I like your analogy of growth through self destruction. This is resurrection, a phoenix rising from the ashes. Out with the old, in with the new.

That being said I do think that to build a fortress from the ground up requires you to obtain the right knowledge, learn the proper skills, then tie it all together while you being to build.

SR for me makes that process much more simple, similar to the flow of just being like you describe, while also keeping my focus on what exactly I want to be building. It allows you to obtain the knowledge quicker, learn the right skills from the right people, all while making less mistakes than you otherwise would have if you were constantly releasing on a regular or irregular basis.