Thank you for writing this. I have had these same kinds of reflections going through my mind recently. I touched on it in a piece I published a couple of days ago and have a very different piece still in drafts. I agree with everything you say. And until recently, the money from Medium wasn't as big a deal as it is now. The cost of living crisis has pushed me to have to either rely on anything I put effort into or choose to move away. Saying that, I wouldn't leave Medium altogether owing to all the fun/community/joy reasons you mention. But I may have to spend a lot less time here just engaging and editing.