That is definitely a knee-jerk reaction by people upset that it's not 2013 anymore. I heard the very same criticism of Steemit by friends who saw all those $1000+ posts on the Trending page and simply remarked that Steemit was a pyramid scheme or a limp biscuit lol.
But people like that are always idiots. Just continue putting in the work and believe in the process - the great results will start pouring in and prove all the haters wrong! Thanks Trevon!