Indie developers rarely have the headcount for a dedicated ad ops team, so the right monetization strategy is usually the one that requires the least ongoing maintenance, not the one with the theoretical highest ceiling.
Favor mediation over direct network integrations
A single mediation SDK that auctions across multiple ad networks gets most of the benefit of a fully optimized waterfall without the ongoing work of managing several SDKs and contracts directly. For a solo developer or small team, that tradeoff is almost always worth it.
Keep the format mix simple at first
Launch with one primary format (often rewarded video or a banner-plus-capped-interstitial combination), get real usage data, and only add complexity — additional formats, A/B tests, custom waterfalls — once the app has enough volume for those changes to be measurable.