Why I Stopped Using Build Tools

The Heresy

Every developer has been there. You want to build a simple webpage, and before you know it you're configuring webpack, debating ESM vs CJS, and your node_modules folder weighs more than your soul.

I got tired of it.

The Experiment

For this portfolio, I made one rule: no build step. React from a CDN. Babel in the browser. CSS in a single file. The result? A site that loads fast, is trivially deployable, and takes seconds to understand.

What I Learned

The browser is more capable than we give it credit for. We've buried it under layers of abstraction so deep that we've forgotten what it can do on its own.

That doesn't mean build tools are bad — they're essential at scale. But for a personal project? Sometimes a <script> tag is enough.

The best tool is the one that gets out of your way.