Which Constituency is most Vital to Steem?

Authors

... create the content which keeps people coming to Steemit.com, and engaging with the Steem Network. Without them, there would be little reason to use or invest in the Network.

Readers

... provide the reason for creators to join. Without readers this Network would not have the potential to grow into a widely used network, with lots of valuable content.

Curators

... ensure that relevant content is presented to readers. If they fail in this job readers will leave. They also determine the rewards provided to content creators. Without rewards authors may leave, as they often cannot justify the cost of creating content without them.

Witnesses and Miners

... perform the work of validating and creating new blocks. Without them there would be no network at all.

Developers

... developed and continue to develop the software which allows the network to run, improve and scale. They also provide tertiary services to all other participants in the Network. Without them the Network would stagnate, or it never would have begun.

Investors

... ensure that Steem has a market price. Without a market price, there are no rewards for any other constituent, as Steem has no purchasing power. They essentially provide their capital to the Steem Network.

Short-term Speculators and Market makers

... provide liquidity to the market, so that investors can buy in at any time, and other constituents can make use their rewards at any time.

Every Pillar is Necessary

The purpose of this post was to show how each constituency in the Steem Network is in fact vital. Any one of them leaving the Network would effectively mean 'no more network'. My hope is that we can avoid seeing one constituency as the "truly most important", where we sacrifice some for the perceived gain of others. The value of the Steem Network to all of these constituencies must be preserved and maximised if Steem is to succeed as a platform.