I always knew that if I was going to write anything, it would be either erotica or erotic romance and I'll echo Veinglory and Kimjo here: referring to erotica as something to do while you work on your "real stuff" is pretty disrespectful to both the writers and readers of the genre, and I would argue, partly why so many people refuse to take it seriously.
Erotica is more than just spank-bank material or the side job you take on while you're waiting for your "real career" to take off. I'm curious, how much erotica do you read in your spare time? Are you writing shorts because you think they're easy and will make you a quick buck (which, according to your friends, doesn't actually work) or because you don't want to invest the time, energy, research, practice, etc. into writing a viable, full-length erotic novel? Sorry if that comes off as harsh, but it's been my experience that most people who think erotica and sex in general is easy to write, aren't writing as well as they could be. The number of members who come to this board from other genres on AW because they have no idea how to write an effective sex scene is a testament to that.
Imagine if someone said, "Yeah, my main genre is romance, but I write short horror stories on the side because they're so easy. Just throw in a little blood, a few ghosts, a zombie or two, and voila, child's play." That's how a lot of people feel about erotica, but only because they don't bother to delve further than "Peg A slides into Slot B and then she moans," and end up ignoring the myriad tools that can make an erotic story great.
Yes, the market is FLOODED with cheap one-offs that lack both an engaging plot and developed characters (which a lot of people enjoy, and that's fine), but as a genre, erotica has the potential to be both fun and emotionally affecting. I'm always amazed by how flippant people can be towards a genre that touches on such a personal, emotionally-charged aspect of our inner and interpersonal lives.
So no, erotica (and erotic romance) isn't just a stop along the way for me. It's where I live and thus, I show it the respect it deserves.