Yup, true! I have been told even buying $50 dollars worth of Bitcoin, or even $10 worth of Bitcoin is good enough to get you started into Bitcoin.
Owning at least 1 BTC now would be ideal, and its not bad owning 0.1 either, is just that the earnings you might get is not even a lot. But every newbie should not think that way, instead, they should try to earn/buy Bitcoin slowly and saving up, and I bet that isn't impossible. It just takes time.

The thing is, most people nowadays go to the trading expecting an easy and fast profit, without any back thought. So they buy huge amounts of coins, which in their opinion are about to rise, and then lose their money. I know that from personal experience (several of my friends are complete and utter idiots). On the other hand, trying to trade with a little amount of money, will provide you with needed knowledge, so it's more than not bad for the starters. In fact, it's ideal.