I think over the years we've had many 0's with us. Paddlers who bought a boat and never did a group thing and they always seemed to do our 2-3 paddles fine.
I know that nobody is going to buy a boat and the following day join in with us. They will paddle for a while at their own pace in ponds, the sound, wherever, then stumble on us through some networking somewhere. Some my never want to learn anything beyond the obvious and some may pursue some greater interest in it. It just seems that the difference between a 0 and a 1 is taking the boat home and using it for a few weeks. As you drive home with your new boat on the roof, you're a 0 - a nothing. Once you use it a bit, you're a 1.