I had the same issue posting articles to my social media accounts for the first few days without even realizing people couldn't read them! I was frustrated to find that out.

Fortunately friend links are still an option you'd be able to use for at least letting your immediate audience read the piece. But the link only works one time, so if a friend then tries to share the piece with their friends they won't be able to do so without paywalls. It's not a terrible middle ground option to have, but it does still prevent wider audiences from finding Medium articles. The first article I ever read from Medium certainly wasn't shared with me through a friend link.

On an unrelated note, I really admire your work on Medium. Your pieces on politics and the war in Ukraine are deeply informative.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about getting started in the industry if you happen to have any advice! I still haven't branched too far beyond Medium yet myself. The marketing side of things has never come very easily to me as a writer. Thanks in advance!