I think it makes sense that most people are not willing to put in the time and effort to become profitable and agree that the price appreciating amplifies their losses and discourages them even further.

I also think it is a positive feature that people can't just jump on SN and earn a lot of sats with little effort. I do think SN could do some things to encourage folks to stick it out and earn their way to break even. Maybe some bonuses for new users if they reach the hot or top lists in their first 7 days or a little extra rewards if they crack the top 20 in their first 7 days. Just spit balling, haven't thoroughly thought these specific ideas through but I do think there could be a way to still discourage those that just want to earn sats and not add value but maybe give a little push to new folks that might just need a little more positive reinforcement to stick around.