This is the way. WordPress's is so popular because you can get it to do or be anything. I have done some terrible terrible things to WordPress. Need a simple blog? No problem! Want a LMS? Sure why not! e-commerce? Go for it! CRM? Absolutely! Etc etc.
But there are many many "WordPress" developers out there that only know how to glue plugins together, so you often end up with plugin soup.
In the hands of someone who actually knows how to code you don't have any issues.