Sadly, this omits a hard truth that impactful research requires near-total dedication. The payoff is highly non-linear versus time invested; conducting research

Sadly, this omits a hard truth that impactful research requires near-total dedication. The payoff is highly non-linear versus time invested; conducting research part-time is a recipe for underperformance, which is (partly) why research funders often contractually cap the hours one may work externally while a staff researcher or PhD student.