The article is missing the code for creating the "users" database table. What about indexes? Migrations? Relations to other tables?

I mean you can just write SQL instead of using the ORM if your project consists of a single table with no indexes that will never change, sure.

There are a multitude of extra things to consider, but none of those things are, in my opinion, imperative to having success with SQL in Python. Will it be hard to achieve the same level of convenience that modern ORMs provide? Absolutely. But there is always a cost.

I firmly believe that for most projects (especially in the age of "services"), an approach like this is very much good enough. Also, a great way to onboard new developers and present both SQL and simple abstractions that can be applied to many other areas of building software.