I have been using the base model 8gb m1 Mac mini as my main work machine since it came out, the only time I have noticed a ram limitation was when I ran out of storage space and it couldn’t swap anymore. Pretty amazing since this computer cost $2000 less than my 2019 MacBook Pro and is noticeably faster (Clojure development and some hobby music production)

Maybe I’ll regret it in a few years if the ssd dies due to the extra load though… I do really wish the storage was easier to change