Oh I'm actually right there with you. I've only been brewing since the beginning of the year. Nearly all the opinions I read though are of people who leave beers in the fermenter for 3-4 weeks, slow carb in kegs, etc. As I get a pipeline going I can leave beers in the fermenter for longer but I still get antsy with every one because I can't wait to start drinking it.
I'm always happy to read someone who thinks their beer is pretty good after only a week. Gives me hope that I'm not completely crazy
Since I keg, I can taste the difference as the flavor is supposedly improving after kegging. I think cold conditioning does make a difference for most styles, but for IPAs the differences are very minimal - any improvements over time are negated by loss of hop aroma from dry hopping.
I would say my IPAs are best at two weeks or so after brewing. They are pretty good, say 80-90% after 8 days (with starter and WLP-090 yeast the fermentation peaks after a day or two and begins to slow down by 3rd or 4th day - I dry-hop for 2-3 days, usually days 3, 4 and 5. It's cold crashed around day 5, gelatined and transferred to keg on day 6 or 7. It is ready to drink on day 7 or 8, still improving as carbonation settles in, and cold conditioning continues.
In my opinion, <8% beers can be easily kegged after 6-8 days and enjoyed at 8-10 days without cutting that many corners - provided you use an active starter for pitching, have healthy yeast, have good sanitation, oxygenate, follow fermentation carefully etc. etc. I have even had red ale that was fermented out completely in 1.5 days! I thought it stalled but it went from 1.055 or so to 1.010 in 36 hours. Tasted just fine - but I needed to add raspberries so it took a while to ferment. Otherwise it could have been ready to drink in <5 days.
Many of my beers take longer because of various fruit, vanilla, peppers etc. additions, or because some of them are ~12% imperial porters or imperial stouts, etc. I also like to dial in carbonation profile and warm- or cold-condition them a bit. There you have to be patient for sure.
But the idea that one cannot produce a great beer in 7 days and we all need to wait 2 weeks of fermentation plus conditioning plus 2 weeks of carbing is just wrong. Every beer is different.