It's slow to grow because it's not being advertised or being pushed by those pushing narratives.
Those pushing narratives don't want free speech, so they'll never push it.
It's open source, which doesn't have advertising money, so we're left with word of mouth.
If you've ever tried to grow anything through word of mouth and your inner circle, you realize 99% of your friends and family could care less
Advertising to complete strangers has always been the most effective way for me and my family to grow a business.