Thanks for something of a top down view. I came to the same conclusion a few days ago (I have been here 3 months). The world of cryptocurrencies is becoming littered with "get rick quick" mindset and not a lot of solid substance that will get people doing things.
Steemit is coming at this from a strong application angle. It is in our hands to vote for the things we like and dump the stuff we don't like. It is this solid application base that suggested to me that Steemit is here to stay and that it will outlast the speculators and the "get rich quick" schemers.
That is why I moved funds from one crypto world yesterday and invested and powered up.
ps I found this post via @steemboost
I think its a good move (if you can afford to lose it of course).. One day the "executives" will be replaced and this thing will look different all together. I'm betting on the value of content and eyeballs more than I am on the "reddit" demonstration of this model. With the Steem blockchain - I can organize posts however I want on MY OWN site (which they are now willing to pay per post to achieve). That stuff excites me more than any "gamefication" model could (achieving levels and badges). I'm out of here if it ever comes to that ;)
My investment is small and it is part of a high risk share of my portfolio which goes into startups and new technologies.
My state of learning has not gone as far as working out how to leverage the blockchain. However, I can see how this helps me deal with organising the wide range of topics I aim to write about. Write first and organise later. Thanks for the idea.