I'm a bit late chiming in here but still wanted to add my opinion in the matter.
I think 1000 Listnerds (or ballpark) isn't such a crazy idea.
When I look at that I've helped one of my team members upgrade to Basic membership two months in a row. The first month I paid the full amount because he had just started on Hive as well as Listnerds, and the second month, I only had to add about 10 HBD or so because he paid the rest himself.
My reasoning behind this was that I wanted him to enjoy the experience as a whole, as well as make enough progress in both Hive as well as Listnerds to see the potential, without having to worry about how he'd pay for things.
I want what most of us on Hive want: for the platform, as a whole, to grow.
And if that costs me a little bit of my stake, then it's money well spent.
I would do the same for others because most of the members of my team are solid creators who bring something new and unique. However, with my personal situation the way it is now, it's impossible for me to take this from my Hive wallet.
It would probably be a completely different story if it could come from my Listnerds rewards/stake. That way, in my opinion, we all win: People stick around because they don't feel too much pressure to pay for things in the beginning. I win because I keep a team that's solid and brings value. And there are more subscriptions than there would be otherwise.