[Crazyontap]

I think there should be term like suffering from open-source fatigue.

Being an active open source dev myself I can relate to this but at the same time I also have been on the other side of the fence when my oss projects didn't get a lot of traction and any mention from anyone, even if it was an issue, got me really excited and it also kinda validated my efforts.

It's like being a mini celebrity feeling happy when somebody asks for your first autograph but as you become more successful more people want your time and attention and then you don't want it anymore. Also unlike being a celebrity you may get some fame but rarely any fortune, so that makes it all the more easy to get annoyed when people try to eat your attention for their own benefit.

[ascar]

> Also unlike being a celebrity you may get some fame but rarely any fortune

I know this isn't your main point, but afaik most low-level celebrities barely make money from it either. So it's actually even more similar than you thought.

[weq]

This! Open source can make your career, just as much as the Op says; it can break your back.

From the outset i would say that most people releasing OSS stuff wants it to be used in production. thats until you get the hungry corps looking for free support. IMO at that stage an OSS maintainer needs to start a consulting company and funnel everything into it to avoid the burn. if this guy was making 6 figures consulting for those same companies, i think the conversation was different.

Unfortunately knowing how to write software is not always compatible with self-marketing and has a keen business acumen.