What are the ups and downs of using FastCGI C++  vs.  PHP/Python/Perl to do the same job. 
Any performance or design pitfalls or using one over the other? Even your opinions are welcome. (Tell me why one or the other rocks, or one or the other sucks).
The question is "where's the value created?"
If you think the value is created in Memory management, careful class design and getting the nightly build to work, then use C++.  You'll get to spend lots of time writing a lot of code to do important things like deleting objects that are no longer referenced.
If you think the value is in deploying applications that people can use, then use Python with the Django framework.  The Django tutorial shows you that within about 20 minutes you can have an application up and running.  It's production-ready, and you could focus on important things:

The model.  Just write the model in Python, and the ORM layer handles all of the database interaction for you.  No SQL.  No manual mapping.  
The presentation.  Just design your pages in HTML with a few {{}} "fill in a value here" and a few {% for thing in object_list %} constructs and your pages are ready to go.  No string manipulation.  
The view functions.  Write simple Python functions to encapsulate the processing part of your site.  Not validation (those are in forms), not presentation (that was in the templates), not the underlying model (that was in the model classes), but a little bit of authorization checking, query processing and response formulation.  Since Python has a rich set of collection classes, this code winds up being very short and to the point.
Other stuff.  URL mappings are Python regexes.  Forms are matched to your model; you can subclass the defaults to add customized input validation and processing.
Wonderful unit testing framework for low-level model features as well as end-to-end operations.

No memory management, no scrupulous class design with abstracts and interfaces.  No worrying about how to optimize string manipulation. No nightly build.  Just create the stuff of real value.
FastCGI C++ vs. A Script Language (PHP/Python/Perl)