They wouldn't shut you down. The first step would be to outright buy you. Everyone has a price, so will you.

After that starts the route to "improve" Damus and for example introduce recommended relays to prevent "porngraphy" or some other excuse for our safety. You'll ever forget to improve critical features that users will beg you for years to implement.

Repeat this for other promissing clients, after a few years nostr will still be an exotic plaything whereas bluesky, mastodon and similar walled gardens will shine as champions for democracy, equality and human rights. Every now and then they'll take a hard stance at whatever government just to prove us they are on the right side of history.

Life is good.