Should Steemit reward members for referring people to the platform? Maybe give them 10 SBD when their referrals meets certain requirements (kind of like how Uber or Lyft will pay $50 or $100 to refer someone who completes 20 rides).
Let me break it down for you:
Pro's of a Referral or Affiliate Program
More incentive for members to share the platform. Right now there isn't any compelling reason I should share Steemit. I don't get any money, recognition, or status upgrade. The only possible reason I would be incentivized to share Steemit is that it could lead to more followers. But this isn't a guarantee. It's one thing if someone who ALREADY has a massive fan base comes on Steemit, because then their following will want to read their content on this platform. A good example would be 
The other benefit of me sharing Steemit is that is grows the community, and therefore increases the chances of this company to be around for years to come. The more active users = more stability and growth within the Steemit community. But for most, this reason isn't enough.
People are inherently selfish, and many come on Steemit to make money. So if people got paid (even a small amount), then they'd share it with more people (and even invest in paid advertising).
Cons
1. It could change the entire payment structure of Steemit. I'm not a programmer, but adding a complex MLM structure (or even a simple 1 or 2 tier affiliate program) could take a lot of time and money to implement.
2. Most importantly, the focus would be off creating great content and instead about pushing people through a funnel getting them to sign up. Many online schemes and even legit MLM's have failed because people sign up in the company to then enroll others, and there isn't a viable product. If we implemented an affiliate program in Steemit, there'd be a massive influx of new users JUST here to make money. Which is why Empower Network failed, because people got involved just to get others signed up.
Conclusion
Steemit is growing rapidly from pure organic growth. No incentives. No affiliate program. I believe that an MLM or affiliate structure isn't needed, and would degrade the value and quality of this platform.
What do you think?