The lottery win ahead of us
In my opinion, it is hard not to think about the future value of Steem, especially if one is spending a lot of time on the platform. It really doesn't matter whether you are positive or negative, whether you think the chance is slim to none, or pretty good (like I do), the fact is that it is much like thinking about the "what if I won the lottery?" question.
What if I did win the lottery, would I still spend my time on Steem?
A client of mine has asked me if over the next few months of sessions, we can develop a plan for his continuance on the career path as he feels he has more to offer the world than he currently is. It is funny because not at one point did I get the impression from him that it was about ambition or more money - but am sure he wouldn't mind the additional responsibility and bump in salary.
In the same session though, he also mentioned that if he won the lottery, he wouldn't be working in the company he is in currently, but he would still be actively working. This is something that I feel too, and while I do not enter the lottery (other than on Steem each post), I believe that given the conditions of no conditions where I was free to do as I please near completely, I would do other work.
But, I am pretty sure that my Steem activity would be at the forefront still. The reason is that while I can work in a company for money and I could work on Steem similarly (for a fair bit less), I consider what we are doing here to be of greater importance than just being about earning, and the potential for Steem to add value to the world is likely higher than most daily jobs can offer.
Most jobs in this world are not only unnecessary, they are more likely to be in established industries that are probably more concerned with their own economic survival than actually improving conditions of life for ourselves as a species. Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean they have no value, but if you could imagine a world where every job provided real value to the advancement of our species at all levels that matter, we would likely be doing different work on average.
However, if I didn't have to worry about my economic survival after winning the lottery, I would likely change some of the work I do on Steem as I would have more possibility opened to me. Perhaps instead of being a content producer, I would be more of a project manager, and since I would have bought a bit of Steem with my lottery winnings, I would have some potential to support the development myself. Even the best ideas need support in order to succeed.
As said, I do not enter the lottery so my chances of winning are much worse than the normal odds, which are far from good. However, I do believe that being on Steem is a kind of lottery win for those who see this as a place of early adoption to build for the future, not early adoption to make money in the future.
I think that due to the nature of the infrastructure and industry, the builders have essentially no ceiling on their potential, but those who are looking to earn through selling or posting alone have a lower ceiling than they might imagine as they become more of the enduser in the equation and rely on the support of others. Whereas a builder is one who builds the mechanisms of that support.
I believe that in the next decade or two, the builders are going to fundamentally change the way business operates as well as provide a great deal of possibility to empower endusers. Those endusers can of course do very well, but what should be really exciting is the prospect that they themselves can be part owners in the infrastructure and help support the development that supports them.
This is not a "ask not what your country can do for you..." scenario, it is where the blockchain and the user are supportive of each other in a complex relationship of quid pro quo. The blockchain offers a marketplace where all sorts of somethings can be given, and all sorts of somethings can be received in a secure and trustless network that will become more stable over time through usage and development. While it doesn't ask from users anything in particular, that stability comes from us, the users, the builders, the supporters.
While the process to build this kind of network and business infrastructure is messy and filled with social and technological challenges, I believe that the attempt to do so is more valuable than many people currently realize, even those who are early adopters of what has been achieved so far.
While many expect things should have moved faster and achieved more, the speed of development is not up to the blockchain or the code, it is up to us as users who act upon and develop it and the industry. It is likely that if on Steem we had spent more time collaborating on diversified projects and less time bickering over the reward pool, we would be further along the production line, but that in itself can be seen as part of the progress as our mindsets change frame.
I do believe that Steem can fail to achieve everything that it has the potential to, I also believe that the biggest hurdle in its way is us as users - not banks, not governments and definitely not other blockchains.
Many people waste the opportunities which winning the lottery provides them. Maybe on Steem, we are spending our winnings ahead of the win to come, and the value of the win will depend on what we enter now.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
![Onboarding](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://i.imgur.com/e6A1MiM.png)
I like what you are saying here but for me I hope the future of steem price raises back to the all time high but not for awhile because I'm using this bear market to earn more. I'm afraid that if the price shoots up too fast I will feel like I didn't earn enough to make a huge difference in my life. I know that sounds greedy but I want a lot of steem but cant afford to buy any. I just have to earn from posting. It's been easier to do in the bear market than it will be on the way up.
Yep, it is easier to earn in the bear market for several reasons, and I hope those who have remained active have held. The thing to remember is that one will never likely feel like they have enough, but the taps will eventually close through increased competition and decreasing inflation.
Good luck.
I have never sold. I am 100% in steem. I feel like I should take my liquid and but it into btc but I feel like if steem rallies back to the all time highs I would be better served in steem. It is just scary not to diversify
It is scary and I am not overly diversified, at least, not as much as I should be. I really hope Steem pulls through as I think it has a lot of potential to do good beyond the financial value.
For me it is scary because there are not many active users and they don't seek out users to support them with votes so it can be a lonely place. My votes of substance come from a curation trail and dapps. No real followers giving out votes.
