The success of a planted tank is more about how much effort you're willing to put into it rather than what you have in it. With frequent pruning, a lot of attention, and the proper selection of plants anyone can have a beautiful planted tank. However, if you aren't willing to put the work into it, all the dirted substrate in the world won't help you.
Case in point:
My undirted low tech tank with black diamond blasting sand originally before I started nursing school:
My high tech dirted tank after I started nursing school:
School killed the amount of time I was able to devote to my tanks. But hopefully after next week I should be done with nursing school assuming I pass my exams