In short (pun intended), it is part of the heuristics I have developed over the years for evaluating software.

I like small programs. That's not unheard of. I also look for programs that compile quickly and easily on more than one platform.

The latter is actually of practical significance, since I cannot as quickly and easily try new software if it will not compile without modifications, or if it takes too much memory or too much time. If it takes me longer to compile some userland program that it takes me to compile my kernel, I'm more likely to look for lighter weight alternatives.

Personally, I have not found popularity alone to be a reliable heuristic when it comes to software.