That said, I can't help but feel like some of your conclusions might be a bit premature or overstated..
They certainly are premature considering they havent happened yet. When that happens, it is blatant to the masses and a foregone conclusion to the masses, no effort or analysis is required. It is far easier to summarize where we are at (although most struggle with that) as compared to where we are going.
For example, you claim that Hivefest attendees represent the "who's who" of Hive. But with such a small sample size of attendees, can we really make sweeping judgments about the caliber of talent in the whole Hive ecosystem?
Sure. It was not relative to the talent elsewhere. I didnt claim this is the who's who of the world of developer or even blockchain.
While it's natural for like-minded people to want to celebrate each other's achievements, painting it negatively seems unproductive.
It certainly is reason to celebrate although many do not take it to be that way.. But then, my conclusion is that the entire event was more than a congratulation or celebration of what was done.
I admire your belief in Hive's potential, but implying it will singlehandedly lift people out of poverty or shape the future of web3 feels hyperbolic. Most successful communities are built gradually through real utility, not grand pronouncements.
I agree utility is where change comes from. These are not grand proclamations based upon a bunch of people tuning into an event. I always work from the ground up, meaning the architecture we are dealing with. When we compare that to what else is out there, along with the distribution model, Hive is already ahead of others.
Does it mean we are done? No there is a lot of work to do. The advantage to Hive is what you said, communities. We have pockets forming both in the digital and physical world where utility is starting to be provided.
Lastly, I'm puzzled by your argument that Hive's "lack of a singular message" is a good thing.
This stems from the fact we are dealing with a complex organic system. I agree totally that platforms should have a concise message. This is the application level.
What is the message of the forest? It depends. This will be different for birds, bushes, and bears. What is the message of Hive? That is going to vary. The target market is wide. Is it gamers? Could be. Are we after freedom lovers? Certainly. Are we seeking a new financial system and looking for people who know about that? Without a doubt. How about content creators? A given.
You get the point. This all comes back to what Hive is. Essentially, my view is that at the most fundamental level, it is a decentralized database that can house text natively. That is what we are dealing with. All else stems from there.
Who does that cater to? A lot of variables in that one. It shows we are doing decentralization right in that we cannot narrow everything down to a single message. It is also why I believe the marketing of Hive is simply chasing our tails. It is the projects that are build which have target markets and a message to deliver to their potential users/audience that will attract people.
I hope these thoughts come across constructively.
I always enjoy feedback. It is good to converse about what is going on and how the world is unfolding especially in these times.
By the way, good topics on your Youtube videos.