Unlike many others, I ended up in the blockchain thanks to my passion for writing and creating online content. My writer friends recommended Steemit, I tried it and started blogging there. Then I ended up with crypto and no clue what it was all about. That in its turn led me to fall down the rabbit hole. Since then I read and learned a lot and have even been working in the blockchain field since then…
But this post is not about that.
It’s not about the technology. It’s not about the cryptocurrency. It’s not even about how the two that I mentioned are gonna change the world in the future.
No.
This post is about the human aspects of the story. It’s about what’s been extremely important since day 1.
And that’s the people and the communities they form.
Communities have always been at the epicenter of the blockchain and crypto. The small group of passionate rebels were the ones who set things up. We all were about creating a better, safer and decentralized space, where everyone will have a voice, no one will be dictating rules and where we would get back the control and freedom.
Steemit, like many others in the space, was always community-centric. Steemit community has always been strong and it represented the platform’s heartbeat. It was a healthy community with people who were building true friendships with each other. Place where like-minded people could speak up and get support, rant, and be understood. The community that rewarded the good quality content creators and protecting it from all those toxic and crappy stuff.
Steemit had become a place where many people felt home…
And then… we all know what happened…
And I get it. At the end of the day for someone, it was a business. And when that’s the case, it’s just a matter of zero-s. So I am not blaming anyone.
What I am trying to do instead is - illustrate how powerful can communities be.
What happened next proved that one can buy the company but one can never buy its community, because communities can not be bought.
What many don’t understand is that the love of the community is earned… but it’s not earned only once. You need to nurture it, you need to take care of your relationship with your community… because it’s not a one-time win or a one-way street.
When things go wrong, the community will hate you with the same strength they loved you before.
What’s the beauty behind the Steemit community story is that they realized that they have reached the point where the platform does not define them anymore. They’ve got each other, so if their “home” no longer feels like home - just like with any relationship that no longer works, what you do is you leave.
Now they have a new place. Their new home looks even cozier than their old one.
What I like most about the whole story is that they had the last say.
I can’t predict the future of Steemit or Hive. I don’t know how things are gonna be developed.
But what I know for sure is that any company, brand, or online platform that does not have a loyal community behind it is doomed to fail.
So don’t underestimate the power of the community and don’t treat them as numbers. Behind each number, there is a real human being - please don’t forget that.