Dan,
that makes good sense and is very helpful!
Maybe for a bit of context, as a novice python user, I hack my way towards creating things I need to get done. Even with all the shortcomings of the python window in ArcGIS, I'll often use that to bash away at various tools and I'll have an immediate idea (a visualization of the output) if they're gonna work or not. If one was to say try to figure out SelectLayerByLocation_management, you could do so and see your results right away and then build that into a tool/script/function.
I'm loving Jupyter & Spyder, (especially given my envy every time a colleague shows me what they're doing in R-Studio [but let's not start the Rodeo debate, right?]). I know I can't get the visualization end of things in Jupyter using our web GIS, but that's not what I'm trying to achieve here.
Maybe I'm just having a Goldilocks moment and want the perfect thing? Anyway, hopefully the background is helpful, but maybe what i'm looking for just doesn't exist outside ArcGIS.
Thanks!