I am currently writing a hobby project in Rust with Rocket and Diesel. I could bang out a working prototype very quickly with either Python or something like AS

I am currently writing a hobby project in Rust with Rocket and Diesel. I could bang out a working prototype very quickly with either Python or something like ASP.NET, but I picked Rust because I want to get better at it. Many of the things you say are true - Rust libraries in general need some love and polish before they can be beginner-friendly, but some are getting there. The difference between Diesel and Rocket, for example, is quite stark. The former has only the barest minimum 'examples' and 'guide', if they may be called that, and I feel like I'm expected to read and understand its source code to become really proficient with it. It takes a lot of experimenting and trial+error to do anything beyond the basics. Rocket, on the other hand, has a very comprehensive guide with useful examples and, so far, has been enjoyable to work. That said, there are still a lot of "convenience" features missing. My current notable example is forms. As I'm doing it (I haven't looked into any addons to Rocket for this), I have to write out the HTML for the form myself, along with any Javascript I might require for validation, etc, then write the server-side methods for GET/POST, making sure to maintain the state myself. In this regard, something like Django's effortless ease to get a form on screen and store its data into a database really showcases where Rust (Rocket) still has a long way to go. Hopefully, with more people using it, the tools and libraries will improve and mature, particularly the documentation. When all is said and done, I enjoy "slogging" through Rust a lot more than I did working with Django, even with the slower progress. Something about this language really speaks to me.