Patreon is a business and I don't begrudge them the ability to charge customers for their service (though I think it's pretty buggy). Before Patreon, I did not

Patreon is a business and I don't begrudge them the ability to charge customers for their service (though I think it's pretty buggy). Before Patreon, I did not subscribe to a single podcast. After Patreon, I subscribe to 3-5 at various times. I subscribe to a couple other standalone products but the bar is certainly higher as the value they must provide is greater to get over having another subscription on another platform. So I think Patreon likely does help individuals get business, even if they aren't out advertising on your behalf. That said, I agree the fee does seem high, given it is largely payment processing (and a simple media player) and we know what Stripe charges for that. I think they will probably be at risk from higher quality entrants like Substack who is moving into podcasting as well.