"Research is a zero sum game" - I don't agree with that..
Having insights into both processes i.e DevOps + Dev will most likely make you better at both !
You'll get insights, as you correctly worded, good. Thing is, designing production infra takes much more than that. Years of telecom experience for example, where downtime is not an option, deep linux and network knowledge, HA designs and lessons from past mistakes. That cannot be learned overnight, and you get sixth sense if it looks right or not.
Add to that AWS SA Pro cert, Python and you'll be getting somewhere :)
