Every React developer thinks performance issues come from the backend—until they learn the truth.
I learned mine in the middle of a sprint where the backend team kept saying, “API is fast… the UI isn’t.”
They were right.
The Moment of Realization
A junior dev pinged me:
“Why does our UI freeze if the API is super fast?”
I opened the Profiler.
One component—just one—was re-rendering 19 times for one change.
We didn’t have a slow API.
We had unnecessary work.
The Fix
We applied:
-
React.memofor components with stable props - Debounced handlers
- Avoided object spreading
- Lazy loading
- Bundle splitting
The fix wasn’t magic. It was discipline.
The Result
32% faster load.
Smoother UI.
A happier team.
Takeaway
React performance isn’t about doing “more”. It’s about avoiding the unnecessary.
