Great article, just gulped it whole.
I am very new here, started a little over a week ago and I certainly didn't have many expectations from it. I would probably take it rather as a hobby with small incentives rather than a full-time occupation. It does take a lot of time to engage in the community though, so unless you enjoy it, then you can not make it successful (my opinion - doesn't have to be true).
I try to only follow people with content that interests me which keeps my feed always up to my personal tastes and I can more easily connect with people with similar interests. I would recommend this to everyone because it's easier to create relationships like that.
You brought up some very interesting points, thanks for sharing!
I too also only follow people who have the same interests, but don't you find it frustrating the people don't even look at your posts? It will not become a full-time occupation for either of us, the money is an incentive but the recognition yields the best reward.
Mmm, like I said, I am very new here, so I don't expect to be immediately viewed by hundreds of people which is why I am not frustrated yet. I just get happy when anyone gives me an upvote and even more, when someone leaves a small comment. That just makes my day! I guess that after some time, it might get frustrating but so far, I'm good :)