I think with a software developer background you may find developing Matter (Zigbee, BLE, Z-Wave etc) code with Simplicity Studio may be easier than expected.
Personally, I find it much easier than using the Zephyr/Nrf development paradigm.
I have created a simple walkthrough for another user here…
I use the XIAO MG24 for many projects, even for Home Assistant and Zigbee2MQTT as a Zigbee Coordinator.
Good luck with your projects 