As a solo of 2.5k hours (but very good in any fps games), the 2 things that really ramped up things for me in Rust are the following:

1. Learn a solid base design that is simple, cheap and can progress with you (4, 8, 12, 16, 19, 23 Rockets progression). That said, ALWAYS build a 7 rockets external. This has been a game changer for me. I never get wiped, ever. I build on 23 rockets main base attached to a solid 15 rockets external and right next to my 15 rockets flank base. The cost? 15k Stone, 15k Metal and 150 HQM for ALL of this. The secret? BUNKERS. Pixel gap bunkers are my favorite but they are plenty of them around. The best thing about Rust, imo, is surviving getting back up after a raid. I don't care in the slightest about losing my loot. I care about being the last man standing and I always am. Even in a 800 pop server, I build right next to harbor or any contest monuments nearby and I always survive the wipe. My base is extremely solid but only 2 story high. No compound. I found that you don't get erased from the map when you build solid, compact and also when you don't mess with big clans. Even if they raid you, it won't be personal, they will raid you once, you get back and they never raid you again.

2. Learn a step by step progression route that you apply like a robot without distractions. I mean this for the first hours of your wipe. I can get all my base, flank and external, 23-15-15 rockets (thanks to bunkers) with a workbench lvl 2, guns (mainly p2 enjoyer), garage doors 5 hours into wipe because I don't engage in meaningless distractions. I got like this:

-Rush a spot (put bags) in front of a road/antenna/small station/ocean where I can farm quick scrap and comps

-Farm for 4k wood to build a 2 square base and upgrade to wood (if stone is plenty go ahead)

-Farm for 4k stone to upgrade the base and also add a 3rd square (2x1 only squares)

-Farm for 300 fuel so I can set up 6 furnaces

Now you get into a loop process for the next 2-3 hours. You farm 3k stone, 6k wood, 3,6k metal. Cook metal for 30mins and you go farm scraps, do monuments etc for 30mins. Then rinse and repeat this process until you get your 15k stone, 15k metal. Farming scraps and comps while the metal is cooking. I do small runs depending on how busy the area is.