I am putting this tip back up for vote as there might have been confusion about if this project was already part of the sub0 budget. I have re-written it to outline that these two initiative were completely separate and that all of this work was done on my own time to help Distractive with their "Into The Blocks" series. Please feel free to reach out on TG to ask questions if you need anything clarifying (@sacha_l).

Context

Over the months of September and October 2025, I led a live-streaming initiative for the Polkadot main channels (Youtube and X) geared to showcase the work of existing builders in the ecosystem and offer tips for new builders curious about building on Polkadot.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/@PolkadotNetwork/search?query=live%20hacks

This was a project originally proposed by Distractive who were trying to create more developer-facing content to the main Polkadot channels. At the time, my main focus was to prepare for the “sub0 hack”, a hackathon that attracted 300+ people alongside sub0 in Buenos Aires. Taking on the streaming project was something I did ontop of the work for sub0. My thinking? It will be a missed opportunity to not launch the livestreaming, I’ll make it work and request a tip later down the line.

All the content was curated around sharing tips for creating MVPs on the Polkadot Hub. See the community post I made to invite builders to apply: https://forum.polkadot.network/t/live-hacks-apply-to-join-the-livestream-for-builders-by-builders/15091

Now, months later, I am requesting a tip to remunerate me for the hours I spent conceptualizing and delivering the series. If there is interest in seeing this series continued, please express it here and I’d be happy to devise a long-term plan to continue it with more human capital as support.

So please reach out if you would like to help launch this as a proper platform for builders to share their work in the ecosystem whilst providing a resource for new builders to learn from.

Important note: I had previously put this tip up for vote and it seemed like some community voters might have had reason to believe this work was already covered by the sub0 budget. Let me clarify. A developer livestream series was never part of the budget. I undertook this initiative on my own time on top of all the hours I spent in that same period creating and preparing to execute the vision for the sub0 hackathon. As anyone who’s run a hackathon or event knows, pre-event preparation takes the largest portion of time and is often the most demanding yet I didn't mind making it work out even if it meant longer weeks behind my laptop.

The reason it is branded “sub0 hack” was because that was the only way I could make my time investment undertaking this pilot for Distractive make sense. The thinking: the stream will target new builders which we can use to promote the upcoming hackathon. Win win. Distractive gets a developer stream, I use it to bring value back to the sub0 hack.

Please feel free ask questions if you need any further clarification before voting.

How it worked

Distractive was responsible for the scheduling and production of the streams and I was responsible for the content plan and hosting.

I conducted 6 live streams targeting entry-level builders to learn tips and best practices for building on the Polkadot Hub. These were hosted and curated by me, where I invite seasoned builders with extensive hackathon experience to share their tips, or developers who have created useful tools to help new comers get up to speed with building on Polkadot.

My role as a host was to guide the presenters and ensure they took their time explaining concepts or ideas that could be beneficial to newcomers learning similar patterns, by asking questions and commenting along the way as someone who knows how to build on Polkadot myself and understands the underpinnings of its technology.

Conclusion

This initiative proved that there exists an appetite for approachable developer-facing content and content that can also be appreciated by novice developers curious about what they can do with Polkadot. No regular builder facing video content exists in the Polkadot ecosystem. With proper marketing support, this series has the potential to reach audiences beyond existing novice Polkadot developers and to new web3 and web2 audiences and can become the go-to platform for serious builders in the ecosystem to showcase their work. At the same time, this is exactly where new comers would come to learn from the more experience builders on Polkadot.

About me: I’m a Developer Relations Engineer primarily focused on onboarding developers into the Polkadot ecosystem. I’ve gained deep technical experience during my time at Parity (2021-2024), having contributed to the Polkadot SDK guides and docs and the first version of the Polkadot Blockchain Academy curriculum. I’m known to be a recognised leader in the ecosystem, speaking and mentoring frequently at Polkadot conferences over the past 4.5 years. I currently lead all DevRel activities at WebZero, most recently leading the largest in-person Polkadot hackathons by number of active participants during the Web3 Summit and sub0 2025. I am also a curator on the Fast Grants programme, guiding talented tinkerers towards launching their ideas on the Polkadot Hub.

See for full breakdown on hours spent, cost and engagement metrics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M0x6VbufCnJitfTYSJMdGB-tHAwL0UdkQrnyMc-2IeU/edit?usp=sharing