I don't think many of the people who create open source projects want to create a business. It's just they wanted to solve a problem and then share that solution with the world. Typically they get employed away by someone who does want to create a business around it e.g. Linus Torvalds, Rasmus Lerdorf, Alan Cox etc.
That said, there still is a need for support around this products, so people create businesses around them an employ the people who wrote it.
I don't think creating a open source project solely to make a business out of makes a lot of sense in most cases, because profits in the early days will be low and it will take long time to scale that business.
Most businesses don't see the value of open source really and your story shows that the company you worked for didn't either. That's not to say there are aren't lots of companies that do realise the benefits. To use your example, some businesses like the Honda how it is and others want to make a race car and absolutely can benefit from modifying it. Google, Apple, Facebook and so on have all greatly benefited from modifying the Honda.
That said, there still is a need for support around this products, so people create businesses around them an employ the people who wrote it.
I don't think creating a open source project solely to make a business out of makes a lot of sense in most cases, because profits in the early days will be low and it will take long time to scale that business.
Most businesses don't see the value of open source really and your story shows that the company you worked for didn't either. That's not to say there are aren't lots of companies that do realise the benefits. To use your example, some businesses like the Honda how it is and others want to make a race car and absolutely can benefit from modifying it. Google, Apple, Facebook and so on have all greatly benefited from modifying the Honda.