I've been on Medium for three years. My take is that most of us prefer to be read than to read. We are competitors scrambling to attention for our own stuff. Trouble is that there are more people who want to make a living as a writer than is a supply of readers. Only a few will find success.

You might be interested in this article I wrote:

https://medium.com/tiered-democratic-governance/listicle-of-medium-writers-4da0dcef4b11

In short, I have no formula or influence to get some kind of appeal for new ideas on Medium (or other internet forums). My alternative democracy has gone nowhere, at least in a tangible sense.

But your last story was noteworthy. A profession such as yours is not likely to produce a viable long-term income, which makes it hard to take on this career. Like a writer on Medium, it seems you got a little lucky. We really need more sociologists helping communities.

I believe a functioning local TDG will help a lot in building better communities. Neighbors need to be electing neighbors!