I have an online retail business, so this analogy is relatable to me. One day I'll make almost no sales, and the next day I'll make a ton of sales, but both days I was offering the same inventory. Like you said in your post, as the time horizon expands, the variance becomes smaller. It's very likely I'll have an atrocious day, but it's far less likely that the entire month will be that low-performing.

The approach I'm taking on Steemit could be considered a merchant approach. I'm trying to gain loyal customers (followers) each week. Sometimes they'll buy from (upvote) me, other times they won't. However, I know as long as I continue to provide value, I'll grow my customer base over time, and my bottom line will reflect that.