Ask HN: Info/Affiliate site and social: Will pre-built platforms hurt me?

If I was looking to create an informational website and potentially implement some affiliate links, and wanted to also build a community around it, would using a bunch of pre-built services do the job to get me off the ground quickly?

I was thinking either Squarespace or Wordpress for the initial setup, so I can start adding posts for content. Then implement a Discourse forum or Slack chat and embed either of the option into the page.

I'm thinking custom development would stall the idea rather than help me get it running quickly. Have any of you done this type of thing before with pre-built products/platforms such as the ones listed above?