Excellent article.
I hit a low spot in Medium a couple of weeks ago. My stats were dropping, i was not making new "followers"... I was so confused. Then it dawned on me... it is me, not them... I had gottrn away from what I was doing, and what I was doing, worked.
So I started reconnecting with followers in Medium, making new friends, writing an article or two more, and what a surprise.... Medium started to look brighter again. You are so correct, "I appreciate my readers and the responses they leave for me.
Great article,
AL.