I hear you, but it sounds like you’re saying you want program that delivers high value without paying for it.
The way to make this happen is get out there and volunteer your big dollar software engineer time to make it happen. Use all of the knowledge about how to get things done that you get from reading HN, join a team, and start building.
My volunteering experience has been amazing, but there were some negative experiences where it was clear we should have required more buy-in or up front investment.
I'm willing to help, but as one person, I can only do so much. Hyper-locally, it's actually a problem of community here instead of money anyway. There's a half-way decent maker-space, but it's all old men. Think "ham radio guys" stereotype. They're knowledgeable, but without any young blood (and the artistic pursuits younger people tend to bring) it's not fun.
The way to make this happen is get out there and volunteer your big dollar software engineer time to make it happen. Use all of the knowledge about how to get things done that you get from reading HN, join a team, and start building.
My volunteering experience has been amazing, but there were some negative experiences where it was clear we should have required more buy-in or up front investment.