Steemit is a platform with a number of possibilities. It is a gateway for bloggers and content developers to design, create, and share what is on their mind and make something that they once dreamed of, come alive. Steemit has proven that it has the power to change lives and on a daily basis, the user base continues to grow. New technologies are built and new communities are started.
We have amazing technologies built on top of the underlying Steemit Blockchain that has changed the face of how we operate and use Steemit. We have amazing tools, apps, and technology that are created by everyday users that allow Steemit to be a truly decentralized entity.
Today I want to announce another application that I and a few other Steemit users have been working on - I'd like to introduce everyone to STEEMSTART
What is SteemStart?
I have always seen Steemit as a platform where people can make their dreams come true. A place where people can have an idea, design, and build it, and make it a reality. Taking the idea from a kickstarter site and mixing it with the technology behind Steemit, Steemstart is formed. Our goal is to empower people with the ability to liberate themselves from the confines of a traditional work model and help get them started on their own journey of changing their own lives.
SteemStart based backing is in the form of SBD, Steem, and Steem Power. Users can choose to help fund SteemStart campaigns through the traditional method of SBD/Steem donations towards the users idea, or through Upvoting which is kickstarted using our 
What does SteemStart look like?
The SteemStart site is live at http://www.steemstart.com.
Most features are currently disabled until we can complete all features and get the site completely functional, but you can visit and see it for yourself.
How does the site work?
Since it is built on top of the Steemit interface, traditionally the site is blog based - users who have a project, idea, business, charity, etc. that they want to raise funds for simply need to create a post on the site. They will be presented with a series of options such as
- The post category - whether it is a funding for a charity, business, or technology, etc.
- The target amount of funds to raise (which will be entered in the form of SBD
- The standard distribution type - 50/50 or all Steem Power
Once that is complete, they will need to type out a well thought out plan and proposal in the form of a blog post. Initially, the site will require a number of criteria in order to publish the post
- Minimum of 300 words
- At least 3 pictures
Without meeting these criteria, the "publish" button will be greyed out and not allow you to submit your post. These criteria will change as the platform evolves.
Once the post is submitted, our
The
To ensure that the site is being used properly, we will have a team of curators who will regularly review posts and flag any misuse or abuse of the system. Too many abuses and users will get banned. This will be tracked automatically on the back end.
Because we want users to be able to easily access their campaigns, the site will also offer you the ability to log in using your Steemit credentials care of Steem Connect. Steemconnect is a trusted site which does not store passwords or credentials, so users can rest assured that their information is safe.
How to contribute?
The site is still a work in progress and I will continue to provide updates on its development as we near completion. I am always looking for coders and contributions to help make the site better so if you want to join our team to help bring this to life, feel free to contact me.
You can either contact me through Steemit.Chat at 
I can also be found on Steemit through
Although most of the site is coded in PHP and HTML, You can also submit contributions directly to https://github.com/cloh76/steemstart for features that directly tie into Steemit
My hope is that this site will be an additional resource to helping people change their lives and make their dreams and ideas a reality.
As always, please share with me your feedback, input, and comment on things you would like to see.
Posted on Utopian.io - Rewarding Open Source Contributors