A very well done @tarazkp :cP
I too am quite obsessed about reputation (of the earned variety). ^_^
I have also pondered the purpose - and I think that I have it figured out (though welcome others to correct and/or further my understanding).
The purpose of reputation is not to add weight to your vote. Reputation acts upon reputation - and reputation alone.
As such,I liken reputation scores to represent both your attack and defense stat.
If a low reputation user votes on your post you will hardly feel the reputation shift. Its like throwing toasted marshmallows at a guy clad in heavy armor.
Conversely if a much higher reputation user votes on your post you will most certainly feel it - like a guy clad in heavy armor stepping on a toasted marshmallow.
However there is something else to consider. Reputation maximums are undergoing inflation by their very nature.
There are a couple of ways to speed up your progress. One way is to "hang out" with high reputation users. Engage in circular voting practices and the sort.
Another way is to adjust your content creation with high reputation users in mind - and then approach them about how your content compliments theirs.
Although in my opinion I think you're doing great and that focusing upon the next +1 may actually detract from your overall Steemit experience. :c)
How many dice can I roll? :)
Reputation itself means very little to me. What i did fibd interesting was that my ranks were surprisingly close together. What I also found was that my per post earning average was well below those around me. It seems I am a workhorse. This is good for me to visualise what how much I am willing to do to do something I enjoy and find personally valuable. It definitely isn't the money.
Fyi the one up from me had over double the average, the one down 20 times the average.
As many as you feel comfortable rolling. ;c)
I garnered the mistaken opinion that reputation was the primary focus of your post - when it was 'earnings on reputation' that you were aiming at.
I quickly learnt that the quantity that one puts out is more of a determining factor of success than quality - that and the number and quality of followers that one accrues over time.
Oh... and self-upvoting. That certainly increases success also - perversely so.
Other factors pale by comparison.
As such one thing that I would suggest is to take another look at those two users that you mentioned - and try to identify the variables at play:
I suspect that looking at these alone may provide clues as to where you might be going "wrong". :c)
I personally can only speculate as to what you shall find... but I do suspect that the behavioral variables shall set them apart from you in some fashion or other - and you can either emulate or take the higher, poorer, path (as I am doing ;cP).