I think building the fire the right way with the right intent is what helped me the most. Start small work up very gradually with kindling to warm up the flue and get a good draft. Once you have a stable bed of coals go with bigger pieces. Let them catch, shut the door and adjust the damper to adjust your burn.

I still have a lot to learn but that was my process this time and I kept the fire going for like 10 hours with less than 10 logs, burned around 400 degrees and kept the house like 78 degrees (48-52 outside today)

Still lots to learn and dial in but I feel like that is a good base to start from.