How does a new player get to a healthy bank balance without the need to trade until it becomes a 'grind'? Most players will opt to get out of the Sidewinder at the earliest opportunity and into either the Hauler for faster trading or the Eagle for better combat. I think this is a mistake and is also missing out on a vital point of ED, namely the thrill of it all.
Trading in the bigger ships, the Lakon 6 or 9 is a great way of visiting every part of the current bubble and making good money along the way (I've done it myself) but apart from the occasional pirate interdiction is not exactly the most thrilling experience. Vital for amassing credits for sure but not fear inducing.
So why do most players look to get a large amount of credits? I'm fairly certain that players want to fly one of three ships ultimately, the Viper, Cobra and Anaconda. So what can you do in those ships that you can't do in a Sidewinder? The answer is of course, nothing except jump further and carry more cargo. Everything else you can do in those ships you can do in a Sidewinder.
Want to down Fed Fighters at the FDS at Eranin 2 or Dahan 3? Then you can do that in a Sidewinder. Want to pirate NPCs at Nav Beacons? You can do that in a Sidewinder. Want to down wanted Vipers, Cobras and Anacondas? You can do that in a Sidewinder (yes, really). It is more fun to do most everything in the little Sidewinder than other ships.
You want to make some money? I made over 200,000 credits in my Sidewinder yesterday in a few hours of playing. How? Smuggling stolen goods and I don't go to Freeport to sell them on the black market either. There's no fun selling what you've picked up in an anarchy system where no one gives a fig what you're up to. No, I fly to Chango Dock and get past the Viper Security ships without them being aware of my presence. The tiny Sidewinder is the absolute best ship for smuggling goods into policed systems.
Every time I'm docked and I hear the station taking out another unfortunate ship I check to see what's floating about outside the station. If it's something worth taking like Battle Weapons or Consumer Tech or Progenitor Cells then I'll launch and collect my four tons right from under the noses of the Vipers. Battle Weapons are fetching over 22,000 credits for four tons at Chango Dock and you don't need too many full holds to rack up credits without ever leaving the system.
So if you see a ship that's not moving, that you can't get a lock on and is lined up with Chango Dock that'll be me but probably best not to say hello as everything will be powered down and I'll be preparing myself before moving, to ghost past the station security, once again.
I love my Sidewinder. If FD would make a non-reflective, stealth black paint job for it that would make it perfect.