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Open source powers our digital world, yet faces a critical funding paradox. 

As a developer who's benefited from OSS, I've been reflecting on how we ensure sustainability for the code everyone uses but few pay for. 
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DeepSeek CEO Liang Wenfeng offers a provocative perspective: 
"More investment ≠ more innovation. If it did, tech giants could monopolize all innovation." 

His company builds cutting-edge AI models with lean teams driven by curiosity rather than massive funding.

Promising solutions from the OSS community: 

-Contribution-based reputation systems with on-chain tracking of GitHub commits and governance proposals; 

-Quadratic funding models that prioritise merit over volume

- Work-to-vote governance where active contributors gain more influence than passive token holders

As investor Dan Levine notes: "While OSS can be used for free, users who find it essential are inherently motivated to ensure its sustainability." 

The challenge is creating structures that transform this motivation into sustainable funding.

DeepSeek's approach is instructive - they've created world-class AI models through open source while focusing on lean teams of curious people. 

This echoes successful OSS projects where small, dedicated teams create enormous value without proportional compensation.

Web3 offers new possibilities for OSS funding: token-based governance, retroactive public goods funding, and contribution-weighted rewards. 

The question is: can we build models that properly value maintenance, not just creation? What's working in your experience?

At https://tip.md, we're tackling this challenge directly - making it easy to support OSS developers with crypto tips across multiple blockchains. 

Add a simple markdown button to your README and let users support your work with Ethereum, Solana, and Bitcoin.

BONUS: For those interested in Liang's full perspective on open source and innovation, I'm sharing the complete DeepSeek CEO interview that is quoted in this thread:

BONUS: For those interested in Liang's full perspective on open source and innovation, I'm sharing the complete DeepSeek CEO interview that is quoted in this thread: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DW5ohZWxoCEOdrUQjokKreuArHqJdtKb/view

This contrasts with the common OSS sustainability crisis where "people who do the least sometimes complain the most, causing high performers to eventually disengage." 

Without proper funding or recognition, maintainers burn out while their work powers billion-dollar companies.