Technician privileges are primarily in the VHF/UHF bands that typically function line of sight within a local region, and the radios and antennas necessary to communicate are relatively cheap and simple to acquire and operate. In my opinion, pretty much anyone should be able to pass the Tech exam and effectively operate a VHF handheld or mobile radio.
Going from Technician to General greatly expands privileges into the HF bands, which is the best option for communications at a global scale. But this requires more complex and expensive radios, antennas that that need to be longer and higher, and much more investment in time to get the experience to operate effectively. Most motivated people can cram enough to pass the General exam and it often makes sense to take both at the same time or close together, because there's a significant amount of overlap in the test questions.
I got mine a month apart and found it much easier to pass the tests than to actually operate. I spent a bunch of money but don't get on the air much, mostly because of the difficulties around setting up appropriate antennas in my location.