You apparently enjoy the interesting stuff, and love the fact that there is actual practical benefit - though initially very limited - from doing something that's theoretically interesting. Letting that chance slip would feel like a waste.
It might help to limit going down the rabbit hole too much, by researching what could be improved without actually doing it right then. Save it in a list for later, do the schlep, then when things get bigger chances are you'll actually need to take on some of the challenges on that list. And the more useful they become, the more satisfying it'll be.
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You apparently enjoy the interesting stuff, and love the fact that there is actual practical benefit - though initially very limited - from doing something that's theoretically interesting. Letting that chance slip would feel like a waste.
It might help to limit going down the rabbit hole too much, by researching what could be improved without actually doing it right then. Save it in a list for later, do the schlep, then when things get bigger chances are you'll actually need to take on some of the challenges on that list. And the more useful they become, the more satisfying it'll be.