Perhaps partof the challenge/problem we face is that almost all newcomers primarily see Hive as a sort of "cash dispenser" FIRST, rather than as a social content site that just happens to dispense cash.
And that can set up some unfortunate expectations. I came here with pretty much no expectations and now I have 2700+ HP... so I see myself as way ahead of the game!
You are right and unfortunately onboarders are sometimes to blame as when you start your speech with "you can make money", you know that expectations are already high. I also started with nothing, not even with expectations as my goal was to practice English.