Regards your specific question, many start with an Ender 3 series. I did, no regrets. It performs well out of the box while you become aware of what the possibilities are. Some expensive printers will have features costing more than an Ender 3, so this is worthwhile learning.
If you have the $$$ to skip this step then you can. But I don't know what bigger/better printer to go for as I have not the budget/space for one.
Other thoughts:
1. 3D model considerations take significant time. Even trying to minimise effort in modelling, many models are not printable without at least some tweak.
2. There is much to be gained from using less material. Reduced cost/wastage and increased speed for end results. Software does support this of course but the details will take time.
3. Different printing techs need different approaches to the model. IE Resin printing may need drainage to let unhardened resin leak out. FDM printing may need supports.
TL;DR there is plenty to learn, budget time accordingly whatever $ you have.
Would I do it again? Absolutely.
Edit: concision, realisation may not desire a budget approach.
My boss got me hooked on Markforged. (Caveat, my next home printer is probably a Prusa.)
They are ridiculously expensive compared to alternatives, but the printed parts are on a whole other level, as they are a carbon-reinforced Nylon: They are much more fracture resistant and mechanically stable than PLA or ABS. They're a U.S. company and are very responsive to support requests. The printer build quality is good, I rarely had parts warp or detach, and the ability to print without deformation at a 60 degree overhang and 50 micron layer allowed printing parts pretapped for machine screws. The cloud software keeps a good catalog of your .STLs and allows some degree of slicer tinkering. Also, you can start a print remotely, which is awesome when you want to go home, finish a part, start it at night, and it's already on the build platform when you show up the next day. (The pricier models show photos remotely, so you can abort a failed job from home. The top-of-the-line model can laser scan specific layers and does its calibration automatically.)
At that job, we had printers of wildly different price category and technology---Form 2, uPrint, Carbon 3d, NanoDimension, ProJet MJP 5600, Fortus---and the workhorse for getting decent parts out quickly was overwhelmingly the Markforged.
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With all that in mind, I would never buy a Markforged for my home because I don't print enough to justify the cost. If I ran a general purpose printing lab, it would be my absolute first choice. I also wouldn't buy a non-European/non-American printer as a personal, moral preference. So, I'm waiting until the end of November to buy a Prusa, because that seems to be the only time they are discounted.
The Creality Ender 3 is probably the best entry-level 3D printer you can get. It does need a tiny bit of tinkering in some case, but it can print incredibly well, for a pretty low price.
If you just want to print as well but without any risk, a Prusa i3 pre-assembled is the best bet, but it does cost 4x+ the price of an Ender 3.
I've started with a Creality CR-10S, and later on get a Prusa MK3S, meanwhile my brother took the old CR-10S, and get two Ender 3s.
I have to admit, that the CR-10S, and the Ender 3 is a lot of printer for the amount of money they sell them for - though, of course, you need to be prepared to fiddle with the printer more. But if you dial it in, and you gain experience, there aren't a lot of things you couldn't do.
I built my own Prusa, I think it's a fun experience, if you like building. My CR-10S came in two parts, I needed to screw them together... my MK3S came like a car after a crash test. But since put together, I haven't had to touch it, it operates like a wonder.
Of course a Prusa's price tag is much steeper compared to an Ender's. Prusa is an European product, the construction in my opinion is better, and they take a lot of care of the hardware and software. I don't want to go into nationalistic battles, but I was happy that I could buy a local product.
Our Ender 3 didn't have a bootloader installed, so when we wanted to update the firmware to a more up-to-date Marlin, we had to take apart the machine, and flash a bootloader on the AVR, which is... troublesome for somebody who doesn't know about microcontroller flashing too much.
Regardless, I think for a beginner, the Ender has an extremely good value, and perfect to get into 3D printing, as it opens so many possibilities.
I could print parts for the household, which I wouldn't ever find anywhere else. I've fixed multiple household appliances. The freedom that if I need something special, I can make it.
If you have the $$$ to skip this step then you can. But I don't know what bigger/better printer to go for as I have not the budget/space for one.
Other thoughts:
1. 3D model considerations take significant time. Even trying to minimise effort in modelling, many models are not printable without at least some tweak.
2. There is much to be gained from using less material. Reduced cost/wastage and increased speed for end results. Software does support this of course but the details will take time.
3. Different printing techs need different approaches to the model. IE Resin printing may need drainage to let unhardened resin leak out. FDM printing may need supports.
TL;DR there is plenty to learn, budget time accordingly whatever $ you have.
Would I do it again? Absolutely.
Edit: concision, realisation may not desire a budget approach.