We pay out base salaries well below market rates, but we supplement them with the FOSS consultancy at each individual employee's discretion. With these sources

We pay out base salaries well below market rates, but we supplement them with the FOSS consultancy at each individual employee's discretion. With these sources combined, our total compensation is similar to market rates, and often more -- one of our engineers made over $150,000 last year. We also set aside 3 months base salary for all developers so that even in the worst case scenario of our revenue dropping to zero, they have security. I explained how some of this works the last time we posted a job ad: https://sourcehut.org/blog/2021-08-23-work-at-sourcehut/ https://sourcehut.org/blog/2021-08-23-work-at-sourcehut/ The sustainability metrics are based on revenue covering the small base compensation plus operating expenses, as well as having a large enough standing balance to weather any unexpected events. We seek to make models which guarantee the longevity of the platform, and prioritize making sure that our cash flow will always provide for operating expenses. If our revenue dropped to zero today, we would be able to run the platform for several years. Ultimately, everyone involved in SourceHut is there because they believe in free software and believe in the model we've designed to further its cause. Our non-negotiable ethical standards calls for a creative business model to make this thing work. The work experience and impact we offer is something that is, in my opinion, completely unmatched in the industry. It's not for everyone, but we believe in what we're doing, and it's worth taking a gamble on an unproven business model.