STEEM and the "Little Fish" Dilemma
So far I really like just about everything STEEM does and is doing. However, one of the biggest issues I see with the platform is this: if you're not already a well-established "high-earning poster", whales tend to miss your post among all the noise and good posts ultimately just get buried. Those with track records of high-earning posts are the ones that are immediately picked up by whales/bots hoping to get a slice of the curation reward pie (oftentimes this is regardless of the post's actual value), so they're the only ones able to get that all-important time in the spotlight. It's a self-promoting cycle that really only benefits those that are already whales.
And yes, this doesn't happen with all posts (some exceptionally well written posts by relative-newcomers are rewarded greatly), but I've seen it happen often enough with other great posts that just go unnoticed. I've also seen some really crap posts from established posters pull in hundreds of dollars. As STEEM grows and the number of little fish fighting for attention continues to explode, this imbalance will only become more apparent.
Can this be fixed? I would think it's possible if the strength of one’s vote is somehow calculated a bit more fairly, so the whales aren't completely running the show as to what should and should not be rewarded. I ultimately just don't want to see STEEM become a walled garden where the only people able to make money here are the already-established whales.
I honestly think the key here is consistency - if you write because you have something interesting, inspiring and/or informational to share and otherwise remain consistent and passionate about it whilst ensuring to weigh quality above quantity I'd be very surprised if you weren't eventually picked up. You could draw some of the same parallels to established platforms - i.e. YouTube - where pushing through requires tremendous dedication and work. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing that it requires consistency, dedication and passion to gain a follower base.
The little fish are all counted equally on the 'hot' index. This means that if you are popular with the people, then the whales will see your post and you will likely get some big votes.
Everyone contributes in different ways, but every contribution matters. The key to success is to write stuff that appeals to the audience. The Audience is your fellow steem users.
Currently this audience is very interested in Steem and that is OK for now. Eventually it will diversify as people look for more interesting content.