Developer tools are the gateway through which most developers interact with a protocol, yet that experience can often feel fragmented, dated, or overly complex. This creates unnecessary friction, not only for newcomers trying to get started but also for experienced developers who want to move faster, prototype ideas, or streamline their workflows.
We believe this shouldn’t be the case. A smoother, more intuitive experience can leave a lasting impression and significantly increase the likelihood of continued engagement.
With Phase 1 of devGround, we set out to explore exactly that. Built on PAPI, a JavaScript library designed for simpler Polkadot interactions, devGround proved the need for a more user-friendly alternative to existing tools like Polkadot.JS, and established a strong foundation to build on. Like many tools in Web3, devGround can benefit from the design lessons of Web2 - lower complexity, better feature integration, and a UI that feels more approachable without sacrificing power.
We are now exploring a Phase 2, with a focus on scaling existing features, improving interoperability, introducing new capabilities, and further developing our core component - the JavaScript IDE. More about our proposed approach is available here.
We would love to hear the community’s feedback on this approach, and if there’s shared alignment, potentially move it to a treasury proposal.