Generally speaking, it is one of the primary jobs of a Linux distribution to pick good defaults. Lots of people recommend Mint, because the defaults are pretty good.
So, my immediate thought for articles that tell you, you have to configure stuff, is that they're overblown.

It's been a few years since I've used Mint, but from general Linux experience, I'd rate the "essential" tips like so:

1. Apply all available updates and set up Timeshift: Sure, go ahead. Doing updates is obviously a good idea. And I believe, the Welcome screen after installing also tells you to set up Timeshift.

2. Improve Update Manager: Have not looked at their recommendations in detail. I cannot possibly imagine that it's actually sensible. They even say themselves, that if you're new, just use the defaults.

3. Drivers and full multimedia support: Sure, if something's missing for hardware/multimedia you want to use, then solving that is a good idea. But you'll find out, if something's not working in time.

4. Optimize your Solid State Drive (SSD): Same as 2. I do not care what they recommend, it's probably useless.

5. Install some useful tools and an extra media player: Do not see how this would be "essential". Feel free to, but don't need it.

6. Optimize memory performance: Same as 2 and 4.

7. Turn on the firewall: Yeah, can do that. Lots of other distros have the firewall on by default. Don't think it's uber-critical, since you need to actually have software running on your PC, which accepts network requests for a firewall to be useful at all, but yeah, this is the one tip which is legit.

8. Install some useful extra fonts: Not essential. Useful, if you need to view/edit documents created by Windows users. I've never needed these fonts myself.

9. Avoid 10 fatal mistakes!: From mostly just reading the headlines, I'd say 1, 2, 3 and 5 are reasonable tips to give. But yeah, massively overblown. You don't need to live in constant fear of making these mistakes. Even if something ends up breaking, you've set up Timeshift and can restore a backup. It's *fine*.

10. Solve some known bugs: Again, only relevant if you run into those bugs.

In general, this whole webpage reeks of being AI-generated. No nuance for what's actually important, just this constant sensationalist tone.