I did this -- working on open source founded by other people, from Bugilla to GNOME -- for two decades, and my experience is similar. Contract work is available

I did this -- working on open source founded by other people, from Bugilla to GNOME -- for two decades, and my experience is similar. Contract work is available for customizing open source broadly, and pays well, but it has all the common downsides of contract work. Notably, it conflicts with the growth-driven VC model which is where open source has ironically become a cornerstone.