@bensen
Try this free Hugo and Tailwind starter template to jump-start your project. It will save you hours of work.
https://github.com/zeon-studio/hugoplate
And I have a question, could you tell me why you don't want to use WordPress?
We're working with Hugo for the last 6 years. We always try to get feedback from real users to improve our products and services.
Hope you'll take some time to share your experience and insights.