Similar things are said about Gentoo (my preferred distro). I tend to view both as "Linux for users who want to learn about Linux", along with Linux From Scratch. Picking your path just determines how much you learn; on the Gentoo side there are several "easy" paths where you won't learn much. By the time you're done going through the install process and have maintained a stable system for a year, I guess compared to most Linux users you're an "expert".