Participating on the forum is a totally acceptable form of contribution. And to be clear: you have the choice. The choice to do nothing, or to help the project to grow. It's really up to you Freedom of choice is great! Everyone can contribute, spread the word and advocate for our solutions. And believe me, if everybody does, we stand a chance against those juggernauts (VMware for example).
Also, you have my words, and I'm not afraid to tell that publicly: every $ we make is 100% re-invested into our projects. No big VC nor investors asking for insane ROI.