How Much I Earned on Medium After 17 Articles
A 5-week growth report from a new creator trying to build income by sharing insights on automation, SaaS, and biomedical research.
A 5-week growth report from a new creator trying to build income by sharing insights on automation, SaaS, and biomedical research.
In today’s AI-fueled creator economy, it feels like everyone can launch an app, build a blog, or live the dream of digital nomadism. However, is it really sustainable? What happens when the initial motivation fades, or the numbers don’t match the hype?
I decided to test it for myself. After spending years in biomedical research and shifting into AI workflows and no-code automation, I started publishing on Medium. In the past five weeks, I’ve written 17 articles covering topics I personally work on — and now I’m opening up my backend data to share what worked, what didn’t, and how I plan to evolve.
What I Wrote About: 4 Core Themes
Over the past five weeks, my 17 Medium articles covered these major areas:
- SaaS Building Journey — Documenting how I launched a biomedical side project and submitted it to Product Hunt
- AI 101 Concepts — Clear, non-technical explanations of foundational ideas like What is an API? and What are tokens in LLMs?
- Biomedical Tech & Tools — Comparisons of tools like BioMCP and reflections on how AI intersects with medical science
5-Week Performance Breakdown (Mar 28–May 3)
Medium offers two main metrics:
- Views: a user lands on the page (whether they read or not)
- Reads: the reader stays for at least 30 seconds
My numbers:
- Total views: 115
- Total reads: 63
- Read rate: 54.8%
Here’s how they break down over time:
A 54.8% read rate is actually quite solid, especially for someone like me who is new to the platform with no prior following. It suggests that the people who click in find enough value to stay.
Most Popular Content: n8n & Automation Wins
The top-performing articles are all about automation tools, specifically n8n - an open-source workflow automation platform. This confirms what I’ve observed from the AI and maker communities: people are hungry for no-code solutions that can automate repetitive tasks.
In the age of LLMs, many readers are no longer asking “What is AI?” but instead:
“How can I use AI to make my daily work easier?”
This insight will shape my next wave of content: more use cases, more templates, more visual breakdowns of how n8n can help non-technical users build smart workflows.
Earnings: Yes, I Made $0.21, and That’s a Win
Let’s be real: 17 articles and just $0.21 in earnings might sound discouraging, but context matters.
Here are two key reasons:
- Only 2 of my 17 articles were set as member-only, which is the only way to earn from the Medium Partner Program.
- I’m still very early in building an audience — no email list, no promotion, no Medium followers when I started.
For a creator who started five weeks ago and has no large social media presence, I see this as proof that it’s absolutely possible to earn from writing - just not instantly.
Also, Medium’s payout model rewards consistency and focus. I’ve seen other creators earn thousands — but usually after publishing 50+ articles and gaining a loyal following.
What’s Next for My Medium Journey
Based on what’s worked and where I see opportunity, I’ll continue to explore the four core topics above - but I’m also adding two new ones:
1. Biomedical News & Journal Commentary
AI is a powerful tool, but I believe it should amplify your domain expertise, not replace it. So I’m planning to publish commentary and breakdowns of important topics in medicine and biotech including but not limited to:
- Gene therapy advances
- Obesity drug trials
- Cardiovascular innovation
- Immune-related disease insights
I’ll combine plain-language summaries with my own scientific interpretations.
2. Book Notes on Tech, Society, and Personal Growth
I’ve always read a lot, and I’ve been tracking my takeaways privately. Now I want to share:
- Reflections on human progress and history
- How to design a life you own, not just work in
- Investment and decision-making frameworks
This helps me stay grounded while tech evolves — and might help others balance ambition with perspective.
Final Thoughts: Writing Online is Slow, but Powerful
No, I’m not quitting my job and flying to Bali (yet). But this five-week experiment has taught me two big things:
- You don’t need a huge audience to start seeing results.
- If you write about real problems, people will read and stay.
I’ll keep writing, refining, and learning publicly. If you’re also wondering whether writing on Medium can help build visibility, impact, or even income - it can. But treat it like a skill, not a lottery. If you’ve been thinking of starting, this is your sign to go for it. And if you’re already publishing, let’s connect! I’d love to learn from your experience too.
