I’d just like to quote @hraban from A call for the Nix team to present a unified front on the outcome and strategy around Nix flakes - #87 by hraban on this:
I’m in that dataset yet I dislike flakes. I agree with Infinisil’s objections (and more), I wish we would redesign them completely. Yet I add a flake.nix to all my new projects. Why? Because what alternative is there right now? Flakes have sucked all the oxygen out of the room for any alternatives.