I'm new - so let me start off by saying I know just enough to get me into trouble. hahahaha

But.... let's start off stating the obvious.

1. Steemit is awesome. boom.

It truly is.... it's just a fun community!!!! I love how easily the forum provides opportunities to find hidden treasure. I like being a treasure hunter ;) and I also love being found as "treasure"!!!! Other people get to "dig up" your posts and then value them with their votes. Still remember my very first vote. Thank you @fyrstikken :) Your encouragement was special! :)

2. People can write anywhere.

But they're choosing to come here and it's not just for the community. Getting rewarded financially is a huge incentive. Let's not disregard that. Let's not even debate that. LOL I know people say "well if you're only here for that...." look - people are here for many reasons but money is icing on the cake. Let's acknowledge that and move on.

3. I've been here a week

(well, writing for a week) and in that time, I've doubled my reputation, doubled my value, and increased my steem, steem dollars and steem power. and i have ABSOLUTELY NO UNDERSTANDING of how that happened. LOL You can try to explain it to me - but unless you're explaining it in really low-level terms, neither I- nor the majority of the community -will understand you. and we really do want to understand. We really do!!! (so break it down, please! and KEEP it down. hahahaha i know how you "brains" are... you start low, and then pick up momentum and then you've lost us in the 3rd sentence. stay low. we like low! tee hee)

4. I did do all of step 3 by just "sweat equity" as @creatr puts it.

I haven't invested anything financially. Which is just a really amazing concept. I contributed to the community, and raised the value of myself as a member and individual on this forum.... but also raised the value of the forum as a whole. People like working to increase their value - but they also like being a part of something bigger. And i think we can all agree.... being here is being a part of something bigger. and that's exciting.

5. About that sweat equity... let's take @creatr for example.

He's been here since July, I think? (finally convinced me to get on board and i signed up in november - and then really got on board by writing last week) but in that time - HE has gone from "standard" value - to being ranked #1638, and having a value of about $500. This is completely visible and public info... so I'm not divulging anything private here.... but he did that all by writing about what he loves. again. how cool is that??? it's just freaking cool.

6. i hate that my vote is worth $0.003 hahahaha

ok so - really... for me? Being worth more - means that I can give more. Cuz being worth $500 more in 6 months is nice, but it's still kinda irrelevant as far as the big picture, financially. I understand that's not the case around the world! i'm not being arrogant. $500 is $500. and that's awesome. But what means more to me IN THIS COMMUNITY... is being able to vote for someone - and SEE a difference. I don't have to be a whale. Can I just vote and actually see it go up one cent? hahahaha It's just sad! LOL

7. "Be patient young minnow... it will." Ok, but what if we wanted to do a little sweat equity... and more?

How much would I need to invest in this forum.... in addition to my sweat equity - to take my vote from $0.003 to $0.01. Is there a formula for that? and.... if I did want to invest financially..... IS IT AN EASY WAY TO DO THAT.

I was absolutely in stitches over @tenfourgoodbuddy 's "I am an idiot" post. https://steemit.com/steemit/@tenfourgoodbuddy/buttoned-down-accountant-plunges-into-hidden-world if you want to giggle too!

But... it was hilarious to me because "I TOO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS" that I don't really comprehend. (@fyrstikken..... still laughing about that. Not at your predicament. But at our inability to understand fully - but ready to jump anyway! LOLOL aye yi yi)

so..... is it like "oh YES dreemsteem - you can invest eeeeeeeeeeeasily! Just open this account, connect your side account with this antenna. upload your info. download your drivers. change computers and drive 5 miles. do a raindance. don't forget your password. give your life savings. and voila! you're locked out of your account and lost tons of money! See? easy!"

(being facetious. lol but seriously. can someone just show me where to invest without needing to do 10,000 steps lol Can i just open an account, and click BUY with my credit card? or are we just really not at that stage yet?

8. and then finally..... i've come full circle.

if i can do invest (financially).... easily. (EASILY, i said!!!!)

what would happen if we all did it? Like. what would happen if on January 15, simultaneously around the world, hahahaha we all bought $5 worth of steem. (or steem power or dollars or whatever the right terminology is! still confused about that too.)

Would we all of the sudden see this swell in value? maybe not a big swell... but would there be a marked difference?

Would it translate into something that we SEE.

if not $5.... what about $10.

what if 10,000 steemit members agreed to all purchase $20 worth. WHAT would that look like?

I'm really asking. Can someone tell me? Cuz if it would push this forum forward in a VISIBLE difference...

I'd be totally down.

Even if no one else wanted to do it... if i just invested myself. what changes would i see in my own value, based on how much i invested? Easy formula? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller......

Thanks for the challenge @dragosroua (one week down, three to go!) :)