Great question. It's a very serious business and I'm always humbled by it. I look at as a more sophisticated good deed of node running. I want the knowledge and there is certainly a lot of hard work.

How I got in is I met a friend online in a Bitcoin group and he recommended start9 to me. I've messed up a few times and they were very helpful. I also donated sats to them when they helped me.

Bitcoin full node is easier. Lightning is something else. I never lost bitcoin until I got into Lightning so there is that.

I really like the smart responses here. I wish I could hang out with someone who was very practiced in the lightning world. I'm here to learn. I keep going because I don't like to give up.