I personally think you're both right, but it depends on when you first started using Blender. You're 100% correct that interfaces at the time when Blender was released were completely experimental, and I'd compare it to trying to navigate AI as an uninformed end user when it first was introduced, versus now. That's where I would put Blender when it was first released. The interface was good for what it was compared to the other popular 3D software at the time, but it's so much better and more evolved now. I'd say that you mentioning shortcuts makes you a power user, which should be the goal when you use any piece of software for your career. I just don't think that people bother to learn as much as you did back when you started using Blender, which I think shows your dedication, but also shows a lack of deep knowledge most (not all) people that start with a new technology have currently. It's not unknown to get a fresh graduate or self-taught person that wants to deep dive into the software they make use of daily, but I feel like it's far more uncommon that it was 20 years ago or more.