RE: Quality Content, Quality Content... NO! Networking is where it is at!
I totally get your point, but the problem I see here is, that when you say "make friends" there is no concrete definition of "friendship". I know one successfull steemian who merely lives only of his curations, who is actually meeting the people he is connected with on steemit.
BUT I know another EVEN MORE SUCCESSFULL steemian who is one of these if-you-upvote-me-I-upvote-you-guys.
The thing is: On social media everything and nothing does look and feel a bit like a true friendship. This is very problematically for me personally. I start to really get confused about what I am here for. For upvotes? For followers? Isn't steemit than just like any other social media plattform such as facebook?
If someone who works with upvote-for-upvotes is even more successfull than someone making real friends, why should I try to make real friends here?
Don't get me wrong, I really like some of the people I met here and did also already meet them in real life. But the point is: It doesn't make you a successfull steemian. This is a very important lesson.
If you want to be a financially successfell steemian: Forget friendship.
If you want to make real friends: Forget the financial success.
You are VERY lucky if you achieve both. But it's VERY unlikely. This is what my 4 months here thaught me so far.