You summed it up nicely.
It is not easy to get going on Steem. It takes a long time, and a lot of patience to build a following. To spend hours on a post for a couple of cents. That just does not make economical sense. Quality posts do not guarantee a good return. After a couple of that, people will just give up.
I am still here because I am retired, and Steem gives me something to do. If I have a regular job, I would have left a long time ago.
Having fun with Steem is important. I was earning a lot of money previously, but now it could be said to not be worth my time, but I enjoy the community and I made a lot of friends here.
I agree with you that having fun on Steem is important. Otherwise, it would be a drag. 😊 I am happy to hear you made a lot of friends here. !trdo