What you don't understand is maintaining SBD is not free.
I actually do understand that it isn't "free." But the "costs" are minimal, unless the price is tanking...but then this is not caused by SBDs. The falling prices are the catalyst for the potential "systemic risks." Eliminating SBDs does not resolve the actual problems that cause the falling STEEM prices.
SBD is constant selling pressure because of interest cost and feed discount cost.
With steem's low trading volume, That could cause enough problem.
Sure...right now. The problem isn't SBDs. The problem is the wholesale lack of interest in STEEM/Steemit. You're confusing/dismissing the actual causes of the STEEM price declines.
There are many causes of STEEM price declines, and SBD is one factor of it. Again, IT is CONSTANT selling pressure.
Again, what benefit SBD brings to STEEM? It brings selling pressure. It MAY BENEFIT MERCHANT but only do harm to STEEM.
investors are always asking questions:
How many users do you have, how quick is your growth.
No investor asks how much something is worth, it always a matter of how much bigger something can be.
Two main problem of Steemit:
I can recommend a video from Standford made by people from Y Combinator about growth:
Basically whole playlist is great.
And later watch Tools for Entrepreneurs: Making Something People Love, by CEO of Reddit:
Real problem is not near a backend related. People do not give a shit about technology behind the product. It is always about functionality, which product provides.