Basically that's something I recall saying in our conversations not long ago. You just took these ideas further and added a lot of meat to the bones. So, I agree except that I would say Steem Power is the most important thing right now instead of the random connections we have made so far. Now, I like the randomness and open-endedness of the current state of Steem quite a lot. But I'm also prepared for and actually looking forward to a future where communities are SMT based and isolated from each other. Commenting well is my schtick I think I'm capable of adding value to conversations in many fields.
This means that even though everyone technically has access to the pools through content creation, unless they are associated with and significantly proficient at something, they will slowly find their chances of random support diminished greatly. Many people now are going to find themselves out in the cold or at least, the water they swim in increasingly icing over. I am pretty sure that I am in this group myself as for the most part, my content is me, not a highly trained skill other than my ability to write and think. It will be hard for someone such as myself to get a foothold in any particular community however, for most people, this is a blessing.
Photography is one obvious niche you could do very well in. You have sufficient SP to be taken seriously in any niche you demonstrate any interest in but you are actually a highly proficient amateur photographer. In light of that, I find it a bit surprising that I don't recall you once writing anything about the technical and artistic aspects of photography that you are obviously well versed at.
Yes, it is and I agree SP is the most important thing right now too but for most people, the fastest way to grow this will be a combination of connection and 'whatever' else they can do to grow.
I have done a couple things a long time ago around this area but I am less technical and more 'feel' based as a photographer. It has limited range.
Yes, it's true that most people who cannot afford to buy SP with fiat or other cryptos need to form connections and try to get upvotes.
It is patently obvious from looking at your photographs that you know how manage light and basic settings like shutter speed, ISO and f-value and use them to get the desired effect. You clearly understand composition and have a pretty good handle on what looks visually appealing even if you lack the skill to explain it well. Most importantly, you have good ideas. You know how and when to deviate from established aesthetic rules to create the desired effect. For example, you once posted a photo of a tram or a train. The picture was slanted which was the correct choice in that case because it enhanced the sense of movement. You also know how to use long exposure to the same effect. Maybe you're not the guy to talk about the technical stuff in painstaking detail but you have plenty of good ideas you can share. Any community of photographers on Steem would welcome a very good photographer like you with 20,000 SP with open arms.