My Hive Story
A lot of people have been doing these type of posts lately and I figured I would jump in and do the same. I was a bit skeptical at first though, because the truth is that many of you have already heard all these answers more than once. I guess this is more for people who've never heard it before, or for the ones who might have forgot. If they are interested that is.
So, I'll give you answers for 10 different questions, just like others have done.
How long have you been on the Blockchain?
- I joined
Steemit2016-07-08, so my account is 72 moons old according to hiveblocks.
What was your background in cryptocurrency when you first came to the Blockchain?
I had zero crypto- or blockchain experience prior to Steem Hive, and I did not believe that there could be any value in something that had been invented by some random individual online. I was a firm-believer in real money I could hold in my hand and I was certain of the fact that bitcoin was pure bullshit.
What was your background in writing when you first came to the Blockchain?
I never saw myself as a "blogger" or an "article writer" because I was so attached to the title "freelancer" and "being my own boss" when I was working my ass off on Fiverr (and similar sites). Over the years as a freelancer, I managed to start my own brand building business and published various ebooks though, so I most certainly had experience in writing.
Writing in my second language has always been difficult though, and I often used that as some sort of excuse for the times when- or if- I made mistakes, which actually held me back a bit.
How many people did you know when you first came to the Blockchain?
Two. One of them told me about Steemit and he had started to earn "something extra" for his contributions on a "place that paid for content". The second user joined because of the first, just like I did eventually. I had greater success than both of them though, so they quit and I stayed.
The funny thing here is that both of them had some crypto experience so they actually believed in this whole thing from the start. I did not. My case was different because I basically joined only to prove that it was bullshit. I was looking for an answer for one simple question:
- Why on earth would anyone pay up to thousands of dollars for a half-assed article they could get from Fiverr for $5?
How did you meet people when you first came to the Blockchain?
I have never had problems reaching out, talking to others and whatever, but I was not interested in that at all when I first joined. I was here to prove that everything was bullshit so I was not willing to waste time talking with idiots who believed they would actually be able to cash out and use the money they "was paid".
I spent the majority of my time running my business and earning "some extra real money" on marketplaces at the time, so an imaginary currency that "someone" had invented was not something I was interested in.
Who did you look up to when you first came to the Blockchain?
I didn't look up to anyone because like I've said previously, I thought everything was bullshit. I was certain of that and I was not willing to spend time on idiots. I can't remember exactly, but I think it took me roughly 5 weeks or something to actually understand that I could use "the money people paid me".
When I finally realized that, things started to be different. I became more and more active, started to talk with people, making comments on other people's posts and I started to look up to literally everyone who seemed to be paid crazy amounts for their rather poor content. I was eager to earn too.
- Why not cash out every little cent I could, when so many people here where literally pissing away thousands of dollars on content they could get more or less for free?
Yup. That was my mindset. 100%. Still zero experience because I never tried to learn anything. I wasn't here to learn, I was here to earn while this golden opportunity was still here. I could change my life with a couple of thousand dollar posts.
How would you describe your first three months on the Blockchain?
I've already told you about my mindset going in, and even though I can't remember exactly how things where my first 3 months, it was a very steep learning curve for me when I finally started to understand things. I think it took me roughly 6 months to actually understand that people didn't pay me out of their own pockets and it probably took me up to 12 months to see more of the real potential with something like this.
Has being a part of the Blockchain changed you in any way for the good?
It has most certainly changed me in various ways, or at least had some affect on me- or in my life. Good or bad. Long story short, I have witnessed and been part of many, many good things since I first joined, but I have also done mistakes that has given me rough times in real life as well.
While some of that is my own fault due to lack of knowledge or experience, other things have been out of my own control… I don’t blame anyone but myself though and even if certain actions have had severe or bad consequences, I’m still glad to be here.
My time here has been a rollercoaster of emotions, ups and downs, but I’m glad to be here. I would have done things a lot different though, if I where to start from scratch.
What is your favorite memory from your time on the Blockchain?
Looking back, I have many memories from this place. In the early days, I would definitely say that the favorite memories are the first time I cashed out so I could actually see for myself that I could use this “imaginary money” in real life.
Another memory that goes in line with the above would be the first "whale encounters" I had. All of those things got me to "stick around" instead of leaving, which many of my friends and former co-workers and colleagues did.
However, what's more important to me is that I have played a part in doing good things around the world. I have helped someone to pay their rent, putting food on the table or buying new shoes. In some way, I have been here and I have helped a fellow person. That was basically the reasons for the @asapers I co-launched with like-minded people in the past.
- Our goal was to inspire, help and motivate others around us.
If you could advise a new person signing up to Hive, what would it be?
This is tricky to say the least. Most people would tell you to "be consistent" and "produce quality content" and whatever. It's true though, that's what it will take to somewhat succeed here, but I want to give you something more than that:
- Comment on other people's posts.
That will get you some recognition and you'll make a name for yourself. That's why engagement is so important, because it goes both ways. It motivates authors to produce content and it helps others to have content to comment on.
And have fun. Don't take things too seriously. Don't look at the pending rewards and don't compare yourself with other authors. Don't take this as a job. Share things you want to share rather than sharing things you think others will enjoy (reward). The truth is that you are likely to produce dozens of articles that is going to be ignored by the majority of the people. That has nothing to do with your content being bad though, it's just how things are on the blockchain.
- You need to build your brand.
- You need exposure.
- You need to make a name for yourself.
Those things takes time..
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Lots of great advice here, for sure! I too personally have always seen the value in commenting on other Hivians' posts... it's usually appreciated and generates positive engagement most of the time. I admit though that NOT WATCHING REWARDS is something I should do more of. Again: sage advice. 🙏 Thanks for sharing.
Comparing yourself with others is probably one of the biggest mistakes one can make on Hive. Especially if you are new. That usually ends up with anxious feelings of being overlooked, unwelcome or "not good enough", which in turn often leads to quitting.
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But there are people like me. Just recently on Hive, it was interesting to read an old-timer) This is your third post on this subject. And you know, each one is interesting in its own way!🙏
Golden advice for Hive newbie
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It's quite tough but I am sure your doing well with the SEO articles. There has definitely been a push towards getting that done on LeoFinance to an extent.
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This got me really,as a newbie this is what am currently doing..reading and commenting on people's quality post and that is exactly how i came across your post.. although it looks tiring and tedious but I must say it has exposed me since I stated. Thanks for this tip. It has just encourage me to continue @hitmeasap
I think that for the most newbies, the most difficult thing is to concentrate on understanding how things work, I can understand that consistency and quality publications make a name, but not losing that spark of emotion from first moment is the most difficult to maintain at the beginning, thanks for supporting all of us who are on that way
Your story challenge has been good so far for the community, to help newbie understand how the community works and help them to grow
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Well said