!ENGAGE 10
At least the engagement helps :)
@cflclosers you have received
10 ENGAGE
from @tarazkp!View and trade the tokens on Steem Engine.
Steem (and so many other blockchains) are indeed somehow a lottery; But as you, I do think Steem is one of the few blockchains that has a larger, much larger potential over many others. You hit the nail when stating "It is likely that if on Steem we had spent more time collaborating on diversified projects and less time bickering over the reward pool, we would be further along the production line..." As you mentioned, we are learning, but we would've indeed be much further when we would've collaborate more. Better to have 1 streaming platform, than many of them; Better to have services with simple to use interface for users like you and I, or business to be onboarded providing them with yet another marketing channel. I would love for Steem to be used by journalists, espacially those that are independent. But, I think we don't have the right UI for followers and the right tools for such journalists to onboard them, and keep them onboarded. I would love to work with developers to make this happen. Anyways, also I would spend part of my earnings on Steem to make things happen, if I win the lottery. Until then, I spend my time curating, blogging, learning and interacting with Steem in the middle :)
I am hoping that these days the discussions around change and development can be conducted with a bit more maturity and collaboration, but I will not hold my breath :)
I think if more users did this, the place would be healthier.
!ENGAGE 20
Agree with you on both points!
On topic of learning: What is this Engage about? See this for the first time. Thanks btw
EDIT: forget my question, figuring it out already :)
@edje you have received
20 ENGAGE
from @tarazkp!View and trade the tokens on Steem Engine.
If I didn't have to work anymore (from winning the lottery) I would still work to create value everyday it would just be on things I want to work on or projects that I enjoy.
Maybe learn how to code and start developing on the Steem blockchain.
Really focus on creating some niche blogs and websites that I can earn money on for as long as they provide value.
Develop an indie game.
Learn more about photography and becoming a photographer.
Spend more time with family.
Invest in real-estate and learn the ropes of growing my portfolio
Goes with investing in stocks as well.
You know how actors are paid to learn stuff for movies? wouldn't it be cool to have the ability to learn all kinds of cool things, and still be able to add value to the world?
There are so many ways t add value in this world, but the adding generally takes creating. I think Steem has the chance to be the creators chain, and drive all kinds of innovation across the world.
I've told people before when talking about how automation will destroy all jobs, I see this as very possible in the future.
I remember my parents always telling me you can't make a career out of playing video games, and now not everyone is able to make a career out of it, a lot more than 0 have made a career either via professionally or streaming.
It's interesting to imagine what other passions that people thought you'd never be paid to do, will one day allow people to turn into careers? Learning would be an interesting career to me.
Damn it.. I keep forgetting to add this on good comments :)
!ENGAGE 10
@gniksivart you have received
10 ENGAGE
from @tarazkp!View and trade the tokens on Steem Engine.
Winning the Tweetery
https://twitter.com/tarazkp1/status/1219010407588880384
This is were it gets better than the lottery, which is only chance. Given that we are trusting this platform brings value to our lives, and want to invest, more than money, on it, we can have a great opportunity for it to grow and deliver back on the investment.
It is pretty awesome that not only is there the chance to invest into an emerging industry, but instead of having the capital only locked up, it can be actively used to support the investment itself.
hm, if i won the lotto I'd probably move all the money into crypto. :D
Not because I want to gamble more.... but due to political reasons.
Gotta exit fiat.
Crypto, gold, silver, an off grid home... The less of a fiat footprint, the better.
Hm yeah... the only thing about precious metals is that you have to physically hold them to prove the same type of ownership that decentralization has to offer. Might even be fun to own some platinum because it's so expensive and easy to hide. Speaking of off-grid homes, might as well invest in 3D-printer production while we're at it.
I just like the idea of buried treasure perhaps :D
Having a decent 3D printer gives a lot of options, especially for ad hoc repairs of things :)
Shit photo.
Definitely.
Haha I love inside jokes, wish I could be part of one some day!
I really have to watch the US office. Never got into it enough, but perhaps it is time.
We have plans for if we ever win lotto. Now all we have to do is actually get a winning ticket XD
What's the definition of "work"? I always thought people would just do whatever work it is they wanted to do rather than whatever it was they had to do to earn money (if it wasn't the same thing which it doesn't seem to be for most) but I apparently don't know much about people ^_^;
Hard to say what work means for different people, but perhaps for me, it is intentional activity to add value. This can be adding to the person, to others, to both of course.
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Since my joining the steem in May, 2017 now I am not very concerned about the price. One reason for this is that we have seen so many projects being vanished in this bear market and people have lost a lot of their hard earned money. But steemit still being a new survived really well and always implemented the things by listening to his members. If we really enjoy what we are doing either as a hobby or job, there is no point on leaving it. Now steemit has become a daily activity for many users I know and they really feel very satisfied what they are doing and spending their time on the things they think really matter.