Sheesh, I didn't wanna get involved in yet another 'experience' discussion.
I instructed for 400+ hrs and that was valuable experience....but man, I learned the most flying solo in the 500 hrs of survey work I put in. Flying from coast to coast in a single-engine piston, working over mountainous terrain and in all sorts of airspace definitely teaches you more than you'll ever learn instructing and you REALLY learn the in and outs of ATC.

I don't know....I think you can train a 250 hr pilot how to push buttons and even hand fly an approach without crashing, but man...I'd never feel comfortable if I had to ride as a pax in that plane.