I heard about it's popularity, so I watched the first episode. After being disappointed with it, I didn't really bother with watching the rest of the show for a while.
After a few months, I became envious of the camaraderie of the fanbase (back in 2011), and I felt like I was missing out. I then binge watched the show hoping it would get better, which it did... after an entire season in. I think I finally considered myself a fan after seeing A Canterlot Wedding.
Unfortunately, I find it hard to recommend the show to anyone because of it's mediocre first season. If it didn't have essential information, I would recommend skipping it.
Sadly that's not the case. I guess the best way to make Season 1 seem better to newcomers would be to show them G3 first.