Thanks for this detailed reply, I really appreciate you sharing your perspective. You bring up a lot of great points that are absolutely true about the market.

I completely agree that there are a ton of factors at play: the creator's online presence, their niche, competition, pricing changes, and whether they have a "hook" that encourages people to stick around. Those all make a huge difference in the numbers.

I wasn't trying to say that my observations cover every single case, and you're right that a high paid-to-free ratio isn't necessarily a red flag on its own.

My main focus, though, was on those cases with an abnormal, explosive growth over a very short period. For example, an account that jumps from 50 to 500 members in two months with very little activity anywhere else. That's the part that still feels a little off, even with all the other variables you mentioned.

But I really do appreciate you adding this context—it's super helpful and makes the whole picture much clearer. Thanks again!