Conservative view of a (current) App chain's monthly cost
Validators: 150 x $200: $30,000 (Infra and time)
Relayers: $1,000 (Infra and fees)
Core Software Developers: $5,000-$10,000 each
Community Manager(s): $3,000 each
Additional hosting/infra costs (varies by app chain): $4,000
Total: $43,000-$48,000 a month
If an app chain isn't generating this in revenue, someone is running at a loss, another chain is subsidising the cost (indirectly, through rewards/commission sales to cover the infra cost), or the token price is paying for it.
If a chain has been running like this for a year or more with no investment to provide a runway and no signs of change, it's time to move that investment on and for validators to shut down the node.
Time for more chains to join the Three-Headed Dog.