I am in the B camp. It is probably less efficient in the long run but I personally find it more enjoyable and easier to learn and grasp new technology by jumping right into it and then refer to manuals and guides to accomplish the needed tasks.

The issue I frequently run into with this method is wasting time on less efficient tools and or rebuilding or starting over after gaining the knowledge I could have obtained first.

But I'm definitely in camp B as a sink or swim type personality.