Treat performance as a product requirement
Speed is easier to protect throughout development than to recover after a slow product has already shipped.
By VPFUnited Solutions
Performance work left until after launch is difficult to prioritise. By then, slow behaviour may be tied to product choices, data access patterns and dependencies rather than a single setting.
A better approach is to agree on a small set of measurable budgets. These might cover JavaScript size, page response time, key user interactions and the number of blocking requests. Automated checks can flag changes before they become part of the product.
The value of a budget is timing. A developer sees the impact of a heavy dependency while there are still several simple alternatives, and the team can discuss the trade-off with evidence in front of them.
Measure in conditions that resemble those of real users. Fast development hardware and a stable office connection can hide problems that become obvious on a mid-range phone or an unreliable mobile network.
Performance then becomes a normal part of delivery: measured, reviewed and improved alongside each feature instead of postponed to a rescue phase.