One of the best blogs on Steemit belongs to @wadepaterson. In my opinion, his 20 Questions posts are a "must read" series and I always look forward to discovering who he'll interview next. This series of posts has given us a closer look at many prominent members of the Steem community.

Wade also has reached out to a number of influential figures outside Steemit, publishing their 20 Questions interviews as well. In doing so, he has helped publicize the platform and provided an example of its high quality content. People have come here to read his interviews (with people they follow) and they have stayed to become long term Steemit users.

Recently, I contacted Wade to see if he'd let me interview him in the 20 Questions format. He graciously agreed (as long as he could question me also - that 20 Questions post is now on his blog). SBD proceeds from this post will be donated to the @communitycoin address, which is fundraising for a community curation SMT project.

And here, in his own words, is the Question Man himself!

20 questions with @wadepaterson

1 - Can you tell us something about yourself?

@wadepaterson - I strongly dislike the touch of velvet. It’s like nails on a chalkboard for me.

2 - How did you find Steemit?

@wadepaterson - A co-worker of mine has been in interested cryptocurrency for several years. He noticed Steem’s value skyrocket in July 2016. He did a bit of research and, once he understood what the platform was about, he encouraged me to join because he knew I was passionate about writing. I was highly skeptical about Steemit for the first month or so. But eventually I settled in.

3 - You’ve been here since July 2016, which seems like an eternity in the cryptocurrency space. What are your thoughts on what you’ve seen during that time?

@wadepaterson - A ground-breaking concept has experienced growing pains, drama and retention issues, while a number of good, intelligent people creatively work on ways to improve the experience for everyone. Steemit isn’t perfect, but what’s happening behind the scenes is incredibly special.

4 - Some of your earliest blog posts referenced your time as a newspaper reporter in Kelowna, BC. How did that experience prepare you to write content for this platform?

@wadepaterson - As a reporter, you’re forced to hunt down story ideas since the paper is published on a regular basis, and content is needed to fill the pages. That background has helped me tap into my creativity to avoid writer’s block.

The fact I love interviewing people and asking questions has also come in handy; people seem to like the “20 questions” interviews I post.

5 - What does the future look like for traditional news media? What advice would you give to the owner of a newspaper today?

@wadepaterson - Like many industries, traditional reporting is being disrupted. Over the past decade, this has caused newspapers to re-examine their revenue models and shift their focus to digital.

My advice would be to skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been. (Can you tell I’m Canadian?) @donkeypong wrote a brilliant futuristic fictional piece about Smart Media Tokens saving a daily newspaper from closing. I think independent journalists are already finding some success on Steemit, and there is still a massive opportunity for more to join the space.

6 - Best thing you’ve seen on Steemit?

@wadepaterson - @neilstrauss’s unedited, raw versions of articles he’s written over the years. That sort of quality writing is the breath of fresh air Steemit has desperately been looking for.

7 - Worst thing you’ve seen on Steemit?

@wadepaterson - Steemians who focus on quantity over quality. It also bugs me when people 100% upvote their own, lame, two-word comments.

8 - Recently, you wrote about going to a wedding where you were identified as a cryptocurrency expert. I had a similar experience just last week. Suddenly, friends and family who had no interest in this before have been asking about Bitcoin, Ethereum, and any hot tips on new ICOs and projects. What does it mean?

@wadepaterson - It means that what was previously a geeky, quasi-taboo subject has become mainstream and an increasing number of people are experiencing a heightened FOMO. To be clear, I’m not an expert on crypto and I find it hilarious that someone would identify me as such. But, considering this whole thing is still in its infancy, I guess, someday, 2016 will be considered very close to the beginning.

9 - What improvements do we still need to see in the cryptocurrency infrastructure (or are you optimistic that normal people will be patient enough to use what we have now)?

