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.