development
Ecosystem growth: More DApps, more users, more engagement

🔄 Sustainability

Open Source First

Core always free
Community governance
Transparent development

Revenue Model (future)

Enterprise features: Advanced templates, support
Training & Certification: Paid courses
Partnerships: White-label solutions

💡 Bottom Line

Web3 only wins when developers build apps that real users adopt.

Polkadot has the best technology. The tools are missing.

PAPI Console solves this. Now.

Investment: $75,000 (0.3% of annual dev budget)
Timeline: 10 weeks
Risk: Very low (proven track record)
Upside: Developer experience that actually works

🗳️ YES for tools developers will actually use
🗳️ YES for Polkadot Hub success
🗳️ YES for a more accessible ecosystem

"The future of Web3 will be built by developers creating solutions that real users will utilize. Let's give them the tools to make it happen."

Links:

🌐 PAPI Simulator: https://papi-simulator.aipop.fun
💻 GitHub: https://github.com/developerfred/papi-simulator
📋 Deliveries: M1 | M2

Point of contact

Source