I think these kind of games need a more solid approach to economics but I don't have an answer for it.
I had the same problem with "Planet Crafter" game. All you need was just spending more time to get more resources.
I mean most people will say "Factorio" is the same but in that game you can make your progression a lot efficient and that is not just build more, you also need to build smarter.
Overall I enjoyed the game play.