I wish as you wished, steemit wasn't so hard... Not in terms of navigation and managing all the unknowns (which is already terrifying to some newbies) but that hard work should bring forth some measure of success, shouldn't it?
Like you said, I too tell people I introduce to steemit, work hard and you will make it... I also tell them at the very start, it is not easy, hoping that they are a little more prepared. Yet, end of the day, I have to be truthful to myself, hard work does not alone bring success. I have seen great works still earn a few depressing cents, even after being on the platform for months. Some because they stand by their personal principles of not giving in to paid bots for upvotes (I have seen the most talented, the most hard-working, the most 'sociable' & interactive ones still using bidbots and paid bots to gain sufficient ground) and some not really wanting to go out of their way to be 'sociable' but just wanting to highlight their work (ie. excellent photography, for one) Lots of creative people are laid back and low profile by nature - this works out badly for them.
What would I like to see... is some system in place where hard work will pay off! How? I don't know. And tougher action and policing on plagiarism. Some groups seem to have regulations that posts have to be of a certain length before they can be rewarded, which is good but then instead do they then encourage some to add nonsensical text just to 'make it'? And I don't like that some think long posts are the only great ones, the only way to go.
Ok, I think my ranting has gone on long enough. It started out as a short comment which got out of hand. I look forward to the rest of your posts.
Well said @ackhoo A great poem might only be 50 words so I don't think that length equals quality.
The vision of Steemit as stated in the white paper was to create a system where quality content was rewarded. No system will ever be perfect, but perhaps this one could be a bit better.