People want to feel welcome. They want interaction on their posts, not just rewards. Most times people see and start an account for the payout but then do not realize they too have to go out and leave comments.

If you get a free account you can not comment as much as you want. I started with 35 delegated SP from INC. I could post and comment all day and never run out. It's how I met people. How I found communities.

You can not DO that with what you get with a free account. If you can maybe post once a day and then not comment you are SOL.

New Normal users are not going to know that OCD or a list of others are willing to give out a helping hand.

One of the reasons why the GU onboarding IS working so well is you are building a community of like-minded people or at least they have something in common. But that takes US going out and finding people, explaining what Steem is in very few words and time frame.

Just my thoughts for now.......