Yup, it definitely takes way too long to get to the main game loop. It is mostly because I did not realise the conveyor was the heart of the game when I balanced the early game.
I also did not revisit the start with a more critical mindset. During testing, I could click through the first parts in less than 30 seconds, so I lost that new player perspective.
I will have to keep that in mind more going forward :3