One needs to spend a little time to understand something, especially if it challenges conventional wisdom. I have taken to market a number of products that preceded the hype curve. And generally we always got the love it, but not sure we should buy it response. Well the same holds with both Cryptocurrency and Steem.
The first time someone sat me down and told me you can make money out of nothing, and how easy it is to make money in Steem, it sounded too good to be true. And in fairness, the way it was explained WAS too good to be true. My simple comment was, dude, this sounds like a Ponzi or at best, like an Amway business. Now I am not knocking Amway, but still, making money of making money just sounds a little fishy … and I am not the type to rope friends and family into a business so I can make a buck.
Even when I was told that they were making real money in Steemit, did I not believe. Because well it sounds too good to be true. And as a business person, I have not yet understood HOW this was funded, and why. Having spent years negotiating deals, I know the one answer you need to understand is why do they want it. What is the motivating purpose? So even after I opened an account a few weeks ago and checked around, I did little. Essentially, when I get some time, I will read some more, and maybe post something for the hell of it. I was still a
Of course my knowledge about crypto is very limited. It is the quiet revolution, and a word that non tech people do not even know exist. It is definitely not mainstream, and is so small, major governments have not yet even found a way to manage or stop it. The WEF spent a lot of time talking about it, but I bet you very few of the non-thought leaders there have ever tried using it. So when you do not understand something, well, call it a scam. I would like to call this the Sabotage Current Accepted Medium approach. Look, there are real scams, for sure. This is not one. Unless you start spending money to buy steem to power up, you cannot actually lose any money. All you have to do for now is create content. And most of us do this for free or virtually no money on twitter, YouTube and Facebook …. So why not take the risk. At the least you start with nothing and end with nothing, and at best you get rich!
Luke Parker in his article IMF describes ‘Virtual Currency Schemes”. Including Bitcoin, to the World Economic Forum” (here is the link http://bravenewcoin.com/news/imf-describes-virtual-currency-schemes-including-bitcoin-to-the-world-economic-forum/) gives a very nice take on the state of virtual currencies, and includes quite a bit on the WEF and IMF take on it.
I must say, that while reading it, I could not help think that this small inner circle of world leaders and very rich definitely are busy concocting an approach to stop this challenge to their little power circle. But that is just the rebel in me (see how I shy away from using the phrase anarchist)
So that covered Cryptocurrency for me. But what about Steemit. I mean it is real nice that people give money away, but it is not in our nature to just do this for nothing. Even giving money to the beggar at the street corner is done so that YOU feel better. If you really wanted to make a difference you would take far more effort, so it is a little like the weeks sinner paying a few cents on the Sunday in church to paint him ok.
Well, I am not going to say to much accept you MUST watch the YouTube clip in this article on Steem https://steemit.com/steemit/@dollarvigilante/how-i-made-usd15-000-in-12-hours-on-the-new-blockchain-based-social-media-site-steemit
So yes, crypto is real and it is here to stay, and Steem is an exceptional platform with Steemit as a very good entry point. That is the point I arrived at after 4 weeks looking into this, and while I have made next to no money, I already with my partners have a few ideas how to launch value for all on this platform with innovative solutions. IN the meantime, I am having fun writing, and you know, if I make a few bucks from it, then I can by a few beers for my time spent. Surely that is good enough.
Stop hating and start curating … yes, sorry, that is lame.