Performance Optimization Skill

Core Principle

Measure first, optimize second. Never guess at performance.

Performance optimization without measurement is guesswork. Every optimization must:

• Start with profiling — Identify actual bottlenecks, not assumed ones
• Establish baselines — Know current performance before changing anything
• Measure impact — Verify optimizations actually improve performance
• Avoid premature optimization — Optimize based on real-world needs, not theoretical concerns
• Consider trade-offs — Every optimization has costs (complexity, maintainability, development time)

When to Optimize

Good Times to Optimize