There is a lot to learn from this post of yours! I have bookmarked it for future reference.
I appreciate your candor about paying one's dues, and what you said about Medium is interesting, as I know one well-known blogger who advocates that his students start off with guest posting on Medium.
I've resteemed your post. If you'd like to find out about me, my introductory post is here: https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@sasukhram/woo-hoo-finally
Take care!
RE: How Newbies Avoid Frustration on Steemit