I don't get the significance of Step One. Why does a folk song have to start out with some big sweep of popularity? Lots of good traditional folk songs start local, stay local. They're written and sung by nonprofessionals. But they're not part of the folk process because they don't get popular? Huh. I thought popularity was something involving POPULAR songs not folk songs. Maybe your theory is just intended to analyze the Big Songs of commercial folk music.
And who the heck is Creed and if their song is so widely known why I am asking you this?
I'm sorry if this sounds like picking on your theory, but you did ask for feedback, and that's mine.