No, those are apt observations. I agree, and I can attest, too, that luck is a big factor. Some of my favourite articles that I've written have been practically overlooked, while some that went viral (it's been a while) weren't as substantial.

It's not just luck, though, but the degree to which you "sell out" or succumb to the lowest, broadest expectations.

As a writer on Medium for example, you have to craft your titles, turning them into emotional challenges to invite readers to read the articles. And you have to hold the readers' hand and refrain from challenging them. You have to flatter and entertain and infantilize and propagandize. At least, that's what most of the very popular articles do, as far as I can tell. So it's a losing proposition for most genuine (artistically inspired, as opposed to primarily business-oriented) writers.