2. Connection with users and knowledge of their needs and of their willingness to pay.
3. Ability to estimate project's demands in terms of effort and expenditure, given a set of objectives. (This is just a part of an expertise really; often overlooked, but crucial here.)
Step 1: Based on the user needs, the estimates, and maintainer's other realistic earning options, calculate financial goals.
Step 2: Run the funding campaign.
Step 3: Refine the prerequisites, repeat the steps.
Prerequisites:
1. Maintainer has expertise about the project.
2. Connection with users and knowledge of their needs and of their willingness to pay.
3. Ability to estimate project's demands in terms of effort and expenditure, given a set of objectives. (This is just a part of an expertise really; often overlooked, but crucial here.)
Step 1: Based on the user needs, the estimates, and maintainer's other realistic earning options, calculate financial goals.
Step 2: Run the funding campaign.
Step 3: Refine the prerequisites, repeat the steps.
All abstract and hypothetical here of course.