Exactly - I enjoy side projects precisely because they're not bound by pragmatic concerns. I can delve as deep as I like into getting the CI pipeline working just right, making sure the servers and cacheing are set up ok and all those other things that I usually have to leave to colleagues.

More often than not the skills I learn doing this kind of thing end up being very useful to me in the day job.

I'd like it if the side project was successful enough to justify all of that yak shaving, but I don't really expect it to be and I'm not that fussed when it isn't.

But if your primary goal is that your side project should become your day job then the article is pretty good advice. Leave your yak unshaven :)