It looks overwhelming at first because you have so many choices of languages, frameworks, IDEs, etc., and then there is the whole mysterious world of packaging to deb, uploading to the repos, etc. On some other platforms, you really only have one choice.

Just to extend your analogy: Don't build a high-rise. Just get some parts and slap something together to see if you like it. I suggest starting with:

• QT & C++ (or QT and Python, which allows you to skip the build bullet)
• Use QTCreator (or any text editor, really) for an IDE (or use something like IDLE if you are using python)
• Create and test on your computer until you have a working program...then (if you are using C++) use MADDE to build it to an executable for the device.
• Deploy the executable to your handset with SCP
• Run the executable from command line on the handset, or (even easier) SSH into the handset and run it, and it will start on the device

The point is, don't try and learn programming for the device with a major project. Just make a light project (a calculator or clock or reminder widget or whatever) and get the basics working.

If it makes you feel better, I was primarily a C# programmer for a while, have done mostly Java (with some python and more recently PHP) for the last 4 years, and haven't even played with C++ in over a decade. I was able to get a running application in a few hours fiddling one evening, though I haven't played with packaging to deb or any serious testing yet. I probably would have been up and running faster if I used python instead of C++.

Just dive in and build something, and if you find a better IDE or compiler or language you can always switch to it (or use it on your next project).