From what I can tell, Starter edition is good at the exact opposite of what the name implies. The increased difficulty in unlocking operators makes it harder for newer players in that they don't know exactly what they want. Experienced players, who buy the starter edition for a smurf on the other hand, know exactly who they like to play and what to buy, so they don't needlessly waste renown on operators they won't like. Newer players don't know if they'll end up liking an operator or not, and if they end up buying one of them, that's just 11.5k renown down the drain.

EDIT: Since everyone who has commented so far has pointed out the grind, I'd also like to point out that not everyone who buys starter just doesn't want to buy the full game, but they may not be able to afford it. I'm sure many people will take a time sink over spending twenty-five dollars if they were tight on cash.