Maybe, but I see a lot of factory production going on. There's a couple of ways to take it, though. If something is important to say, it needs to be said more than once, to more than one group of people. The followers you have won't be the followers someone else has, so there's that concept of diversified distribution, even if there is some overlap of credit.

As for making a living at it, I have to admit I think too many writers are fooled by their own biases into believing that their particular brand of idea will be wanted by 'everyone'.

It's one of those things you also can see in the invention promotion business. (Everyone believes they have 'The Next Big Thing', but hardly anyone actually does.)

The question in the long run is whether Medium will put the effort into the general support of writers, or the promotion of fanatical competition and a lottery of rewards based on hype and promotion schemes.

Is it cheaper for the corporation to help hype a few writers with big rewards while deluding more people into buying subscriptions as "aspiring writers", or is there more profit long term in making the platform useful for more varied writers.

My guess is that they are still trying to figure that out, as are most writers trying to figure out their particular place with writing.

Unfortunately, I see everything these days as a front for stock promotion (pump and dump), so I don't really put much hope in it.