I'm not saying there was ever any other strategy before, but the Steemit, Inc. 2017 Roadmap makes no mention of any kind of revenue strategy, at this time. So this means, at least until 2018, the only revenue model is speculation on the STEEM token, and that's it.
Why isn't there a plan for ROI (Return on Investment)? Most companies show their expected revenue from certain products they outline on their roadmap. Something plausible, like ad revenue.
Why not ads?
- Steemit, Inc. currently wants to remove the barrier to entry for new users and they see ads as a barrier to entry.
- If steemit.com starts monetizing by ads, anybody could set up steemit2.com without ads and display the same content.
Got it. No ads.
Why invest in STEEM?
Official answer: We need more eyeballs.
This is fine, but it's not a direct path to any kind of ROI. I can see how greater attention to the platform will boost the value of STEEM. But that's indirect. That's speculation, not an ROI.
Where's the ROI?
If I give you $1,000, what's the exact mechanism you'll use to give me back $1,001?
There is no strategy for this apart from pure speculation. The advantage of not defining a clear ROI is that no promises are being made or implied.
Is speculation enough?
Steemit, Inc. apparently believes it is. It's a young platform. Other platforms, without a blockchain, have offered even less for investors, yet many of them were successful.
Although, that last point might require heavy use of confirmation bias.