Decided to finally build my portfolio from scratch. The goal was simple: no frameworks, no build tools, no npm. Just a single HTML file I could open in a browser.
The first thing I noticed is how much mental overhead disappears when you remove the toolchain. No webpack config, no tsconfig, no node_modules folder with 400 packages. Write code, hit save, refresh the browser.
What I Learned
CSS has come a long way. Between backdrop-filter, custom properties, and native animation, you can build things that previously required a whole animation library.
The grid background, floating orbs, and scanline effect on this site? Pure CSS. Zero JavaScript involved.
The Tradeoffs
You lose hot reload, TypeScript, and component reuse. For a personal portfolio that changes rarely, that's a totally acceptable tradeoff. For anything with real scale or a team, reach for the framework.
For now though — just me and a text editor. That feels exactly right.