I have a lot of thoughts on the subject, considering my own developer journey over the last 20+ years in various settings around the world.

Ultimately, Damus is set up in such a way that it's all about what nostr:npub1xtscya34g58tk0z605fvr788k263gsu6cy9x0mhnm87echrgufzsevkk5s wants to do. I greatly admire what he has done, and I've told Will numerous times that I'm always there if he wants to talk and share experiences.

Regarding what I would say publicly, the most important point is: when you are contributing to FOSS, you're building a reputation, not compensation. You won't make nearly as much as you would if you chose traditional routes (fiat job, startup, VCs, etc.).

A critical side effect of this is that you need to take care of the reputation, self-actualization, and motivation of everyone involved. Managing a FOSS project is a heavy burden. Money is a very powerful tool, and the fact that every civilization that has scaled invented it is no coincidence. It allows you to remove a lot of variables. Beyond a certain point, you can only scale with money to maintain structure.

So, if I were in Damus, I'd prioritize the happiness and reputation of contributors over impact. The track record clearly shows that something great is being done, so I wouldn't worry too much about making it "greater." Instead, as long as the work continues to be meaningful for Will and others participating, that's all that matters.