Thanks for sharing your story.
All I need to say (which may read as a defense for the BitShares community) is, that I don't think it's fair to compare a decentralized exchange like BitShares with a social media platform like Steem when talking about community-building. Steem has way more options to establish a "community" and offers more ways to participate.
That said, I think it was genius of you to add POW to the consensus scheme and, in particular, to have the first couple days a POW only scheme to attract fresh and motivated blood!
It is my sincere hope that Dan did not abandon BitShares