True.
As so often, Linux gives a great analogy.
When you start using it chances are you find working with it pretty inefficient and many things seem hard.
But the more you learn about the system (which only really works when you do it every day)the better you get at solving your problems whereas people who rely solely on out-of-the box software improve rather little.
Hard is deciding every day whether you feel like going for a walk by arguing with yourself over whether you will feel better afterwards. That is effort spent with no satisfying payoff.