Thank you for writing this! This is definitely under-talked about in Medium. The problem with all those "I made $XYZ in my first month on Medium" are humble-bragging at worst and only mildly helpful at best. There was a very good article someone else wrote about how going viral is largely based on luck. Unfortunately I don't remember where I read it...maybe have been on The Brave Writer. But anyway, there are sooooo many things that need to line up for you to hit viral on an article.

I hear from writers I respect that the better way to approach Medium is as a longterm journey. Focus on gradually but consistently growing your following, and pay attention to your stats, but don't obsess over them.

And overall, just focus on writing well to help people.