Good read. I'll admit the money was what originally attracted me to Steemit, but I try to keep my expectations realistic. As a cryptocurrency investor, when I heard about the rapidly growing user base of Steemit and saw the value of Steem rising, I thought "hmm, this might be something worth learning about". So I read the whitepaper, thought the ideas were solid, and signed up earlier this month. I used 1.5 BTC of profits from one of my investments to purchase some Steem and power up my account. I find that what excites me the most about being here is the sheer potential, and the fact that my chances of being noticed and achieving success are the same as everybody else's. I haven't started blogging yet, still just testing the waters, but will probably make my introduction post this weekend and take it from there. I'm in it for the long haul. I don't care if my first post makes $0.01 or $1.00 or whatever. As you say, it's all about network building and making connections over time. The future is bright and I can't wait to see what it brings!