I agree that Steemit will gain continue popularity regardless of whether it is incentivized or not. There is a natural organic recruitment occurring just based on how awesome the site is! I do think that incentivizing recruitment can add value though, as it will encourage other forms of recruitment beyond just the organic growth that is occurring from all the excitement. It does not necessarily corrupt the site to incentivize recruitment, any more than incentivizing posting, voting, or any of the other behaviors that the community values does.