Well in Geocaching the old question of the chicken or the egg is easily answered... Dave Ulmer placed a cache before he ever found one and thank God he did...
I'm new to the sport and have already placed 4 to my 14 found.
Hiding and seeking are very different experiences, and I have to say I probably enjoy hiding and reading the logs people leave on my finds more then I do seeking others caches, and so far the hardcore cachers in my area have enjoyed my hides.
Just my 2 cents.