Tony. I am grateful for the information you provide but very little in this article is useful for me. You have spent a lot of time discussing your vision for the eco-system of Medium. I wish you would be so transparent about your vision for the business of Medium. Because at the end of the day I’m part of your business plan. We all are.

Writing is my life. Contrary to what you stated in your article, I live life and write about it. I do it consistently. I am disciplined. I go to great lengths to create meaningful pieces for my readers. I do love writing, but I don’t need to do it here. I could be spending more time on personal writing projects like my novel. But I don’t because there’s something in it for me.

I don’t write here out of selflessness. I write here because I am very much self-interested. I applaud Friends of Medium. I have been a paying member since week one. I enjoy the Medium culture and eco-system, but I want to know how Medium fits into my larger vision. Not just for my writing, but for my life and business. And those are things I do not take lightly.

I think you understand this. Transparency creates trust. Transparency also shows respect for the human experience because I can take the information at my disposal and make decisions about what’s best for me.

I don’t want to tell anyone how to run Medium. I want to say I think businesses should be run with kindness and compassion but still run like businesses. At the end of the day publishing and book writing are businesses. Art and business have long been merged.

Making Medium a place for people to have their voices heard is beautiful. I love that. But as a professional writer with limited time and large aspirations, I question Medium’s value FOR ME.

You mentioned transactionality. There is always a transaction, Tony. Because economics are inherent in every aspect of life. I write because I garner joy and peace from it. Transaction. I give to people because they need it but also because it makes me feel better about the human I am. Transaction. So too, when people write on this platform there is a transaction taking place. People might not want to discuss that, but it’s true. I absolutely want to know what’s in it for me. What’s in it for all of us. What’s going to be in it for the foreseeable future. And that requires some kind of transparency about compensation and earnings.

(Pause)

The tough thing is everyone here has different goals. How do you run a platform so that you can maximize its usefulness to so many different humans, backgrounds, and ambitions?

Well. I think, Medium first has to assess what brings Medium greatest benefit. Medium needs readership. Medium needs the best pieces and the best writers at the forefront. I think Medium hurts itself when it preaches “anti-hustling” but succeeds on the backs of writers who hustle. Def: “To proceed or work rapidly or energetically.” I don’t know what waking up at 4:30 am to write and run a publication is if not hustling. The best writers and editors on Medium are doing this. My question is.

How will you reward them?

Because selflessness is a great character trait, but it’s not a great business model. And <10,000 Friends of Medium proves that.

Professionals have limits to what they’ll do for free or “essentially free.” As they should. A professional has a business minded attitude. Doesn’t mean they don’t like art or aesthetic. Means they’re a professional. There’s no reason the best writers on this platform should swing from a high-earning month to an 8 dollar month when their top-tier quality has remained unchanged day to day to day. I want to know how you plan to keep those writers here. Because cohesion and community build teams but quality builds championships.

Thanks for listening.

Sincerely,

Roman Newell
Owner/Editor, The Interstitial