The same reason you might buy Github stars: people are more likely to use/share/respect something that's been socially vetted. Open source projects are in a co

The same reason you might buy Github stars: people are more likely to use/share/respect something that's been socially vetted. Open source projects are in a competitive environment and benefit from marketing tactics just like anything else. And a project that people use certainly confers value on its creator, even if it's just a smile on their face. But it can be leveraged for other benefits like clout in the ecosystem. As an extreme example of what you can do with a popular open source project, consider https://www.patreon.com/evanyou https://www.patreon.com/evanyou.