This page loads in under 100ms. Can your React app do that?
In 2025, every developer wants to build with React, Next.js, or the latest JavaScript framework. But we've forgotten something important: websites should be fast first, fancy second.
The Framework Obsession Problem
Modern web development has become obsessed with tools rather than outcomes. We choose React because "everyone uses it" or Next.js because it's "the new hot thing." But we forget to ask: does my website actually need this complexity?
React and Next.js solve real problems for complex applications:
- State management across large applications
- Component reuse in massive codebases
- Server-side rendering for dynamic content
- Developer experience with hot reloading
But here's the truth: most websites don't have these problems. Your portfolio, blog, landing page, or documentation site probably doesn't need a full React application.
The Real Cost of JavaScript Frameworks
Every kilobyte of JavaScript must be:
- Downloaded (network time)
- Parsed (CPU time)
- Compiled (more CPU time)
- Executed (even more CPU)
- Hydrated (for SSR frameworks)
On mobile devices or slow networks, this process can take seconds. Users don't wait seconds. They leave.
What Users Actually Care About
Speed
Can I see content immediately?
Responsiveness
Does it work on my phone?
Battery Life
Does it drain my battery?
Data Usage
Will it use all my data?
Notice what's missing from that list? Users don't care about:
- Whether you used React hooks or class components
- Your fancy state management library
- Your server-side rendering strategy
- Your component architecture
They care about results, not implementation details.
When Frameworks Make Sense (And When They Don't)
✅ Use Frameworks For
- Complex web applications (dashboards, admin panels)
- Real-time collaboration tools (Google Docs, Figma)
- Large teams needing standardized patterns
- SPAs with heavy client-side interactivity
- Applications needing SEO with dynamic content
❌ Skip Frameworks For
- Portfolio websites (like this one!)
- Blogs and documentation
- Marketing landing pages
- Simple e-commerce product pages
- Content-focused websites
Modern Browser APIs Make Frameworks Less Necessary
Browsers have evolved dramatically. Many things we used to need frameworks for are now built into the platform:
Web Components
Native component model without frameworks
CSS Grid & Flexbox
Complex layouts without JavaScript
Intersection Observer
Lazy loading and animations
Service Workers
Offline capabilities and caching
Fetch API
AJAX requests without libraries
Template Literals
Simple templating without JSX
How This Portfolio Achieves 100ms Load Times
Let me show you exactly how this simple portfolio beats most React apps in performance:
Zero Framework Dependencies
No React, Vue, Angular, or their runtime overhead. Just HTML, CSS, and minimal JavaScript.
CSS Grid & Flexbox
Complex layouts done entirely in CSS. No JavaScript layout calculations.
Intersection Observer API
Scroll animations without jQuery or animation libraries.
Native Browser Caching
Proper cache headers instead of client-side caching libraries.
Minimal JavaScript
Only 5KB of JavaScript total. React's runtime alone is 40KB+.
Key Insight: This isn't about being anti-framework. It's about using the right tool for the job. If you're building a complex application, use React. If you're building a content website, maybe don't.
The Business Impact of Speed
Speed isn't just a technical metric. It's a business metric:
- Google: 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than 3 seconds to load
- Amazon: Every 100ms of latency costs them 1% in sales
- Walmart: For every 1 second improvement in page load time, conversions increase by 2%
- BBC: They lose 10% of users for every additional second their site takes to load
Your fancy React component library won't save you if users leave before it loads.
Practical Advice: Making the Right Choice
Next time you start a project, ask yourself these questions:
The Hybrid Approach: Best of Both Worlds
You don't have to choose extremes. Consider these approaches:
Progressive Enhancement
Start with semantic HTML, add CSS, then sprinkle JavaScript for interactivity.
Island Architecture
Use frameworks only for interactive components, not the entire page.
Static Generation
Pre-render content at build time, add interactivity client-side.
"Choosing simplicity over trends is often the most senior decision an engineer can make. Performance is a feature that impacts every user, while fancy architectures only impact developers."
My Challenge to You
Try building your next project without a framework. Start with HTML and CSS. Add JavaScript only when you need it. You might be surprised by:
- How much faster it loads
- How much smaller the bundle is
- How much easier debugging becomes
- How much better it performs on low-end devices
This portfolio proves that for many use cases, vanilla web technologies still provide the best user experience. It loads instantly, works everywhere, and costs nothing to host.
Remember: Your users judge your website by how it feels, not by how it's built. A fast, simple website will always beat a slow, complex one—no matter how fancy the technology behind it.