Jonathan I just disagree fundamentally with your conclusions. Here’s a look at the articles featured at the top of my homepage:

These aren’t news stories. They’re well-written opinion pieces. I assume they’re what you’re seeing too? Let me know if that’s not the case.

I don’t think Medium is really pushing as many news stories as you say it is.

And if your theory about Medium Partner Program earnings decreasing over time because of more outside competition is true, why am I and so many other writers seeing not just an increase in earnings from the MPP this month, but a BIG jump in earnings?

It doesn’t match up.

And I disagree that more competition will lead to less eyeballs on our stuff. I think more writers/news sites/publications publishing here will lead MORE eyeballs that weren’t already here to then discover our own content.

They’re bringing their tribes, too. That’s how the internet works. These articles will be shared all over the internet which will get more people reading Medium which will get people discovering your content.

I simply don’t see how your conclusion about Medium favoring these news sites *too much* that they’re hurting the little guy can be true. I’m literally seeing more money coming in to so many “little guys” pockets right now.

If Medium’s #1 desire really was to push the content of the enemy, wouldn’t we be seeing less earnings as well as less views?

Not more?

It doesn’t make much sense. I honestly think you’re speculating a little bit — I have a lot more stories of people earning more that I just didn’t copy + paste in here.

And the follow 250 people per day thing got me here. I have raving fans. It doesn’t win you raving fans from the get, but it does make the probability of your stuff showing up on a homepage/email much higher.

If you write awesome stuff, people will click, then they’ll get to know you. If not, then no.

I’m not promoting Medium as the only place to make money.

And it’s really crazy because you say clickbait like all clickbait is terribly written content. It’s not. Writing a good headline is an art form and I’ve been pleasantly surprised on many occasions to click in to something that was actually good that had a really funny sounding headline following a formula.

Headlines that are, as you say “clickbait,” can help someone get exposure to an important story that has never been told because people will actually click instead of let it collect dust. The reader may even be significantly impacted by that story.

Isn’t that something that should happen?

I’m not telling people in my course to write about the billion ways everybody can become successful. There’s lots of formulas in there. You make it seem like I want everyone to be slick oil salesmen with what they write.

Thanks for listening.