Bad equipment will give you bad habits right from the start. This does not mean that you should buy the top equipment to begin at anything, but it does mean that you should find out from some knowledgeable people what is the minimum you need so you won't be unnecessarily fighting the equipment and learning bad habits (basically hacky workarounds to the equipment's flaws) that you'll later struggle to unlearn.
For some sports or tasks, it's just solid mid-grade equipment, sometimes it's the lower end of the top-grade stuff.
Also, even if funds do not limit you, don't start out with the absolute top-level gear. Better to get a solid start, then grow until your skills let you see which aspects of your mid-grade gear start limiting you, then use that info to buy the top level gear that is actually best suited for you.