Both very valid points. I always appreciate what you have to say. Hard work is just only one of the factors that goes into someone doing well on Steemit. It's no different than an actor who spends 15 years at their craft and never getting in a blockbuster film but someone who has never been in a film before lands a blockbuster role. Much more than hard work is at play.
The bots are heavily abused. I've seen this. Some try to get around making their content better so they just pay to have themselves in the trending sections. This is a problem. I'm not sure what can be done to alleviate bot abuse.
Election of Witnesses that pledge to do something about it. Tough row to hoe.