The saying does not mean that in a rigorous evaluation Python would be second best out of all programming ecosystems for all problems. The saying means that fo

The saying does not mean that in a rigorous evaluation Python would be second best out of all programming ecosystems for all problems. The saying means that for any given problem, there is a better choice, but second best is the language you know which has all of the tools to get the job done, so the answer is probably just a bunch of pip installs, imports, and glue code. It’s kind of like “the best camera is the one you have with you” — it’s a play on the differing definitions of “best” to highlight the value of feasibility over technical perfection.