It's not so much the complexity as it is the lack of knowledge of basic EE theory that tends to trip up "outsiders."

Case in point; I've been helping a coworker with software only background (I started out as an EE) with a very simple circuit that he could not get to work. As I explained how to debug it, I began to realize that there was a a lot of required background knowledge I simply took for granted and that most hobbyists didn't have. And that made explaining what to do very difficult.

And my day job is a large C++ system. Trust me, this kind of stuff is easier and more relaxing ;-)