M1 Mac clean install, getting stuck at "Create a computer account"
paraphrasing @Remiks' answer (thanks Remiks - your writeup got me unstuck!). Remiks reports:
Apple Support shared a far easier fix using recovery tools
upsides over the published approach:

requires no 2nd machine or external drive
requires no new software (just the Mac OS already on your machine; no downloads of any kind)
works reliably (whereas Apple support warns configurator 2 is flakey)

Crazy idea, but should these become the official steps? Anyone aware of a situation actually requiring Configurator?
steps to follow:

shut down your computer
remove the computer from any iCloud accounts (thanks for the edit, @abbaf33f)
hold the power button until the &quot;options&quot; icon shows
select the &quot;options&quot; icon
when next screen loads, select menu item to launch terminal
in terminal type &quot;resetpassword&quot; and hit enter
when a reset password box appears, reveal a new menu by clicking somewhere off to the side of the reset password box (thanks for the edit, @brendan-duke!)
select &quot;Recovery Utilities&quot; then &quot;erase Mac&quot;; in new pop up confirm option to erase Mac
once erased, exit back to recover
reinstall the operating system
once installed, create the account.

Remiks' reported result matches mine: this fix works on the first try.
On the other hand, the official apple steps failed repeatedly for me, and two Apple Sr. Advisors warned me as they attempted to assist that the published instructions were unreliable (yep, they were also frustrated that the Apple-supplied steps failed try after try).