I run an 8GB M1 as my main desktop for Java development and it's 70% fine. I needed a replacement for my previous PC during covid/cpu shortages and in AU, there were no 16GB versions available. (So the upsell argument is not the only part of the story).

For running Chrome, IntelliJ, Spotify, Terminal, fuzz tests etc at once, it's fine. But running YourKit profiling or Steam etc, everything else swaps out and grinds.

So: it's amazing to me that you can do so much with just 8GB,and egregious that Apple can't put in a couple of slots for an extension.