Struggling with Sago Palm — would appreciate advice

I want to be honest: I'm not getting great results with Sago Palm and I'm not entirely sure why. root bound decline in pots left too long without repotting has been a recurring problem despite my attempts to address it. I've been focusing on avoiding cutting healthy green fronds as this stresses the plant based on everything I've read.

instantly transformative architectural presence in any setting is there in glimpses, which tells me the plant has potential in my conditions. I have it in a large decorative pot as a patio centrepiece which might not be ideal. cold weather protection needed in winter for tender varieties showed some improvement. Two stars for now — not the plant's fault, but not a success yet. I'll update if things improve.