Thanks for resteeming my post. I think that building up Steem Power is a good investment because it can increase what you are able to earn by being a contributor (with posts, upvotes and comments). Given enough Steem Power, it's possible to have a good daily income from Curation and Author Rewards.
But I think making honest connections with people is the way to do it, instead of trying to "game the system". Also, I think there's a real possibility that the Steem Economy to take off and that's when real connection with people will make a big difference.
I am most definitely with you on "making honest connections." I made put up a post about the need to cut down on the bots intended to "game the system." You might want to check that out on https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@misterakpan/shouldn-t-we-kick-some-bots-for-steemit-to-really-work 😉
Let's keep steeming, friend