Great post, I am sure you are not alone on this.
I rarely check r/front on Reddit as it is. I didn't start enjoying Reddit until I discovered a few subs that I liked and curated my own frontpage. If Steemit can replace Reddit in my life with that type of content, I won't care if cat gifs or Steem circlejerks are on the top until the end of time.
I will spend a few minutes a day curating new posts and hopefully be a part of a community that shares similar interests as me.
I think people need to take a step back and understand that, with so many new signups, it is important for there to be a TON of accessible content curated about STEEM/STEEMIT and how it all works.
Once we get past this phase, the content WILL grow and evolve with the community.