At what portfolio size did the "dividend snowball" finally start feeling real to you?

We all know the math behind compounding, but the early days of DGI can feel painfully slow-buying shares that only yield a few cents or a couple of dollars a year.

For those of you further along:

• At what portfolio value or monthly dividend income did it mentally click for you that the machine was running on its own?
• Was there a specific moment or milestone where you stopped obsessing over daily contributions and just let it compound?