I see that you can start conversations now, but I'll answer by asking - did you post your 10th post after being a member for 24 hours? It does take the system a while (30-60 minutes) to recognize when you've reached that milestone and open the extra options.
Yes I was a member for over 24 hrs. I think you were right and it seemed to take 30 or so minutes before it realized I was allowed to start conversations. Thanks for the response!