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I’ve Been Writing on Medium for 5 Years. Here’s Everything I Learned.
Avoid my mistakes to thrive faster.
I recently celebrated my fifth anniversary on Medium and won’t deny I get a little sentimental when I look back at everything I did and learned on this platform.
There are very few things I’ve done for five straight years in my life, and I couldn’t be more proud of myself for choosing writing as one of them.
Admittedly, writing on the internet is also the smartest thing I ever did because it helped me:
- Build a career I love that allows me to make 6-figure profits per year while working less than 25 hours per week.
- Grow a community with tens of thousands of members.
- And connect with the coolest, most inspiring people I ever met.
Over the last five years, I:
- Published over 600 articles online (mainly on Medium)
- Reached millions of readers
- Built two email lists with tens of thousands of subscribers
- Launched and killed a paid newsletter
- Sold digital products ranging from $7 to $2,000
- Hosted over 30 live streams on Facebook and YouTube
But most importantly, just like anyone, I made lots of mistakes on that journey. And I’m writing this piece hoping you’ll be able to avoid some of them.
Let’s go:
If you hate change, leave Medium. Or the internet.
Medium announced significant changes to its algorithm and payment model earlier this year. And writers freaked out.
But you know what? I’ve seen major changes each year since I joined the platform.
When I signed up back in 2018, earnings for writers were calculated based on claps. When the system changed, writers freaked out.
And I’ve seen the same pattern repeat for five years.
Here’s a harsh truth: If you hate changes, stop trying to build an audience online.
Algorithms and platforms change all the time. Not just on Medium but everywhere.