I can see how that's a tempting line of thought. The point I was making is that I have done what I'm suggesting. I spent quite a bit of time giving away (and still do give away) content. I use the "Friends Link" regularly to allow non-members to read certain articles of mine--for the reasons I laid out in this article.

I think Medium's paywall is a great example of forcing people not to ask for money too quickly. You can place your article behind their paywall, but it won't get nearly as many views as if you allowed it to be free.

For new writers trying to establish themselves, I think that's the way to go. You get more feedback, and you can hone your "product" (here: you and your writing). As you establish yourself, and get into publications who publish behind the paywall, it becomes a good move to use the paywall. After all, the members are signing up to read unique content.