I can't say I've been around any other crypto projects other than STEEM, @dragosroua, and I can't say that I know all the details of STEEM's inner workings, politics, social structure, history, etc., but I have to agree with you that the theory of decentralization as it pertains to governance (in any instance really, not just on the blockchain), is great in theory, but in practice, well, it's much harder to implement than it would seem.

To answer your questions:

What I want as a user is what you pretty much said. I'd describe it as being able to get my content in front of the user who wants to consume it, reward it, and interact with me. Be it communities, or what have you, but keep the middle man out of it. I create and publish, my audience gets it and does what they will with it.

I'm not a witness, nor plan to be one, but I know what I would like to see.

In a witness, I prefer the ones who have a finger on the pulse of what the vast majority of users want/need, and how that ties in with all the other interests on the blockchain. I do feel like technical knowledge is important, too, so that if something breaks down on the witness server, they can get it fixed. Keeping the blockchain up and running, secure and valid is essential.

So, If a witness knows the will of the community and what it needs in code or in guidance, or even governance, and can tell if it's happening when a hard fork comes around, I'd be happy. Whether or not they're creating this or that additional app or project, to me, is secondary, and sometimes it feels like those things distract/detract from what a witness to me should be.

Not a dApp developer, either, but here's what I want out of them.

I want dApps with intuitive interfaces that aren't just clones of some other social media or internet site that actively fosters engagement and interest. I want developers who can bring their own resources to the table instead solely rely on delegations, beneficiary rewards and the like. I want to see them commit to the blockchain as users commit to them. I want communication, innovation, gamification and usability.

What I want from Steemit Inc is to interact with STEEM however they see fit, as any other user or dApp developer would do. I would also like them to get to a point where they're influence on the blockchain is less, as some version of a white paper outlined they would, and that they would be able to have their interests represented and honored as much as possible as that kind of a transition take place, including when it takes place and how quickly it does.