Daily Pick of Hidden Gems which directly addresses the question of Minnows getting lost in Steemit's initial growth spurt 'Data Shock'.@dragonslayer109 is just one example of someone who is already doing a great job with his/her
I imagine in due course many more curators will organically arise in various specialist categories and sub-categories, becoming the gatekeepers of quality content. Creators via Curators to Consumers - Consumers 'value' the service/product in the marketplace via feedback (comments and upvotes) - Feedback loop back to Creators on what the 'market' needs/wants.
I suggest the 'market' in and of itself will determine the course of future content on the platform, rather than trying to second-guess what the market wants . In other words, fit your service/product to the Steemit marketplace rather than trying to fit the marketplace (Steemit) to your service/product/content. This is a fundamental mistake many make, and then having spent endless hours creating products/services/content; become frustrated to learn that the market doesn't actually want/need or highly value such items.
Watch the market. Produce accordingly. Give people what they want rather than what you think they want.
I worked as a Curator in the physical world (Wholesale distribution between Manufacture and Consumer). I believe if you are creating great content that the marketplace wants and needs , there will be no end of curators willing to distribute said content.
Rewards are not necessarily monetary.