I don't think claps are a great measure of what is resonating with readers - I think it's a great measure of how much you can write things that people agree with. It's not the same thing. Expect large bubbles of followers in populist topics sending all the money into demagoguery.

Read ratio and comment DEPTH are a good way to measure involvement between intelligent writers on a piece that has made people think. You've simply monetised the ability of demagogues to make people clap their hands together and write 'Yes! This is exactly what I already think'.