Hello Polkadot community.
Saimon here (User Profile | Polkassembly) and I’m running for Cohort 5 of the Decentralized Voices initiative. Here you can see my presentations to cohort 3 and 4:
Despite not being selected, I maintained my active presence in OpenGob, leading individual participations on several occasions and also surpassing collective participations of DVs, and after this time I have been able to acquire valuable experience.
+Polkadot is a young ecosystem, and OpenGov is a new space for many people.
+To instill greater trust, it is necessary to be more transparent and, above all, objective.
+Communication opportunities should be leveraged to provide constructive criticism so that all participants can continue to improve.
+Despite the influence of small groups, it is important that more and more voices can be heard without fear of being attacked.
A brief description of who I am:
I am a blockchain specialist with over 8 years of experience leading technology initiatives, with a particular focus on building strong communities and promoting enterprise adoption of Web3 technologies. Since 2021, I have been actively contributing to the Polkadot ecosystem, participating in conferences and initiatives across Asia, Europe, and Latin America. My work is driven by a passion for decentralization, transparency, and sustainable growth.
Motivation (the same since 2024 because it is solid)
Polkadot is the largest DAO in the world, and with that scale comes diverse perspectives and, at times, challenging dynamics in decision-making. My primary motivation is to contribute in an objective and transparent manner, ensuring that Polkadot’s governance tools continue to evolve while balancing decentralization and effectiveness.
My goal in joining Decentralized Voices is to make a meaningful impact on the governance space by fostering an environment of constructive debate, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Challenges Identified in Previous Cohorts
The Decentralized Voices program has undergone several iterations, and for this edition, there are some areas where I believe my experience can be positive:
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Limited participation through comments: This has been one of the points that has been difficult to improve in previous editions. The lack of meaningful feedback reduces opportunities for constructive debate.
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Proliferation of proprietary channels: Among the selected DAOS, discussions are still limited in channels outside those provided by OpenGov, which has led to fragmented debates outside of official channels.
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Lack of objectivity: Some participants have displayed biases that affect the quality of their contributions.
Proposed Actions for Positive Participation
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Active Participation: I will provide detailed feedback on proposals that require it (many are submitted in error and their authors directly add “votr NAY”). This allows for open and constructive dialogue.
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Ongoing Monitoring: Maintaining track of proposals throughout their lifecycle, ensuring that community reviews and input are considered and valued.
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Promoting Official Channels: I will promote the use of official communication channels, helping to maintain transparency and reduce the influence of less transparent external discussions.
Political Philosophy (remains from the previous application)
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Clarity: Each vote significant will be accompanied by a clear explanation of my reasoning, promoting transparency and accountability.
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Rigor: I will thoroughly research and analyze every proposal, basing my decisions on data and well-founded insights.
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Integrity: I am committed to upholding the values of Web3, including honesty, responsibility, and empathy.
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Collaboration: I will foster open discussions within the ecosystem’s official channels, aiming for collective, community-driven decisions.
Voting process
I designed this process last year and it has been really very effective.
With this implementation I intend to be able to generate a more transparent and positive experience for the community.
Key Contributions and Achievements
2021:
• Polkadot Kusama Latam Day Coordinator (DEC): Led an online event, the most popular among the 384 held by the community that year, introducing Polkadot and Kusama to the Spanish-speaking public.
2022:
• Deploy Chaos Tour (JUN) : Facilitated the first intercontinental collaboration between ambassadors from America and Europe, laying the groundwork for corporate collaborations between NTT DATA and Polkadot projects.
• Polkadot Decoded View Party (JUN) : Organized the first View Party in Peru, connecting the local community with events in Brazil and Argentina.
• Community Reactivation in Colombia (OCT & NOV) : Led meetups in Medellín and Bogotá, revitalizing the Polkadot community in Colombia.
2023:
• Polkadot Experience Alpha (APR-MAY) : Organized programming workshops in Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Colombia, promoting development within the Polkadot ecosystem.
• International Conferences (JUN-JUL-AUG) : Represented Polkadot at DotPrague, ParisDotComm, and Berlin Satellite, sharing experiences and development potentials in Latin America.
• Astar Network Workshop (NOV) : Organized in Lima, Peru, exploring Astar’s capabilities within the Polkadot ecosystem.
• Polkadot Agent at Ethereum Latam Day (DEC) : Represented Polkadot in Lima, Peru.
• Zeitgeist & NTT DATA Collaboration (DEC) : Facilitated a strategic collaboration between the Zeitgeist parachain and NTT DATA, underscoring Polkadot’s impact on the global tech industry.
2024:
• Sub-Curator at Polkadot Global Events Bounty (JAN – MAY) : Curated global events, ensuring quality and relevance.
• Rust Deep Knowledge Mentor (NOV–FEB) : Provided technical mentoring in a RUST course for developers in Europe and Latin America.
• Polkadot Experience Beta (FEB-MAR) : Organized workshops at universities and blockchain communities in Peru and Colombia, expanding the network’s educational reach.
• Hackathon Organization and Mentoring (JUN) : Led the Polkadot-sponsored track at the Causathon, promoting the development of applications using RUST.
• Polkadot Decoded Moderator (JUL) : Moderated the Ecosystem Showcase Stage panel, facilitating transitions and providing context for the audience.
• Web3 Summit in Berlin (AUG) : Sharing relevant information from the talks with the Spanish-speaking community.
• Recording of Interview at Web3 Foundation (AUG) : Interview with Bill at the Zug headquarters, where he shared key information about Polkadot.
• Organizer of the Executive Meetup (SEP) : The event featured the participation of leaders from NTT DATA, Polkadot, Web3 Foundation, KILT Protocol, Tanssi Network, and the Blockchain Competence Center team from NTT DATA Europe & Latam.
• Sub0Reset Polkadot Builder Map presentation (NOV) : Covering the activity for Spanish spoken community and in the hacker floor was presented the V3 of the Polkadot Builder Map :https://github.com/Themvp07/PolkadotBuilderMap
• NaviDot Christmas campain (DEC) : A campain to promote the OpenGov participation and social media presence.
2025:
• Entel-Polkadot business presentation (FEB) : A meeting with executive staff from Entel Peru to promote the technology usage.
• Arequipa Blockchain Week on-chain tool (FEB) : A tool to generate onchain interactions around a week of blockchain activities.
Final thoughts
My contributions to the Polkadot ecosystem have consistently focused on community building, transparency, and promoting enterprise adoption. I am not involved in any bounty or organization within the ecosystem, allowing me to act without conflicts of interest and remain impartial.
My participation in Decentralized Voices would be guided by a commitment to transparency, collaboration, and informed governance, ensuring that my actions contribute positively to Polkadot’s vision of a decentralized, resilient, and innovative ecosystem.
I appreciate your consideration and look forward to the opportunity to contribute more formally to the governance of Polkadot.
Below you can see the details of my participation over the last 8 months (from november to july), voting on 348 proposals. Link
