Unless money is needed for bare survival, it's almost always a proxy / an abstraction for social/peer recognition. There are fields where you can get plenty of

Unless money is needed for bare survival, it's almost always a proxy / an abstraction for social/peer recognition. There are fields where you can get plenty of social recognition directly without making money. For example arts and performances or anything where you express yourself in a way that is accessible to others (for me personally it's making and playing music). Software / Hardware unfortunately isn't one of these fields because chances are that either your new project is so niche that only very few people get it or because the people who do get it are not the types you are seeking recognition from. So there's nothing wrong with looking for monetization strategies for new side projects. It's just a way to know if others appreciate what you've built, especially in fields where social recognition outside of monetization is a difficult affair.