en.dev founder steps away from Figma to focus on open-source tools

After years of maintaining developer tools like mise, a Rust-based local dev manager with 27k+ GitHub stars and 1% adoption among Homebrew users, the creator has left Figma to work full-time under en.dev. The project’s growth has outpaced volunteer efforts, leading to notification overload and stalled progress. The move ensures mise and related tools—aube, hk, pitchfork, and fnox—receive dedicated maintenance.

To sustain development, en.dev offers tiered memberships ($5–$50+/month) and company sponsorships ($200+/month for Backer tiers, $1,000+/month for Sustainer tiers). Members gain Discord access, newsletter updates, and Q&A sessions. Sponsorships fund infrastructure without roadmap control, while consulting services—up to 2 days/week—help teams integrate mise into workflows.

The creator emphasizes sustainability over profit, rejecting SaaS ambitions. Current income ($100/month from ads, $500/month from GitHub Sponsors) falls short, prompting diversified funding. Consulting engagements and potential paid services aim to bridge the gap.

This shift highlights the challenges of balancing open-source passion with practical sustainability. mise’s success underscores demand for reliable developer tools, while en.dev’s model tests new ways to monetize community-driven projects.