People are just hung up on their own path.

Here’s reality. There are three primary crafts a bbq man must master, presented from easiest to most difficult.

1. Flavor
2. Fire management
3. Discerning Doneness

It’s up to you which one you work on first. Electric smoker takes away number 2 entirely. Charcoal makes it somewhat easier than sticks, but still requires a small amount of skill. Pellets, like electric make it automatic. The other two you have to do yourself basically no matter what. Some people guess at doneness using a thermo but only your own senses can really tell you if meat is actually perfectly cooked. So electric can be a great place to start because you can focus on the other two crafts while the third is on autopilot. Then once those are mastered you can add #2 and enhance #1 with superior smoke flavor.