I think dragonseth07's answer was that OP was asking - as long as you clear the 10 floor segment you're in (they go in 1-10, 11-20, 21-30... etc), you get a lump of exp based on your current (non-potd) level. For floors 1-50, it's usually around a third of a full level.

Also, OP specifically said he tried potd for the first time ever, so why do half of the answers contain advice for 51+?