Assume it was 1-click and 100% automated to deploy, run and update a Hub.

How much per month would you be willing to pay to run one? 

No direct economic incentive other than you know you're supporting Farcaster decentralization and you have your own copy of the network.

OK, if you're answer is you wouldn't run one.

I’m confused
Aren’t we supposed to get paid to run a hub?

I guess I’m getting this confused w miners who secure and decentralize the network
does running a hub benefit the protocol in any way or is it if you want to build a separate client?

I think your thought process is a logical one - we shouldn't ignore the economic benefits of blockchain now that we have them

one primary reason blockchains are as successful as they are without centralization is that they extract value from the users of the network and transfer it to the providers of the network

Until PoS, Coinbase ran Ethereum nodes yet did not mine.

Commercial self-interest is a great indirect economic incentive to have access to the data and APIs of a network.