I heard about him either because he finished WoT (which I had either not started or was on book one of at the time) or because I just noticed his books and picked them up. Either way, Mistborn: Final Empire was the first Brandon Sanderson book.
Wasn't even aware people didn't like it. I really liked it. I thought the first few chapters of Kaladin's story in Way of Kings (not quite finished it ATM so none of them spoilers) were far more bleak than SoS.