I have found that the Steem/Steemit developers (like Dan) have been very open to listening to ideas, theories, and feedback. They are in blogs and on the Steemit-chat channels. Of course they wont make every change or respond to every request and comment. But the fact they are there is a huge indicator of genuine interest in their creation. Proof can be seen when @dantheman posted this to the community and asked for feedback:
People Rank - Using Page Rank Algorithm for Better Curation and Rewards https://steemit.com/steem/@dantheman/people-rank-using-page-rank-algorithm-for-better-curation-and-rewards

They could easily just cash-out if they wanted. Some would. They have chosen to stay, listen, and are constantly making upgrades to the webpage and blockchain. I feel like they should get some serious credit.