The Humble Hive Pitch
Many people believe that all cryptocurrencies and related content are scams because most projects fail to deliver on their promises to solve problems. It is easy for creators of these projects to fall into failure modes, leading them down the path towards becoming a Ponzi scheme or manipulated by interested parties. But no one likes being taken for the fool.
It's happened even with the big boys in the crypto space:
- Ethereum has failed at being “the world computer” due to increasing transaction costs tied to demand. Despite recent scaling efforts, that may not solve this issue long-term even if sharding is implemented effectively.
- Bitcoin has also failed as an actual currency because of issues such as slow transactions, block size limitations and the push for users to HODL rather than transact on it regularly which will only become worse due to factors like miner centralization or high transaction costs making securing the network too expensive in terms of dollars. It is instead now heralded as a store of value. There is a strong argument that it is not even that.
To survive, Hive needs to be seen as a project that has kept it promises. More importantly, needs to be seen as the project that has solutions already in place.
It's important to remember not to:
- Say we're different from all the other projects.
- Because that is what all the other projects that turned out to be scams have said.
- Use jargon or buzzwords. Web 3.0, HODL, NFT, etc.
- These immediately sour or turn off minds that have been exposed to news of scams out there.
- Make forward-looking statements.
- These can be viewed as promises, and we don't want to look like every scam out there. Only talk about what already have working when talking with people outside the community.
It's important to talk about what we already have working:
- Layer 1 data and currency
- Layer 2 smart contracts
- Tokens that can be rented
- Off chain data storage
- HBD a stable-ish coin
- Circular economies in some locations
- Borehole project
- Value for Value
- Digital Identities
- Account recovery
The Pitches
Here are a few pitches that attempt to lives by these rules.
For Creators
Hive is a collection of systems that support creators by giving them tools to support themselves and the freedom to say whatever they need to say without the risk of being demonetized.
For Free Speech Advocates
Hive is a collection of systems that enables you to live in a world where what you say matters and will stay on the record, even if some portion of the internet might disagree with you and wants you deplatformed.
For the Altruistic
Hive is a collection of systems that helps people in need. From giving stable currency in locations that are not stable, building needed services in the community, allowing a voice where they would previously have none.
For the Decentralization Nerd
Hive is a collection of systems that actually does the things that everyone in the decentralization sphere says we need. You can think of it as Web 1.1 with all the decentralized greatness of Web 1.0 but supercharged with all the good things from the latest HTML/JS and free micropayments.
For the Laymen
Hive is a collection of systems that free you from having to give up your personal information just to have a presence on social media. That is just the start of what it can do for you. Feel free to explore and find that thing that delights you.
End
These are just a starting point. I would love to see other pitch ideas that follow these rules. We have to work hard to prevent Hive from looking like just another scam in the cesspool of crypto. Remember, don't talk about future developments. Don't use jargon and buzzwords. Lastly, how we talk about Hive will separate us from the pack. So, speak clearly and loudly about the amazing things we are already doing.
This!
Moreover, my thoughts recently fly around idea of creating custimized invitations for content creators for small to medium sized content creators from Web 2.0 who could be interested in any of narratives about Hive. Creating the bank of Hive narratives is a great first step. I had this exchange of ideas with @sarmaticus back then and here is my list of narratives I could have think of: independent online community, blogging platform, investment - 20% on HBD, feeless online shop, futures' governance-network states, new business model for social media without ads, play to earn, decentralized stablecoin, data dignity, account ownership, going out of the system, immutable text storing, option for crowdfunding for NGOs
I think such targeted, personalized marketing and invitations system could be of greater efficiency than any other amrketing efforts, however I agree with your general points about narratives to be avoided, especially assosiation with crypto culture becomes more and more toxic.
"Hive is a collection of systems that support creators by giving them tools to support themselves..."
Not sure about that. Hive rewards are not meant or able to pay serious content machines. And content creators who outgrew the platform, all left because of the sentiment to downvote content that is not Hive exklusive but highly rewarded. We've all seen more than enough of that drama. On top of that none of the posting frontends have a superchat(pay per comment), payed subs, members only content or patreon like 'donation per post tools'. Basically all tools usually utilized by professional content creators aren't available.
I'm not a hater, but I like to stick to the truth. Better in the long run to look the devil in the eye and fight it head on.
the tools are at least 90% there. True no one has packaged them up to be super easy to use. But we have recurring payments, "tipping" aka just a coin transfer, superchat is just combining chat with a coin transfer.
donation per post is just conditional coin transfer and member only post are not a thing on hive but can be done on layer2.
downvoting is a thing and it sucks, but it can be handled in a couple of ways. The easiest IMO is just fork your hive interface and remove the downvote option. Or don't depend on earnings from the 7 day voting period and use the other coin transfer options. Or transition to a value for value format.
That analysis just skims the surface. Try stepping into the shoes of a media tech executive and scrutinize your features with a magnifying glass. Remember, the feature itself is just the tip of the iceberg – 15% of the magic, if you will. The remaining 85%? That's all about the implementation.
Let's dissect the super chat feature to give you a taste, and I'll leave the rest for you to mull over.
People have always been able to write comments and donate, but the 'donation + message' model, or super chat, was popularized by StreamLabs and Twitch about a decade ago. Picture Twitch back then, a ship sailing uncharted waters, using third-party tools like buccaneers boarding with their own rules to inject interface features they didn’t want to implement directly. Donations through PayPal were forcibly displayed on streams via the StreamLabs tool – a move akin to a pirate hijacking the ship’s course without permission. Initially, this wasn't seen as a feature; it was an unwelcome interruption. But the allure of forcibly 'injecting' oneself into the streamer's show turned out to be the treasure everyone was after. Only later did refined, native features emerge on these platforms, complete with thresholds, chat highlights, and diverse payment methods. The real draw, however, was always the chance to commandeer a slice of the spotlight, like a pirate boldly marking their presence and dropping their two cents in the middle of the action.
This level of audacious interaction is missing from any Hive Frontend – it's not even on the map. A true 'SuperChat' would burst into the midst of a text, force reader to knowledge it and seizing attention as a highlighted comment below.
I've just navigated one feature to 40% completion. But if you delve deeper into the social features of Hive, you'll find a vast ocean to explore. The fact that no one is steering this ship points to a glaring misalignment of incentives – it's a systemic issue that needed addressing two years ago.
Ping me if you want to share more idea. I've seen your name around.