That does make sense and in practice I think this does currently work for a little while. But given enough time, isn't someone always going to come along and p

That does make sense and in practice I think this does currently work for a little while. But given enough time, isn't someone always going to come along and provide open source packaging for the project? If so that would mean you're choosing to trade ease-of-install and community goodwill against revenue -- and revenue with a limited time horizon, at that. I can see how that could appeal in situations where decision-making incentives are not aligned with long-term value of the overall ecosystem. Selling services and expertise seems more sustainable, since offering those doesn't imply that you should add complexity or difficulty to your project. By providing expertise you can continue maximizing community goodwill and contributions, while reducing your own maintenance costs. Providing services also enables the creation of an ecosystem around your project; that may include competition for your services, but it also implies a larger customer base and project adoption -- and more job creation and skill development.