I have been a shortcut ‘developer’ (I use that in air quotes because although the stuff I am doing is complex with hundreds of actions, it is only block code…) for three years now. Although it is powerful and the automations are genuinely useful (I would love something similar for Android) there are so many artificial limitations and annoying workarounds are constantly needed to do anything below surface level.
One of best things about Shortcuts is its approachability. Because of the simple block code, almost anyone can create automations without coding knowledge. However, this is also a huge crutch of Shortcuts, as it makes doing anything slightly advanced require large amounts of time, effort, and actions when in a language such as Java or Python, they would rudimentary and achieved in a couple of lines. For example, in order to run a shortcut every 5 minutes, I would have to setup an automation for every time manually, which would take ages. (Eg: 1:00, 1:05, 1:10, 1:15…)
There are also artificial limits to shortcuts, such as the slowing down of loops after a couple of repeats. You also heavily have to rely on Apple providing a method (usually in the form of an action) to do the thing you want. If they don’t, you’re left relying on finding a third party solution.
However, Apple is improving the app, and things like running automations without notifications are steps in the right direction. I hope they continue to support it and build on the features, as it is still a very useful tool in an otherwise locked down operating system.