The speaker discussed their experience in building a sustainable open-source project through donations. They shared their journey of transitioning from a small donation system to funding full-time developers. They highlighted the importance of understanding their user base and designing the donation process to meet their needs, such as offering multiple currency options. The speaker emphasized the need to respect donors' time by shortening the click path and avoiding interruptions in the user experience. They recommended bringing the donation process in-house for better control, testing different approaches to optimize donation rates, and building a strong community around the project. Additionally, the speaker mentioned the importance of transparency, fraud prevention, and supporting upstream projects.