It can depend on various factors and how much weight you put on each of them. As noted, the value of each additional chip gained is less than each chip lost. This is because at the end, having all the chips doesn't mean you get all the money, whereas being reduced to 0 chips any time before making the payouts does mean you get $0. Thus playing on the tight side early generally tends to produce better results than playing loose.
This is, however, a generalization, not a commandment. Playing too nitty isn't a winning strategy because in most games, the deck won't hit you hard enough, and also because opponents who are aware of your play will become less likely to pay you off when you do get big hands. So it's important to balance trying to get reasonable value when you're in advantageous situations while not trying to push too hard with small edges.