Considering that learning Emacs is comparably hard as learning Vim I think that second advice is not always right, especially when the pet project is developed

Considering that learning Emacs is comparably hard as learning Vim I think that second advice is not always right, especially when the pet project is developed in language you're learning and not familiar with - which is often the case. It's often hard to learn new keybindings, new syntax, new workflow, new idioms and maybe even new paradigm. Sometimes it's simply too much for evening time, when I want to do something for pleasure.