Re: "At the very least, it has demonstrated a model for other developers to learn from..."
Good point (not your only one, haha, but) Yes, Steemit Inc and all of us need to remain aware that if not kept "in tip-top shape" its model will be copied and/or improved upon. As said I just spend $200 on BTC to convert to Steem, and have been somewhat all-in to date, but I've also signed up for Akasha to see what it offers. Steemit has broken ground yes, but keeping the top position even in the market you created is a whole different ballgame. "Tom" at MySpace knows this all too well, so hopefully we'll find ourselves emulating "Jeff" at Amazon.com more than anyone. He basically invented (or popularized?) the concept of an online affiliate program for instance, and stayed on top even after Books-a-Million , Walenbooks, and other bookstores came online as his early "competitors". I know Steemit has an affiliate program in the background - it might be time to rev it up in order to dominate marketshare before other competitors arise?