In talking to hundreds of software people over the years I know exactly one who had sufficient donations to buy their own time back, and many, many who people assume "Ah that person is Internet famous -> $$$" who were very far from covering rent.
Note that "covering rent" means different things to different people.
Suppose your rent is $400 because you live in Ogaki. I mean they were not making $400.
Approximately no business owner with $4,800 a year in sales would describe themselves as "covering rent."
Suppose your rent is $400 because you live in Ogaki. I mean they were not making $400.
Approximately no business owner with $4,800 a year in sales would describe themselves as "covering rent."
Most business owners, who either start at more sophisticated or (more likely for software people) learn it from the school of hard knocks, understand that businesses soak up money like a sponge soaks up water, and that if your rent is $400, you really need ~$10k revenue.
(One of the reasons why people with donations as a—being generous in phrasing here—business model have so much trouble is that their communities do not encouraging leveling up with respect to business sophistication. They generally actively oppose it; "selling out", etc.)
If you have a moral or aesthetic objection to doing math, life is not exactly going to organize itself to screw you, but you can be forgiven for experiencing life as doing that anyway.
If you have a moral or aesthetic objection to doing business, and are in business... well...
If you have a moral or aesthetic objection to doing business, and are in business... well...
