The easiest way to know right now that the current setup of Bitcoin is completely suspect is the fact that these kinds of questions even get brought up. I mean, just try and imagine this office conversation:
Me: Hey guys, I think I've found a way to make our code a lot more efficient.
Office mate #1: Your changes smell like a Ponzi scheme to me.
Office mate #2: I don't know about that, but if you think about the details, it's just self-evident that it is not a multi-level marketing scheme.
A reasonable system would never have these kinds of questions brought up.
No, the reason the current setup is quantitatively corrupt is that many of the same criticisms of an MLM apply to what supposedly should become the perfect reserve currency for the entire World.
If in your clever little allegory "You" said, "Oh, and whoever starts writing code for this project first gets paid upwards of 1000% more per line than anyone who writes code afterward, but ONLY if you can convince more people to start writing code now, which shouldn't be too difficult since they might get paid upwards of 100% more per line than the next guy. Oh, AND this program is set up to become the all knowing AI that solves a problem humanity has been having as long as history, you should really tell everyone about what a utopia it could be if we write it. It's the greatest thing since sliced bread!" then of course the picture becomes a bit clearer...