My Heartfelt Tribute and Gratitude to Ariel and Buster Benson, Who Left Great Impression on Me
Honoring Ariel Meadow Stallings and Buster Benson—two influential figures on Medium. This tribute reflects on their dedication, community support, and lasting impact on the platform’s writers and readers.
Dear Subscribers,
I wanted to write this tribute after a LinkedIn post sent by my editor colleague, Aiden reached me today. The news of Ariel and Buster’s departures struck me suddenly and touch my heart, bringing an initial wave of sadness. However, after reading a story by Ariel, which was also shared by another editor colleague, Mike, I felt somewhat comforted.
Redundancies always sadden me. During my 42 years of employment, I felt the pain of saying goodbye to colleagues and friends who had become like family. I felt the same when I heard that Ariel and Buster’s roles were made redundant on Medium.com.
For those who have not experienced the pain of redundancy, I hope this post provides some insight. At one point in my career at IBM, where I held an executive role, my position, along with 80% of my department, was made redundant. This was very painful for the staff members.
Although I was financially secure thanks to my investments, I felt a great sadness. They gave me 90 days to find a role in another department or my employment with IBM — an organization to which I had poured my heart and soul — would end.
I started reaching out, connecting with colleagues across departments, calling frequently to inquire about opportunities, hoping for a chance. My wife would say, “Why worry so much about work? You are capable of opening your own consultancy business and perhaps earning even more.”
But what she didn’t understand is that losing one’s job reaches far beyond financial concerns, often impacting our sense of purpose and identity. When I learned about Ariel and Buster’s redundancies, that old, familiar pain resurfaced, inspiring me to write this story.
Scott Lamb introduced me to Ariel as a candidate for the boost pilot program in 2023. Ariel approached me professionally and maintained an excellent onboarding experience, guiding me with relevant resources and references. She even joined my Slack workspace, kept me up-to-date, and reviewed my updated submission guidelines, providing valuable feedback.
Ariel and I collaborated effectively throughout my time as a boost nominator. We had a few heated discussions, but they were always professional and productive, with each of us gaining something valuable from every conversation. I respected her approach, even when facing challenges outside of her control.
Some of her points — such as no feedback from curators — never sat well with me, as I have never seen a pilot program without feedback. I am currently running a supplementary boost program for a Substack initiative, where I continuously seek feedback not only from stakeholders but also from the public to refine the program.
After ten months of an excellent working relationship with Ariel, I decided to leave the boost program for my own reasons. Even my resignation announcement to Ariel was met with grace, as she thanked me for my contributions and wished me the best. Unfortunately, another person at Ariel’s level did not respond to my email, which left an impression on me.
I am sorry to see Ariel leave this role, as she made significant contributions and, in my view, helped stabilize Medium during challenging times. Before the boost program, it seemed to me that Medium was on the brink of collapse. While the program is still not perfect, it has contributed greatly to the platform’s stability, and Ariel deserves recognition for her part in this.
Reading Ariel’s story made me feel reassured, as she has a colorful life filled with skills and interests. I believe she will not have a dull moment in her new role. In fact, she seems to view every job as a temporary adventure — a meaningful life philosophy.
Now, let me speak a bit about Buster. Although I did not work directly with him, I had the opportunity to meet him online and exchange a few valuable messages, which left a deep impression on me.
Buster is a thought leader, problem solver, and excellent communicator. On several occasions when issues related to my publications needed escalation, Buster was understanding and attentive, asking for my input to address them and proposing alternative solutions.
From my experience, Buster was the first Medium director who truly valued publications managed by volunteers, who donated their precious time to make Medium a better place — a better part of the Internet. He was also the first director to inform me that Medium appreciated the efforts of our volunteers.
His professional and supportive approach left a lasting impression on me. I have continued to follow his insights on Medium and beyond, as Buster is an inspiring writer, book author, and communicator. One of his most impactful works, in my opinion, is his viral post on cognitive biases titled Cognitive Bias Cheat Sheet: Because Thinking Is Hard. It is well worth reading.
If you want to learn more about Buster, you may check out this creative diary titled Life in Weeks, which might stimulate your mind and warm your heart.
I wanted to write this tribute to recognize the valuable contributions Ariel Meadow Stallings and Buster Benson made to the Medium community and invite my readers to thank them and say farewell.
Their departures represent a meaningful loss to me and to all of us who value the spirit of collaboration and dedication they brought to our community. I am also grateful to my editor friends who helped me uncover Ariel and Buster’s stories across platforms — without them, I may never have known, amidst our busy lives.
To my knowledge, Medium has not publicly acknowledged these departures or shared details of any replacement roles. If I learn otherwise, I will share an update with you.
Above all, I hope this tribute encourages my readers to pause for a moment and recognize the valuable contributions Ariel and Buster have made and learn from their experiences.
Whether by commenting on this story or taking a moment to read their work, let us honor the lasting impact they have had on our community. Their presence has left a meaningful imprint on this platform—one that we will carry forward and not soon forget.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a happy and healthy life.
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