Development speed is also one of the forgotten axes. I mentioned upthread a system I built that was done in less than a day. There's no microcontroller solution I know of that would have let me deliver it that fast.
I've been playing with Circuit Python (variant of Micro Python, etc.), and it seems quite great actually. For small projects it's far simpler to use than C/C++, although if you're using some peripheral that isn't just toggling pins or simple serial commands you need a library (module). But then in that case you'd probably want a library in C as well. Definitely recommend it :) (it works on ESP32 boards as well as similar recent microcontrollers)
I like CircuitPython: shipped at least one freelance project using it. However, MicroPython seems to have support over a broader range of platforms. Haven't decided which one to stick with just yet.