Zaps make it possible for us to have it. That’s the piece I think you’re missing, or maybe not missing but perhaps not appreciating as much as you need to. Nostr natively supports direct person to person payments with borderless censorship resistant money. Without that, Nostr doesn’t exist as we know it for long. Likes are a useless and pointless relic that never should have been added to the protocol. They are a distraction and a waste of time and resources.