Development is certainly key. However, this extends far beyond the technical side, although there is that component. In fact, I would say the devs have done a decent job in rolling out some of the vital components. What you allude to could certainly be lacking, not my area of expertise.
What is required, in my view, is more a Hive (or project) centered approach. The flywheel effect is not implement simply by getting users. This is where value is built, at least in web2. Plus the focus upon "node" being the only aspect to network effects is a mistake. In this regard, Hive, and its projects, have to think more like Spotify or Google search than FB or Twitter.