"How do you optimize a slow React app?" is deceptively open-ended. Answer without structure and you'll spend five minutes on memoization, forget to mention network or memory, and leave the interviewer unsure whether you have a repeatable process or just a collection of tricks.

The framework that works is seven distinct problem areas , each with different root causes, different debugging tools, and different solutions. The right answer to a performance question starts with identifying which area is the actual bottleneck, because optimizing re-renders when the problem is network is wasted effort, and chasing bundle size when the tab is leaking memory doesn't move the needle.

What this covers: A complete framework for answering frontend performance questions in interviews, organized as seven areas that mirror how performance problems actually present in production code.

The framing I always start with

Before I get into any specific technique, I say something like this:

"I approach performance as seven…