I'm sure this is part of the issue, but packaging even pure python modules is harder and more confusing than necessary. I've been saying this at least since I left for the relatively greener pastures of Node nearly a decade ago. Python fans have always had plenty of advice ready to contradict my impressions, but their advice has changed a great deal over the years. That whole time, "npm publish" has just worked, when it's even necessary at all. Node just works better.