Lately, I observed that creating useful tools for Bitcointalk is best way to earn merits. Now, if you don't have any such skills to offer then just stay active, pour your thoughts where you feel like to do so and slowly and steadily you will earn merits.
There are also merit giveaways and contests where you can take part. For example, this one:
🍑 PeachBitcoin [CHALLENGE] Run A Bitcoin Node: 14 Days To 14 Merits — such contests are running all the time and IMO these are better than 'start-up merits for newbies' idea you are proposing (I do see taking part in these contests require you to be somewhat active already but it's only fair).
True to what you say, it's quite hard to get merit if you don't have the skills to create a useful tool or thread that discusses things that are quite technical or that need some useful factual data for forums and tools for Bitcoin and others.
I myself made some information threads that may not be very interesting but quite useful, but I always make it to stay active and provide the correct information according to the data.
I don't even have programming skills or anything like that, so I can't make some tools that might be useful like the members who have a lot of skills in this forum do, but we can follow it up as you said by noting the events that give merit to participants who do the task, like the latest merit giveaways created by @NotAThether
GingerWallet.io | LN Quest ⚡Up to 50 meritsJust keep trying to stay active and productive by following how the forum works.