Why Zig over Rust, C, C++, Odin, Nim, etc?

A developer explains their decision to focus on Zig over alternatives like Rust, C++, C, Nim, and others. Key reasons include Zig's explicitness with no hidden behavior, compile-time metaprogramming that's simpler than macros or templates, seamless C interop, unified tooling (compiler, formatter, package manager), and manual but structured memory management. While acknowledging Rust's safety guarantees and C++'s maturity, they prefer Zig's straightforward approach, errors-as-values pattern, and opt-in safety features across different build modes. The choice is presented as personal preference based on individual values rather than objective superiority.