Disclaimer: This post is for people of the "traditional social media” - the ones who are not aware, those who are still in “The Matrix” so to speak. 😁

But unlike Morpheus, I can actually tell you as well as show you what Steemit and the Blockchain is!

For those of you who know me, you must have noticed that I have been off all traditional social media for a while.

No Facebook, No Instagram, No Twitter.

So where have I been?

Right here! The place you are reading this post on!

What is this place?

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Well, it’s called Steemit

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It is built on the Steem Blockchain and it rewards you for your content!

It is basically paid social media!

Yes, you read that right.

You get paid to do exactly what you do on other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube etc.

In simple words - you share your content and every time someone likes it, you get paid!

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Now just to be clear:

1. By blogging/sharing content on this platform, you are NOT buying into the cryptocurrency hype. You do NOT have to invest any money. It is just another platform to share your content and the community rewards you for it.
2. What you are essentially doing is Mining the cryptocurrency STEEM - not by running high-performance computers - but by making and sharing good content.

Say you are a musician who regularly makes cover songs or original material. When you share on traditional social media, except for the eyeballs of your friends and family, you barely get anything else. In fact, in most cases, you have to GIVE MONEY to traditional social media to promote your stuff on the platform!

Now if you share the same thing on STEEMIT, you get rewarded every time someone likes your post.

Here are a few examples (and don't worry if you get confused by all the terminology, just look at the end results as of now):

1. In this post I have just shared the audio of Alif’s song Alladin. You can see there is approx $20 on the post. Now, this I receive in a currency called ‘Steem Backed Dollars’ or ‘SBD’. Currently 1 SBD = ~ 10 USD. I got 7.5 SBD as payment. Which means 7.5 SBD = 75 USD = ~INR 4500 !!
2. This post is for an OPEN MIC contest being run on the steemit platform. We uploaded a recording of our rehearsal of the song ‘Log Kya Kahenge’. We won 40 STEEM in the contest. Which is approximately = INR 10,000 !!
3. In this post, I shared the review article of our album Sufayed from Score Magazine. It has almost $60 on the post out of which I received 23 SBD as author payouts = ~INR 15,000 !!
4. And there are many more examples if you just browse through my profile. My Steemit account is currently valued at $6000 !!

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You also get rewarded for liking (upvoting) good content created by other people on the platform!

If you check any of the posts on my profile where the payout has been done, besides the $ value, if you click on the small down arrow, you see two things: Author Payouts & Curator Payouts. The Author Payout goes to me, the Curator Payout is divided between everyone who liked ( or upvoted as we call it on steemit ) the post.

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I am sure now you see the benefits of this platform.

I got introduced to Steemit and the world of cryptocurrencies in June 2017 by @tamsguitar. These 6 months of experience has taught me a lot of things.

And I want to share them with you!

Things I have gained in the past 6 months:

1. Earned approx INR 100,000 since June from Steemit! This has helped me sustain myself during difficult times.
2. Made amazing new friends from all over the world
3. Collaborated with International artists and got great feedback on my music.
4. Got exposure for my band Alif’s music on an international level. People from all over the world have heard the album Sufayed and songs like Chouraha and Like A Sufi have been part of Blockchain Compilation Albums and been played on blockchain podcasts and radio stations.
5. Learnt about cryptocurrencies and blockchain from the best. Attended the India Steemit accelerator workshop in Banglore conducted by @firepower where I travelled using the money earned right here on Steemit!
6. Been part of communities like #thealliance which have helped me stay inspired and also communities like @voiceshares which have helped me get over difficult times in my life ✨
7. Helped raise money for a cause - approx INR 8000.

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I want more and more people to benefit from this platform. It doesn’t matter what the state of the cryptocurrency market is. You do not have to speculate, you do not have to invest, you just have to create good content and post on the platform and you will get rewarded by the community!

The workshop is to help you navigate through this new world faster and show you the tips and tricks of the platforms to help you progress faster.

What can you expect from the workshop?

1. Know what is The Blockchain - how it works.
2. What are cryptocurrencies (like Bitcoin)
3. What is STEEM - Basics of Steemit - from account creation to using the markets.
4. How to use all the other applications built on the Steem blockchain:
   • Steemit (Reddit/blogging)
   • Steepshot (Instagram)
   • DTube (YouTube)
   • Dsound (Soundcloud)
   • Viewly (YouTube)
   • Zappl (Twitter)
   • Dlive (Live Streaming/Twitch)
   • Utopian.io
   • Busy.org
5. Music platforms ( like MUSICOIN ) on the blockchain and how to use them
6. How to network with the crypto community
7. Using cryptocurrency exchanges
8. How to convert the cryptocurrency you earned into regular currency deposited in your account
9. Using crypto wallets
10. Legalities of earning in cryptocurrency in India.

Workshop Details:

Location	Date	Time	Seats	Venue
Pune	14th January 2018	2 pm to 6 pm	40	Muziclub, Baner
Mumbai	21st January 2018	11 am to 3 pm	40	To Be Announced Soon

In both workshops, 1st half will be focussed on basics and Steemit and 2nd half will be about other blockchain platforms related to music.

RSVP here:

Pune: https://goo.gl/forms/qGQEk8U7obN2Vgb03

Mumbai: https://goo.gl/forms/xP1sNVuCwgfIIaSz2

I will email the final details to the registired participants soon.

These workshops are free-to-participate but there are limited seats, first come first serve.

I am financing these workshops myself as of now thanks to help from the Steemit community who help me by upvoting my posts. ✨

Special thanks to @firepower who has given me inspiration and guidance for this workshop.

So share this with your friends. I would like more and more musician friends to attend the workshop.

If you are a musician working on your skills, but at the same time need some kind of monetary sustenance to keep you afloat while you aspire to become that great singer or drummer or guitar player or pianist - this workshop is for you!

I believe Blockchain technology is the next big thing. Like any new disruptive technology, people are afraid of it coz they do not understand it. I invite you to come talk to me and understand it.

A lot of content creators and YouTubers as well are joining Steemit.

Get onboard this train right now when it is just starting. (it's already kinda late, but not that late 😁)

Once it is moving at bullet speed in a few years, you will find yourself fumbling to catch up. To avoid regretting not attending this workshop a few years down the line, you better sign up now! 🤓

♨️ STEEM ON ♨️

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If you like my work, please UpVote, ReSteem and Follow me @hardikv

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