If I use the same Chef's rom over and over again I never hard reset after a flash unless there is a major change in the main components of the rom. If I switch Chefs then I hard reset.
I've only flashed back to stock once and that was because my phone wouldn't turn on 3 days after my most recent flash.
To each their own. I don't have the time to sit and hard reset and flash to stock and do tons of things in between flashes...my phone just always works *as I jinx myself and will brick my phone the next time I flash*
