The screenshots above are my achievements so far in 16 days to be exact. I have invested nothing but my time and data. Although I don't know exactly how to rate it.
I believe it's best not to compare myself to others, so many people came here through different means; some people were introduced through a friend with a higher rep, others through a community of steemians, some already have an existing fan base.
As for me, I came here alone, while searching for an alternate crypto-currency online I saw steemit. I decided to register and it has been a great learning experience ever since.
At a time, I had up to 30 tabs open on my PC trying to digest every information I can get. Steemit still has a long way to become user-friendly, it's very easy to be intimidated as a newbie but with time it gets easier. I am very grateful to those people who helped me understand through the articles I read. I thank all the communities that welcomed me with open arms. 
What i have learned and still learning about steemit
Quality over Quantity: It's easy to be churning out half-assed posts and still get likes but I have learnt that for the long run it's better to have a well thought out blog post. It doesn't have to be soo long but if you put your mind to it you will attract readers and curators.
Removing entitlement mentality: It may sound harsh but It's true, as a beginner you are not entitled to upvotes. you may feel you've got the next big content but what happens when no one like your stuff. you just have to move on so you don't get discouraged, similar to a busker singing in the street, you may have all the talent but not everyone will stop and listen, but you keep singing and one day you will get there.
Be a quality curator: This is the easiest part yet quality curators are scarce on steemit, everyone is posting but few are taking time to give quality feedback on new content. This is one of the easiest ways to build relationships and even get paid on steemit.
P.S. Just a caution for the new users . when you want to change your SBD to STEEM to increase your steempower. DO NOT CLICK THE 'CONVERT TO STEEM' BUTTON use the https://steemit.com/market link instead to buy or sell steem. I made that mistake and lost some steem.
Thank you all for reading, I know there is still much more for me to learn. Steemit is growing and going to get much bigger than it is. In fact, I have a theory that people outside the western world are going to catch on to steemit much faster.
