@aggroed I think we can look at Dash as an example of what happens when you allocate funds to promote the network. Steem is faster and a better payment network ie no fee and yet Dash is sitting at around 1k. Along with the social part of the platform I think someone should build a more easy way to use steem as a payment system, And promote it the only problem we have is the slow time to get on to the system, still waiting to get my mom's approval email.
We can look to utopian as a way to self organize and work together with what we already have at hand. @elear had built a beautiful system with the group of people who are all passionate about it. Steemit inc should shift to a foundation from a corporation and it would be a very different conversation.