Henrik spelled it out well. I started with basic stamps back in the 90's. I never finished junior high, but have managed to learn enough to be dangerous. My day job involves hiring college students for geophysical field work. I'm often asked how I learned so much on my own. The short answer is that I worked at it around the clock for decades (I'm not kidding here...). There is no substitute for experience and hard work, including getting through the tough times of banging my head against the wall for months on end over what turned out to be an obvious issue. I'm not terribly smart, and don't have anywhere near the skills the pros on here have. I've been reading the data sheets for a long time now, and still don't comprehend most that they contain.

Give PBP a chance, it is an awesome product with very good support. Without the help I've received from so many on the forums I would still be trying to flash an led. I don't think of productivity/effectiveness as a smart/dumb thing, it is all in the dedication and willingness to put in the time, and believe me it takes a lot.
Regards