Yes I agree there, and you can observe many of the top Steemians actually have both. I have seen some of the most popular Steemians getting 500 to 1000 upvotes per post, so they have the best of both worlds.
I do think a bigger number of people engaged is more meaningful than some huge dollar amount on the post, because it is more sustainable long term. I try to help support my followers to the degree I can and we all grow on the platform together.
Once the STEEM price increases a lot, all of us will turn into dolphins/ whales in the future, so we are building a strong foundation today, which will in turn help us support even more people once they find Steemit!