I would agree that following source-changes is better then any writeups if there is time and dedication. I like the culture you describe and it could fit very well with the way I like to do things. I use those “how to” just as quick tutorial to get into the new topics and then I go deeper. It is easier to learn when you actually do something and if there is no person around who can introduce me into the topic properly which is much faster and better of course then I use some “how-to” for that. Writeups can help too so if you know some good ones it’s worth mentioning.