I agree، nothing beats using Vim regularly in real work.
The issue is that many beginners don't make it that far. They quit before reaching the “aha” moment because they keep forgetting what w, e, gg, or ^ do.
VimDrill isn’t trying to replace actual Vim use. It’s like a flight simulator — a safe space to practice specific commands, get instant feedback, and build confidence before (or alongside) using Vim for real.
Also, yes — I wrote the site itself using Vim :) That part definitely helped me. Now I want others to get that benefit without having to suffer first.