Is that why the big players get links so fast and easily? They guys launch a site, then 3 months, it's ranked 5 pr with 2000 backlinks.
I think, the game of SEO is like this: "If you have $10,000, you have to work hard to be wealthy; If you have $1 million, becoming wealthy is evitable." The truth holds for SEO.
You would be surprised to see how many clients I have taken over who have spent 10s of 1,000s elsewhere and all was wasted. I can get people ranked for 1 10th of that. Of course, I prefer a high budget to get the hardest keywords. That is the most rewarding experience when you get someone up to the top that so many others are struggling to get close to. But when the budget is right, you will get it, as long as you know what you´re doing!
Yes I have to say that I think many people overcomplicate SEO and make out that it's harder than it actually is. It really does boil down to good content, and a continual link-building process. I've never studied the latest algorithms or hung on Matt Cutt's every word, yet have still achieved good rankings relatively easily. Posting on forums, writing articles, submitting to quality directories and buying links is generally all I focus on for whatever sites I create, and this has always delivered good rankings over time.