This post sows the seeds of its own best counterargument: time is money and maintainer money means maintainer time. There's no sharp either-or between just a h

This post sows the seeds of its own best counterargument: time is money and maintainer money means maintainer time. There's no sharp either-or between just a hobby and full-time job. There are some inflection points, as where money becomes enough to take one fewer contract client, devote a day or afternoon per week, or leave a current full-time job. Overall, paying a maintainer who has to manage money enables them to spend more time. That addresses the fundamental unbalance between demand and capacity that risks burnout. I think of burnout risk as having another key factor that isn't mentioned here: psychology. It isn't just demands versus wall-clock capacity. It's your perception of demands versus the focus you can bring in time allotted. Paying someone for their work is a very direct, accountable, and socially recognized way of confirming the value of their effort. Not feeling exploited changes how maintainers relate to bugs, patches, planning, and support.