I think the split between Flakeful and Flakeless Nix that the article mentions is a big challenge for developers coming in new to the ecosystem. There's a video that recently circulated of Geohotz trying Nix from scratch[0], where the mixed messaging on whether to use Flakes caused a lot of initial confusion.

We've gone pretty all in on Flakes with our Devbox product[1] -- We think they simplify a lot of confusion on how to package and use Nix once you embrace them. I hope they become a more accepted standard in the future.

[0]: https://youtu.be/v7lIGYU0onA?si=3Wpbx82GcZVxwKY6&t=5256 [1]: https://www.jetpack.io/blog/why-did-nix-adopt-flakes/