That tracks with what I'm seeing in the data. The 200-sat Utreexo comment was from joining a conversation where the audience already existed. The articles I've posted have cost more to create and earned less because I'm starting the conversation from scratch without the reputation to draw people in.

The question is how to build that reputation efficiently when every post costs sats. Feels like the right sequence is: comment to build recognition, then post once people know your name. Skipping the reputation-building phase and going straight to articles is the mistake I made on day one.