This is an excellent visual!
reputation comes from sustained integrity over time
this is where DAO contribution tracking, rewarding small, game-able actions, often gets it wrong
The Effort Paradox
You have to put in more effort to make something appear effortless.
Effortless, elegant performances are often the result of a large volume of effortful, gritty practice.
Small things become big things. Simple is not simple.
If the reward is defined explicitly in terms of the end goal, or something fairly close to it, then one must essentially wait until random button-pressing, or random flailing around, produces the desired effect.