For me, grids play the same role as something like Rails might on the coding side. Using Rails rather than plain Ruby constrains you and "locks you" into develo

For me, grids play the same role as something like Rails might on the coding side. Using Rails rather than plain Ruby constrains you and "locks you" into developing your app one way. But on the other hand, it makes you so much more productive that you're then free to use your creativity towards solving more interesting problems. And it also helps you to get the basics right when you're starting out. So I agree it's a trade-off, but you shouldn't assume that grids have nothing to bring to the table.