The customers for "open source " are not the end users ..

Your customers are the people who fork your code (or ideas) ..

Examples

#bitcoin is valuable because the idea is copied ( forked ) by 15 k shipcoins ..

#Linux is valuable because kernel is assimilated into hundreds of distros ..

#nostr is valuable because hundreds of clients built around it ..

Everytime your code is forked , you get elevated in value ladder .. it converts into money or recognition or influence.. whichever currency you like ..