> if it's powerful enough to flex to non-trivial needs (Modern WP, Drupal, Django, CQ, etc), then it's probably going to feel like a bloated/complex mess to a p

> if it's powerful enough to flex to non-trivial needs (Modern WP, Drupal, Django, CQ, etc), then it's probably going to feel like a bloated/complex mess to a programmer, because of all the nuances in the problem space. This is a good rule of thumb, but I have found one shining exception, and it is called ProcessWire. If you've never tried it, I highly recommend a look. It's a CMS that essentially offers you a blank slate and a set of simple, powerful tools that let you mold it into something else quite quickly.