PerformancePerformance Budgets: The Missing Discipline in Modern Web Development
Why performance is a product feature, not an optimization phase. Learn how to set and enforce performance budgets in your development workflow.
Introduction
Most performance issues don’t come from bad code — they come from lack of constraints. Performance budgets introduce discipline into development.
What Is a Performance Budget?
A performance budget defines: Page weight limits, Load time targets, JavaScript execution thresholds.
Why Performance Budgets Matter
- Better user retention
- Improved SEO
- Lower infrastructure costs
- Happier teams
Metrics That Actually Matter
I focus on: LCP, TTFB, CLS, INP. And explain how they tie to real user experience.
Enforcing Budgets in CI/CD
Performance should be tested like code: Automated checks, Lighthouse CI, Failing builds when limits are exceeded.
Final Thoughts
Performance is not an optimisation phase — it’s a product feature.
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