Hmm, it's more that the there are these mechanisms that fill the void of discovery. The mechanisms assume you have come from and want bitcointwitter. Clients recommend bitcointwitter people, people who post in that style, primal trending sidebar does the same. Follows are funnelled into these posters and posts with lots of likes appear as 'trending'. 
Replying or appealing to the tastes of these people is sometimes the only possibility of interaction smaller accounts have. The rent you pay to post can be seen as posting popular bitcointwitter slogans. Emulating bitcointwitter is rewarded in engagement and zaps.

This is arguably worse than an algorithm lol. In terms of an obstacle to nostr's growth. (The most common complaint about nostr is that it's a bitcointwitter slogan chatroom).

The most used clients are microblogging types, following accounts instead of topics. There are barely any topics to follow (besides bitcointwitter talking points, although Meshtastic and Permaculture are promising).

Etc etc