system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
How are open source programmers able to create and maintain so much thought-out, complicated, open source software and still survive?

I am learning Python and there are SO many wonderful packages that people have created to give functionality to the community.  I love that, it's wonderful.  But I simply don't understand how it is economically possible.

I am working hard to build some simple apps which, by comparison, take little effort and I can barely fit it into my life around my job/family.  How can people put in the amount of effort required to create Python, it's packages, or any other open source software and not be paid for it?  

What would be the reason for them to do it?  It's great to give back to the community but some of this free software must've taken years of development.
gpt
Do you have hobbies?  For some of them, this is their hobby.  

And while they might not get paid for it, but it will help their career by putting it on their resume or just increasing their skill and knowledge or creating business connections based on their work, which translates to more money down the line.