[yunwal]

If you understand the difference between greedy algorithms and non-greedy, you also understand the difference between learning by doing and building a solid foundation before tackling a problem.

For most simple problems, it's true that the taking the seemingly shortest path to solving the problem is good enough. There are other problems where you simply have to understand the abstractions at a deeper level than you can visualize in code. It's there that things like reading a textbook or taking a course can help.