Ok hear me out. What if we built some kind of paywall into a package manager like npm where an app that’s installing a package would get a lightning invoice as part of the ‘npm install’ flow. The app’s CI tool could could connect to their lightning node and pay the invoice programmatically. I’m thinking very small amounts per install or maybe even a one time fee. Relying on opt-in tips like most devs do now will never work.
Discussion
No one would use it.
Given most people, devs included, couldnt care less about btc/ln, anything that has a chance of working should “just work”™️. If setting up a LN node is a requirement this product has already failed.
I think in this case the "go niche to win" is the right move. You would want to start this idea within the existing bitcoin community, similar to how nostr started with just bitcoiners who had little reservations against zapping people. Other apps can start this way, set a culture of paying small amounts for packages, and as other open source devs from the outside see that bitcoiner devs are actually getting paid for their work instead of begging for tips in their README.md files they'll want to put in the effort to get set up as well.
I like the idea. Very creative. But would it work? Doubt.
Do you know the once.com model? You could maybe build the business model like this. Starting with now closed-source libraries to provide the source code instead of the DLL in the windows ecosystem. Or does anyone compete Steam with Bitcoin?
Otherwise I think developers rather want to pay for infrastructure than for code. So maybe they would rather pay two sats per downloaded package at a flat rate to help you finance the package manager CDN.