What other methods would you envision to compensate the developers and early-adopters?
None. Satoshi has done 99.99% of the hard work for you anyway.
Very funny. Nobody works for free. Do you? The balance between individual self-interest and community is a deep question and I don't think this forum is the place to get to the bottom of that issue. The "community" is strengthened as more people are drawn into developmental roles and as new coins are created. We all stand on the shoulders giants and I pray to St. Satoshi every night before bed. But there's a fair amount of infrastructure required to launch a new coin and he's not answering my email to help out, hence my search here.