I believe we're witnessing a fascinating shift in the open source sponsorship landscape. Traditionally, corporations have been the primary backers of these vital projects. However, a new trend is emerging, and it's driven by individuals.

Since 2011, I've had the privilege of sponsoring open source projects on behalf of various companies. Over the years, I've observed a significant change, particularly in the past year or so. It's no longer just corporate sponsorship that's making a difference. We're seeing a surge in individual donors, people who have built successful careers and/or businesses on the foundation of open source.

It's inspiring to see projects like Ladybird, where sponsor lists feature the names of individual contributors alongside traditional corporate logos. This personal touch highlights the growing importance of individual contributions like Mitchell Hashimoto, and Guillermo Rauch. Don't get me wrong, small individual donations are great, I'm just observing these recognizable names dropping a lot of money and possibly inspiring their peers to do the same.

This trend is incredibly encouraging. I hope we'll see more and more individuals stepping up to support the open source ecosystem. The burden of sponsorship will gradually shift from solely corporations to passionate individuals who have directly benefited from these projects.

What do you think? Reply or start a discussion.