“You should never build a CMS”

Lee Robinson's decision to migrate from a headless CMS to a markdown-based system for managing content on cursor.com sparked a significant discussion about the complexities and limitations of traditional CMSs. His critique highlights issues such as preview workflow inefficiencies, authentication fragmentation, and the challenge of AI agents accessing content behind authenticated APIs. While Robinson's markdown approach offers simplicity and a reduction in code, it inadvertently recreates CMS functionalities like asset management and version control, underscoring the inherent complexity of content management. The critique suggests that while markdown files are manageable for small-scale operations, they become cumbersome at scale due to their limitations in queryability and collaboration. The argument is made that structured content and real-time collaboration capabilities are essential as they allow better integration with AI and a more efficient content management process. The text ultimately argues for a modernized approach to CMSs, emphasizing the need for content infrastructure that facilitates AI interaction, structured data, and real-time collaboration without the downsides of traditional systems.