Money is the oldest, best and easiest collaboration tool
Read an interesting old email.
It is our DUTY to ask for money so that commercial customers understand the value and feel comfortable that we are driven by motives that they understand. They want someone to blame when it is not working. And we in turn are then honor bound to use that money to safeguard the investment that our customers are making. Putting all the money in your pocket without reinvesting (most) of it is dishonest, but allowing a technology to wither by not ensuring that it has a solid foundation is every bit as irresponsible (IMHO !!!).
It should be very inexpensive to get started - but people HAVE to contribute when they get real value from using the tool.
We are spoiled by too many free heritage in the software that we ignore this common sense.
When you start charging, it will be easier for you to start a longer-term collaboration with others. When you find that the charges are insufficient, you will also get feedback to go in a truly valuable direction.
In my understanding, smart people and geeks often have a greater sense of morality and are unwilling to charge fees. But this sense of morality will become a twisted form to hinder people's normal development.
This is very sad. The best people are trapped in the trap of providing services free of charge, while another group of people are getting very precious cash flow with very disadvantaged products and services. As a result, social resources are not allocated to those in need.
If you want to work better with this society and charge you for your work, no matter how much it is, even a little cost, this mechanism will make it easier for you to collaborate with others.
Money is a universal collaborative interface. If you refuse to use this, you are doing things in a more expensive way, and it is not long-term.
On the other point, I remember saying in sivers that many times, providing free products also deprives people of the right to pay for you. You should allow people who really like you to express their appreciation for you.
When you are struggling, you can go back to this starting point and try the oldest and most effective way of human collaboration.