> Nah not for nothing, they paid you. If they want to pay you for dumb shit, that's on them.

This attitude right here is why so many developers burn out. Having money thrown your way is not proof you're doing the right thing, and thinking like that can really hurt you on the long term. We crave meaning and community and selling those out can have severe psychological consequences.

I have plenty of meaning and community outside of work. Unfortunately no one wants to pay me to do dumb shit at work, probably because I’m too expensive.