1:57 P.M.

My friend Declan tells me Medium has officially opened up their membership platform.

1:58 P.M.

I notice my app hasn’t updated to include the “become a member” link.

1:59 P.M.

I throw away my lunch at Panera Bread and kiss my wife Kate goodbye. She is headed to Nordstrom Rack. She loves that place. She will probably spend money there.

2:11 P.M.

I arrive back at my office and climb 5 flights of stairs to get back to my floor.

2:12 P.M.

I notice some of my team members got lunch from this Mexican grill down the road. We love that place. So we spend money there.

2:13 P.M.

I log on to my computer and go to my most visited site — Medium.

2:14 P.M.

I immediately become a member. I love this place. So I am spending money here.

I don’t know why there is a stigma against spending money for online work. Maybe it’s because we can’t see the cogs and wheels. Maybe it’s because we don’t understand the sleepless nights that go into making the difficult decisions which accompany a business (“even” an Internet business).

When you spend $5 at McDonald’s, you are contributing to the welfare of a business which offers only things which are terrible to you. Not a single thing there is worth consuming.

We have a platform here which has been enriching a community of millions, giving voice to the voiceless, and offering a unique and uncluttered reading experience. They have been doing this five years for free.

And now, they are asking for $5.

It’s a no brainer.

2:36 P.M.

I hit publish to finish a post tens of thousands of people could see, all because someone had the audacity to build this platform.

Please, Medium. Take my money.

Here’s the link to become a member.