Right now user retention is absolute shit and will continue to be that way until people find reasons to stay here over using other social networks. You know something is wrong when none of those other websites compensate the user, and it means that the network effect here and the content alone is not strong enough of a draw for new users to stay engaged. Also, the necessary "capital" required to interact on the site are essentially pulled after a month, ensuring that people come here, find the content lacking, and even if they attempt to stay are rewarded by not being able to vote or do anything after a month.

Tesla isn't a very good example, they receive big government deals that aren't at play here, but yes they attempt to innovate with some of the money. There are attempts to draw people into the steemit economy with all of the apps that are being created, but apps are plentiful and user attention is not, and if the baseline economic model of the steem coin itself is distasteful to the broader market (as you put it the perception of it being a ponzi scheme used to pay out the big holders) then it will not see greater adoption.