RE: STEEM + Bandcamp Philosophy (Maybe an approach to tap into the market of 7 billion users by 2025)
@kevinwong, another great idea... but I keep coming back to the question of how to effectively implement it.
We have this community; we're building a Steemit ecosystem; new apps are proposed and developed... but then we have to look at the mass adoption idea. Whether we loathe "centralization" or not... we run into the sharp edge where "decentralization" (good) runs the risk of becoming "fragmentation" (not user friendly).
Why do I say this? Well, in trying to bring people over from Farcebook, one of the main sticking points is that when you log onto FB, "everything is right there." Steemit will be a hard sell to the average web user if "logging into Steemit" requires someone to run 43 separate apps. It's just not going to fly, with the general public.
So as we consider how (and if) we're going to fit stuff on the Steemit blockchain... we also have to look at how to "launch centrally" to independently open sourced apps.
Disclaimer: I am more of a "trend observer" than a tech guru...
I'd just think of Steem as the social currency layer of the Internet. Distribution takes time, and ultimately, people will start using the apps they like, coming in from different vectors. Steemit is central enough at the moment, it attracts the early adopter types and retains them. More mainstream folks will come in once the UI / UX improves over time. Up to the community to determine the value and build to improve it. People will start paying (or investing) for different reasons :)
In sense, the "Farmer's Market" model. Steemit is the Farmer's Market; the different apps are the individual vendors at the market... which is great as long as there remains a high awareness of the core marketplace where people can discover other things.