Myself and a friend started brewing at the same time. I was gifted the basic starter set while he bought a step up that included a secondary. I always let mine ride out 2-3 weeks, and he racked after 2 weeks. Brewing the same kits on occasion, his generally turned out a little darker, a little different on the flavor, but he admittedly played a bit fast and loose with process and sanitation. I'm not necessarily saying its a guarantee to ruin a beer, but it is an extra step that can indeed cause issues, especially with just starting out. I think once a good process is found, one should stick with it. Sounds like you found a good process.