The second technique is a short, powerful pull, the length of only your forearm, to get the motor up to sufficient RPM immediately. Different people are better at the one or the other, depending on your physique. Clean out all the magnetic debris and dirt inside the magneto area. They cause complications and lead to erratic problems. Cut away some of the black starter cover material to give the rope free run without chaffing on the brass grommet.
Settings make a huge difference.
Magneto clearance must be 0.2mm on both sides. Let me clarify this. Make absolutely sure you are setting against the magnets, and not the counterweight on the opposite side of the butterfly shaped stator. If you do this, the magnets will collide with the coil, destroying it. This is the carb pop-off pressure, critical on all diaphragm carbs, e.g. Walbro, Tillotson, etc.