The reality is this:
Big investors = WHALES
Whale STEEM POWER has been acquired in a myriad of different ways. Some legit, some pre-mined.
What they contribute is to the STEEM coin itself. Whales are individual's or a conglomerate of people and they all vote and contribute differently. In the past, I make some quick posts where I have highlighted what is involved with Steemit and making "the coin".
You have to understand that some things written are not recognized, and your efforts may not pay off without having some real world business experience. Sometimes it's about who you know, rather than what you know. Sometimes it's about how the system works, rather than projecting HOW the system should work.
Adaptation is key, and I basically learned this from one of the biggest veterans on steemit. Stalking those whales can actually teach you a lot about how things work. Once you see the framework of how the coin is mined, you can get those coins. Fortunately, or unfortunately the bot business is the only way to get those coins mined for you. I may not agree with it, but that's the framework many steemians work under. You need to learn how to use your own coin to invest, whether it's to pump a post for attention, or to just squeeze out a few coins.
Proof of brain:
Many are invovled directly with Steemit inc, some just crypto investors looking for ROI (Return on Investment), some have agenda's and communities etc..
One thing that highlighted an interesting thought:
The reality of making crypto is MINING
I will posit that proof of brain is Steemit. We write subjects to get a response. Bots do a lot of the work in terms of automatic upvotes, but you still need to post SOMETHING. Often times minnow who are not writers just post something and use an upvote bot for a quick profit. Sometimes this lasts, and other times it goes on a blacklist. Some whales do actually care about content rather than STRICTLY profit.
This means Proof of brain is not just "writing", but also choosing what will give you the best ROI. Many minnows don't understand that a lot of their SBD is just getting burned with a net LOSS for their efforts. That's right, you are losing most of your money for no reason. Proof of brain means also finding the best method to MINE coins; using your brain.
You need to adapt to the loose rules of steemit which do not necessarily apply to the real world. That means you have to use your brain to figure out how to mine coins; NOT just by the content of your post. use your brain to make connections with other steemians. Use your brain to figure the BEST kind of bot to squeeze out more coins. Don't lose your coins; which can of course happen when the price goes down.
In any case, I hope this message helps some minnows understand that steemit is NOT just about content. Yes, it's imperative to make connections and to contribute. This will help you get more coins!
Not about how you think things SHOULD be. Fair means something else on steemit. Eventually steemit and the blockchain will change again (remember we are in beta). So that means your proof of brain will need to adapt to whatever new rules are instated. Those who make the most coins unfortunately/fortunately have learned how to exploit the "system". Some for bad, and some for just the way "it is". That will change, but like any hacker there are new exploits. I'm not saying you should be lying or cheating or hacking. I'm just saying that the rules are fluid and do change. Whether that means waiting 20 mins for best curation rewards or whatever. A new hard fork will come, and it may hinder the way we make those coins now.
It's not my full time job, but it's damn fun making those coins! Any questions let me know!
