When I first found out about the shrinking pool, I had basically this same thought process - which is why I've never powered down and don't intend to any time soon. I'm not as regular at posting as I'd like but I make the effort.
Right now we're still small, as you said, and that lends us to seeing the same folks hustling day in and day out, which I think is central to the community we've built... and as things continue to grow and more and more folks come on, it's going to be harder and harder for new users to gain that name recognition - which is relevant as the more folks see and hear from you, the more folks will follow what you're writing and that feeds back into more interaction and of course, more rewards.
It'll never be easier than it is today to build yourself up.
If there are no consistent authors to engage with regularly, the community falls apart. It creates problems too, but for the most par, those who are consistently getting engagement are not bad.