If you are not in a hurry, plunk this pot out where you leave starters to 'trunk up'. In early spring, look at it hard, look at the first 4 inches of trunk, if that first 4 inches is not interesting, do something to the tree to make it interesting, then put it back out in the grow area and forget about it for another year. Next spring repeat, maybe do something different.
things you could do,
-definitely encourage low escape branches to thicken the trunk and add taper. Do this in addition to anything else you do.
-wire and put radical bends in, give it interesting curves. Don't worry about branches, right now you are growing the first few inches of trunk.
do this only once every several years, not every year.
- pull a 1/8th to 1/4 inch wide strip of bark and cambium off the trunk, treat with cut paste. It should be thin enough that it will close over in less than 2 years, but deep enough to disrupt that smooth cylinder shape you have.
Another option is the radical trunk chop, to maybe 4 inches and start over.
I hope others may have ideas too on how to add interest to early development trunk.
If you have enough trees to work on that you can forget about this, continue the process. If you want to do more to it before it develops an interesting trunk, go out an buy another tree to work on, don't do anything to this one. Save the energy and time for material that is more ready for technique. If at any time you feel the little time you are putting into this tree isn't worth it. Compost it.
The solution to letting something grow out and develop character is to have so many trees you can't keep up with the more important ones that need attention. When you have too many trees, you will be able to put something out in the 'grow lot' and forget about it.
I have lots of 'Sticks in Pots', but I don't spend hardly any time on them. They just sit there neglected, and growing. Maybe someday they will earn my attention, or become kindling for the fall bonfire.