Please read this post from npub1cx7gljur9tl4zss45ekcm0xuw20v4xxx0337695dq5xr468wpeasc28tc2 (npub1cx7…8tc2), one of the Mastodon team, and remember that platforms like Bluesky and Threads are VC-funded and have many more engineers. And by "protocol work" he means ActivityPub, the protocol behind the Fediverse.
If you have the right skills and the ability, please consider volunteering; if you can afford it, please consider donating. Mastodon is sustained *entirely* by volunteers and donations. There are no VC-funded engineering teams.
https://oisaur.com/@renchap/110656569223688096