I think it really depends on how idealistic you are. I don't think I'll ever find a job that satisfies me completely. I just have too many creative ideas that d

I think it really depends on how idealistic you are. I don't think I'll ever find a job that satisfies me completely. I just have too many creative ideas that don't fit neatly into a regular dev job. I've also found that "devoting" myself to my job itself can lead to burn out. There's only so much you can control within a job. Even trying to find a better job takes work and does not guarantee you'll be happier in the new role. There's always something that you won't like in it. In my opinion, it's better for your mental health to treat your job as a job and get as much as you can out of it in terms of money and improving your skills. I think with enough time in the industry, you eventually figure this out. There's absolutely nothing wrong with doing side projects as a form as escapism if your job isn't aligned to what you want to do. Life is what you make it. There's no "correct" way to live.