fwiw Mer had it's % of inspiration and contribution to MeeGo. Stskeeps and lbt (two of the more dedicated Mer developers) were working in MeeGo stuff right after the launch, and Mer was probably the most concrete item in their "CVs" related to the tasks they were supposed to do.

If this work in MeeGo benefits Mer or the N8*0, that's up to them I guess. As seen in all free software communities, sometimes moving from hobbyist to pro brings more time and quality to your hobby projects, and sometimes does the opposite. I personally think that having a job related to your hobbies does help you enjoying your hobbies more (as opposed to work on something disconnected, or be looking for a job).