What about writing on Medium because one actually needs to earn a living? There are plenty of writers here who do write for the money, but they don't tell other people how to write or make millions, etc In other words, they are actually a writers - not a success marketers.

I don't write to engage with readers. I don't write to cultivate an audience. I write to earn a living, and it is a desperate thing to do. It is the only thing I can do. In the course of that, I certainly do engage with some readers, and I certainly do gain a few followers, but that is not my purpose for writing. My purpose is dual - to express my views and encourage those who have the same views, and to earn a living.

People have different motivations.