According to Rob Pike the lack of features is a feature (less is more) not a way to appease to the fictional 'average programmer' in the PL designers imagination. So I don't know where do you get the idea that go is meant to be used by 'lesser minds'.

IIRC Rob Pike was hacking away in C++ and the some guys from C++1x comite came to google to show C++'s new features. And he thought to himself: "Really you really think the problem with C++ is not enough features?"