What are your thoughts on such a proposal? We would focus on API + Bond + Maker.
I suggest that you not let the outspoken shareholders hold you hostage. They claim you are holding them hostage, but that couldn't be further from the truth. They need to learn how to get organized, find talent (developers), and fund development of the projects they want to see developed. This is their problem, not yours alone (or CNX's), and it is better they learn how to properly use Bitshares' features now rather than later. Let them organize the projects, find developers, fund them, etc... to build out the features as they want them built. It will be a good lesson for the community and a proof of concept of sorts for Bitshares' features. They need to learn nothing is free and to stop being so cheap. The first independent developer thread has started and they're already talking about outsourcing the work overseas to some quasi sweatshop worker that will work for $5 a hour... let them learn the hard way.
You were right to deduce that your time will be better spent working on MAS than the DEX. Your idea of mutual aid societies will have a much bigger effect on the Bitshares token price than "finishing" the DEX will. MAS has no competition in the cryptosphere... the DEX has AT LEAST 4 competing projects fighting over a small and limited user base (most of which has already made up their minds one way or the other about Bitshares.) Swing for the fences. These guys can't see your vision right now and how much more lucrative it is than "finishing" the DEX, but they will be thanking you a year from now if you push on with your MAS idea and the user base expands exponentially because of such (along with the value of the BTS token and ironically the liquidity/volume of the DEX.) The PR alone from this will be worth its weight in bitGOLD.
Sorry Data, but to characterize this issue as "Holding BM hostage" is so wrong on several levels.
1) First and foremost nobody is taking BM's choice away to do what he wants. BM chose to create BitShares and he can walk away anytime. Of course his rep will be severely impacted, even more than it already has been by the crypto marketplace.
2) BM chose to publish his intentions concerning MAS as well as continually operate in a highly transparent fasion, thus inviting comments from anyone. He has said many things, including his departure from the "If I build it they will come" attitude, but I see MAS as exactly that. Better if his passion drove him to start researching how to do MAS, gaining advocates, sponsors, market research etc FIRST, THEN make an announcement and proposal to act on that information. I think MAS is a good idea, but I also see it as a premature announcement that is just one more in a series of his poor judgement of how shareholders might react.
3) If the shareholders strongly vocalize their desires in a different direction than BM wants to go BM still basically has 3 choices:
A - Ignore the feedback and do whatever he damned well pleases
B - Forget the idea and continue with his previous development efforts (and what are those this week? Attract devs? Best DEX?)
C - Come up with a new plan
I'm actually somewhat surprise DSN, as you're usually the voice of reason when it comes to doing market research and making a solid business plan based on it. Perhaps you have inside information swaying you? But I see no such plan presented, just a concept and a pitch. Part of that plan should be "opportunity costs" for business lost in one market b/c the focus is shifted to another one. All we ask as shareholders is accountable transparency. I thought this forum and specifically this discussion of priorities, DEX / MAS was part of that process.