That actually sounds like a good point. I don't have any large following outside Medium. So I'll probably have a hard time benefiting from referrals.

Maybe if readers could transfer their monthly 50% to a new writer the incentives would be better?

Or maybe just limit the referral earnings to a year or so?

I mean, I signed up for Medium almost two years ago. And I have no idea which writer convinced me back then. It might even be someone who I haven't read ever again. If this referral program had been in place back then, then that random writer would still get 50% of my monthly subscription even though I now am a fan of an entirely different subset of writers that I'd much rather support.