I have a few ideas that I'm starting to develop. None of them rely on the reward pool or proposal system. If dependent on public resources and goodwill, or welfare, criticism is just part of the show.
Alt-token ads are a great idea. Some people are skeptical or think too much is being bet on SMT, but it's really the whole point of Hive. We need a diverse ecosystem, not more of the same. Without this, it's just a blogging platform and if the content sucks, it will eventually decline. I don't think the good bloggers need to worry because they can make it on a different platform if this one no longer suits them.
Art and video sites are starting to take off; gaining traction. Things that attract consumers. Plenty of competition out there. Plus the traditional route still exists. Digital artists gigs. Writing gigs. Jobs too LOL!
That's why I called it a department store though. This place even has an arcade that could use a few more games and of course, consumers. Millions of consumers.
It will likely require reimagining how the reward pool and the proposal system work, but I don't see why it can't succeed. The majority of people should only be rewarded with being able to consume quality content.