For me much of these guidelines seem like common sense.

Yet as a newbie just starting to be active on steemit I have resigned myself that follows don't come easily. So I post content that interesting to me. If others find it interesting, perhaps they upvote or comment perhaps not. But my personal rule of thumb is to follow those that follow me and upvote those that upvote me. I enjoy diversity as that is how I learn. And this method seems to broaden my views (we'll see how I feel in a year I guess :) )

As for posting the "best content you can" … Content quality is subjective. And one thing I have personally learned on other social media platforms, the best content goes unnoticed if its presented to the wrong audience. Or even the right audience if not presented properly.

Anyway, interesting post thanks for sharing your perspective