Tech Stack
Intentionally Simple
This website was deliberately built with basic HTML, CSS, and vanilla JavaScript—no frameworks, no CMS, no build tools, no bloat. The entire site was designed collaboratively with Claude AI, proving that clean, maintainable, and fast websites don't require complex toolchains.
The Stack
Semantic markup, accessible structure
Grid layouts, flexbox, custom properties
Minimal scripting for carousel and time display
Courier Prime for typewriter aesthetic
Design collaboration and code generation
Local development with python -m http.server
Why Not a CMS?
I have 20+ years of experience with content management systems including WordPress, Django, Drupal, and other notable platforms. I've built everything from simple blogs to complex enterprise applications with these tools. They're powerful and have their place.
But there's something refreshing about returning to fundamentals:
- Performance: No database queries, no plugin overhead, instant loading
- Security: No CMS vulnerabilities, no admin panels to secure
- Maintenance: No updates, no plugin conflicts, no breaking changes
- Control: Every line of code is intentional and understood
- Simplicity: Easy to deploy anywhere, easy to backup, easy to modify
The Claude Collaboration
This site demonstrates the power of AI-assisted development. Claude helped with:
- Responsive design patterns and CSS Grid layouts
- Semantic HTML structure and accessibility considerations
- Typography choices and visual hierarchy
- Code organization and best practices
- Iterative design refinements based on user feedback
The result is a site that loads in 8 milliseconds, weighs only 64KB total, and requires zero maintenance—proving that sometimes the simplest solution is the best solution.
The Numbers Don't Lie
This site is 31,000% faster than typical WordPress sites, 3,200% smaller than average CMS websites, and makes 1,500% fewer HTTP requests than modern website builders.
To put this in perspective: while the average WordPress site takes 2.5 seconds to load on desktop (13.25 seconds on mobile!), this site loads in 8 milliseconds. That's faster than most people can blink. Squarespace's homepage makes 468 HTTP requests—this entire site makes 3-4. Most CMS sites weigh 3-10MB—this entire website is 64KB, smaller than most single images on those bloated platforms.
Performance Comparison
31,000% faster
13.25s mobile
3,200% smaller
1,500% fewer
Real benchmarks: Load time measured via localhost curl requests (average of 5 runs). Site files measured via filesystem. CMS statistics from 2024-2025 industry research including Backlinko, WP Rocket, and Website Builder Expert studies.
Percentage calculations: Based on conservative averages (WordPress 2.5s vs 8ms = 31,000% faster; 3MB vs 64KB = 3,200% smaller; 75 requests vs 4 requests = 1,500% fewer).