No, of course you didn't waste a week. Every minute spent honing your skills will be beneficial to you later on.

I've been told I'm a "fast" developer. I'm still unclear about what it means. To me, it seems as though they really mean "You say what you mean and you do what you say" or "You meet deadlines, don't bullshit and don't overbill".

Don't worry about what other people say. Focus on you - the rest will come.