@wadepaterson - For the average person who is brand new to cryptocurrency, a lot of this stuff is still pretty confusing and inconvenient. I don’t think mass adoption will occur until cryptocurrency is as easy (or easier) to use than any other forms of currency. I think there is a huge educational hurdle that most people need to jump over as well. More and more of my friends are getting interested in crypto, but the majority still have no clue what Bitcoin actually is.

10 - You also have published a novel on Steemit. What did you learn through that process?

@wadepaterson - I wrote The Popular Depression when I was 18 years old. At the time, I tried to get it published the traditional way, but, to be blunt, I didn’t stand a chance.

The fact that Steemit empowered me to publish my first novel (and receive monetary compensation for my work) is a huge deal. I can’t wait to see what that actual Steem/SBD value (that I earned from publishing every chapter of The Popular Depression) is worth two or three years from now. My prediction is that it will be worth much, much more than what I ever could’ve received through traditional publishing.

11 - You recently surpassed 1,500 followers on Steemit. How did it feel?

@wadepaterson - I’m honoured anyone would choose to let my content appear in their newsfeed. The fact 1,500 people are interested in keeping an eye on what I’m doing is incredible.

12 - Which members of the Steemit community have helped or inspired you?

@wadepaterson - There are a lot. And I hate the thought of missing anyone, so I’ll limit my answer to three people. But here’s the thing… if you’re thinking to yourself: “Hmm, I thought Wade might choose me…” trust me, you’re on my list. There are hundreds of people in this community who have positively impacted me.

@the-alien - Adil has been such a massive supporter of mine and he has made me feel connected to the Steemit community. He also seems to be involved with everything… I don’t know how he does it.

@heiditravels - Heidi could’ve easily said “no” when I asked to interview her in July 2016. But she did the interview and encouraged me to start my 20 questions series. She’s a good person.

@ned - Ned has received his share of praise and (more than his share of) criticism; I truly believe he is doing his best to steer this ship in the right direction.

13 - What marketing advice would you give to the folks at Steemit Inc., Busy, eSteem, and other Steem-powered businesses?

@wadepaterson - Invest in your marketing efforts and think outside the box. Steemit has so much potential, but it also has a bit of an identity crisis. Is it mostly about making money? Is it mostly about getting your foot in the cryptocurrency door via a user-friendly experience? Is it mostly about the community? Is it mostly about writing? Is it mostly about reading great content? I think the vision needs to be clear and then marketing dollars need to get that vision in front of the right audience.

Also, I believe the PR game needs to be stepped up. A PR manager could proactively pitch industry media, offering to coordinate interviews with Ned to speak on current events in the cryptocurrency world. A good example of this is the amount of media attention Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse received in December 2017. Cryptocurrency has the world’s attention right now… Steemit’s CEO should be capitalizing on that.

14 - Predict the price of Steem on July 1, 2018.

@wadepaterson - $21.64 USD (if I’m close, somebody owes me a beer)

15 - Who are three people you would like to bring onto Steemit?

@wadepaterson -

Gary Vaynerchuk
Selena Gomez
Satoshi Nakamoto

16 - Aside from Steem, what other cryptocurrency projects do you find most interesting right now?

@wadepaterson - EOS, NEO, Cardano.

17 - Enough about cryptocurrencies. The lake in your area is home to a legend of cryptozoology with parallels to the Loch Ness Monster. Do you have any Ogopogo stories for us?

@wadepaterson - When I worked at Capital News, a reader contacted the newsroom claiming he had seen Ogopogo. He e-mailed me a video, which showed some mysterious shadows in the middle of the lake…

You never know!

18 - The Okanagan area also is famous for its fruit. Which fruit do you most look forward to eating, as the summertime approaches?

@wadepaterson - Grapes. Fermented grapes. OK fine… Merlot.

19 - Absinthe or Aquavit?

@wadepaterson - Rum.

20 - What are you looking forward to in the coming year?

@wadepaterson - SteemFest 3.

Check out some of @wadepaterson's previous "20 questions" interviews:

20 questions with @wadepaterson (The Steemian Series)