SteemIt is a site built around a funding model. The company created a cybercurrency called STEEM. They give rewards and fund the site through the inflation of STEEM.
This mechanism is extremely difficult to replicate. A market can only bear so much inflation before the market jumps into a spiral of hyper inflation.
I am working on a game called Vagabond Spirit. In this game, one's Vagabond Spirit wanders the globe. As they take steps in the cyber world, they earn credits called "bits."
They are called bits as people used to cut silver dollars into eight equal pieces called bits. A quarter is known as a two-bit coin.
The spirits occasionally stop at two-bit diners and four-bit hotels. But, for they most part, the spirits accumulate bits as they travel.
It would be fun to include an exchange that allowed players to trade their bits for real money.
To complement the bits, I created a second token called a milly. A milly is a thousandth of a dollar (or a tenth of a penny).
This exchange sounds well and good, but, where will the millies come from? I happen to be broke. I can't just give people money from nothing.
I doubt that I would have success with an ICO; So, I decided to take a more conventional route and fund the site with traditional online advertising.
To make the game fun, I will take the money I receive from the ads and run the money through the game.
I made a page where people can buy ads with STEEM. I am currently charging $0.10 CPM. I would give 10,000 ads for 1 SBD.
I doubt I will get any buyers for direct ads soon; So, I will start by running affilite ads. The Vagabond Spirit Store shows the ads in the rotation. If I make any money from the ads, I will put them into the game.
So, with my funding model in hand, I hope to open the game soon.
Now, I just need to find some players.
This game starts with one's vagabond spirit leaping from the body. The spirit then walks around the globe.
If you are interested in playing the game, just tell me where you want to start.