You know, there is that whole "reap what you sow" saying that is generally applied at a social level to say that how you behave is what you generate in your life, and of course, this includes all types of investment behavior. While most people focus on the results they want, far fewer spend time developing the process that will get them there and while some will reach their goals, consistency comes through good process.
We tend to specialize in the parts of the process that we enjoy the most, even if there is a law of diminishing returns at work that continually lower the benefit output for the energy input. When it comes to most processes however, there is a range of skillsets that are grouped together that are firstly requirred to have to some level to achieve anything, and then can be developed so that they add values that compound against each other.
Sporting skills are a good way to visualize these things. There is always an opportunity cost tradeoff to skillset development as developing one means it is time away from another and, developing one might actually inhibit another. For example, a sprinter needs to obviously be fast in the legs and that requires having the strength to push at the maximum, however having extremely strong legs could actually slow a sprinter down as it adds mass to what needs to move fast, meaning it takes more energy and that has to come from somewhere.
This visualization is obviously transferable to other areas and investment is a decent one where the energy is the available resources and it is how, when and where it is spent that makes a great deal of difference. Over time, the compounding effects of that expenditure can be incredibly large.
On Steem for example, I see some people spending a great deal of time and energy chasing maximization of curation returns even though they would likely have a host of other ways they could spend their time in order to out perform their curation efforts. There is nothing wrong with the approach of course, but there is an opportunity cost of some kind and on Steem, this also includes social considerations where behaviors change based on impressions of things.
More complexity in this regard has come in through the introduction of tribes and will increase further with SMTs as there are often tiny Steem Power accounts that distribute next to nothing, but have a fair amount behind them on a tribal interface. I estimate that in the last month or so, my 
When it comes to sowing seeds for the future, those who spend time to understand the current situation, evaluate where it might go and then with attention and intention build a process that supports their direction are in my opinion, far more likely to have a chance at reaching their goals. I always find it an interesting approach when people hope for an outcome, but do not change their behaviors to align with that eventuality. I find there are many on Steem who seemingly actively work against their hoped results.
With so many draws on our attention and so many of them being entertainment and pleasure based making them highly attractive, it isn't easy to focus on what is actually important, let alone identify the skills required to match the current frame, work out where it is all going and develop for that and invest in their development to achieve that end.
I think this is part of the reason that I am so glad that a large part of my investment is in Steem Power as it is an investment into the hopes and dreams of others too, others who have their key interest areas and are looking to expand their personal footprint on those fronts. This means I can focus on what I enjoy doing, and still benefit from what they enjoy doing and, vie versa. It is highly interesting to see where it will lead when we can act as individuals to benefit ourselves, but that very act can benefit many others, even though we do not know them.
The first viral app on Steem is going to bring a great deal of value, but unlikely as much as the second, third and then the following hundreds that will arrive, even if they are not viral. As the economic mass of people in a decentralized marketplace grows by doing what they love, everyone who has planted the seeds that support them will benefit too.
Eventually I think, Steem could be the place where thousands of developers can grow their dreams and millions of consumers can support them as well as benefit from their investment to do just that. Curation is going to be the main earner on Steem in the future for most people I believe, but it isn't going to be through maximization of coin, it will be as a tool for maximizing the value of coin by development of the community. It is a paradigm shift though, and that takes time.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]