[carbocation]

Your choice of tools (including blog vs custom code, PHP vs Rails, etc) doesn't determine whether or not you'll create a "me too" site.

One could shake up the industry with something that leverages blog software. Another could write an amazing piece of news-displaying technology and not make a dent.

[robosox]

+1. As a developer it's easy to take the old "not invented here" attitude, but you don't even know if people will be interested in your idea. Get it out there as quickly as possible with off-the-shelf software first. If it's something people want/need, your users will flock to it for the content. They truly don't care about the tech going on behind the scenes, especially as you're beta testing it.