AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

That's the point.

If a genius can't make a tricky personal website without breaking things, what chance do normal people have?

Just make a normal website.

Brett Victor is awesome. If you copy his website, you're learning exactly the wrong lessons from him.

In the context of a showcase website, first impressions matter. You want the work to be front and center. Not the fact that you can't design a usable website.

To a degree. Sometimes it's OK for the user to have to put a modicum of effort in, especially for something which is not a product or service.

Where "a modicum of effort" is have a specific type of machine?