Summary
I propose that PBA should no longer receive direct funding from the Polkadot Treasury, and that responsibility for funding PBA should instead move to Web3 Foundation (W3F).
This does not mean shutting down PBA or preventing it from continuing to operate. If W3F considers PBA valuable to the ecosystem, it can continue funding it directly from its own resources.
Why?
PBA is a private entity providing a premium educational program and, in addition to ecosystem funding, can also generate revenue through tuition fees.
At the same time, the environment for technical education has changed significantly:
- Polkadot now has much better documentation and educational resources.
- AI has dramatically reduced the cost of learning and solving technical problems.
- Online content can reach far more developers than a primarily in-person program.
- We should be asking what return per DOT spent these programs actually generate.
The Bali event also made me question the current positioning of PBA. Based on the publicly available material, I had the impression that the format had a significant event, networking and promotional component alongside the academic component. I was not present at the event, so I present this as an observation rather than a judgment of the entire experience.
Conclusion
I am not proposing to eliminate PBA. I am proposing to change who bears the funding responsibility and who makes the funding decision.
If PBA is genuinely a strategic investment for Polkadot, W3F should be willing to fund it from its own resources.
This would allow the Treasury to focus on its core priorities while developer education is managed with a long-term perspective, clear impact metrics, and a focus on maximizing the value generated per dollar invested.