I think I came up with a theory of why so many people grumble about threads and feel weird about people who gain tons of followers through them
To some, their experience of twitter feels like a casual party / gathering, and threads are kinda like standing on a table with a mic.

To other people, Twitter feels like a publishing platform, and it's totally normal to use it for audience/business building.

For the people who dislike "audience builders" it's not just about the thread format, or that the ideas themselves are bad—it's about the very purpose of being here.
Social vs commercial space
Friend vs transactional relationships
Bonding vs publishing
etc

To me this is less about who is right, and more about understanding what is going on.
I kinda do both? But probably lean social and view self promotion as a necessary evil

Anyway, thank you for coming to my TED talk
*steps off table and puts down microphone*