it's still not the difficult bits it makes quicker, just the boring bits, surely?

Sometimes getting through the boring bits is the most difficult bit. Don't underestimate the value of easy ramp-up. Consider the proliferation of Module::Simple modules. People want things that make basic functionality a snap, especially in areas where they very often don't need more. Not having explored RoR or Catalyst very much, I can't say whether a Catalyst::Simple module would be a great draw, but it does seem an obvious direction to consider.