Good to read your post and to have a point of view from someone who's here since the "early" days. I noticed the same: The mass readership is not yet here compared to the social media monsters. At the same time, I see steemit too as an investment. I see it as a great opportunity to build a following and find my voice on a plattform that is slowly flourishing.

Nobody knows how facebook and instagram - and also Steemit will do in the long-run. But what I know for myself: I enjoy it better here, as facebook and instagram for example, require you (to a good extend) to pay for your content to share your art to the masses.

I believe (and please correct me, if I'm running off blindly here) that here on Steemit, it's not that extreme yet, and I can build a readership on a platform that is not yet overcrowded. As you said: believing in the project for the long term...

thanks for the post!
Sam