A Few Things I Learned While Working on Real React Projects

Hi everyone,
I have been working as a frontend developer for a few years now, mainly with React, React Native, Next.js and TypeScript. During this time I worked on different kinds of apps like mobile apps, dashboards and even an OTT platform.
I just wanted to share a few things I learned while working on real projects.

1.A messy codebase makes everything harder
In one of the projects I joined, the codebase had grown very quickly and there was no clear structure. Components were large and many things were mixed together.
Adding even a small feature sometimes took much longer than expected.
Later we started breaking components into smaller pieces and making them reusable. We also added better folder structure and TypeScript types. Things became much easier after that.

2.API handling affects performance a lot
In some mobile apps we noticed screens were loading slowly. After checking the code we realized the problem was not the UI but how APIs were being handled.
We started using TanStack Query (React Query) for better data fetching and caching. That helped reduce unnecessary API calls and the app felt much faster.

3.Communication with backend teams is really important
Sometimes frontend developers start building features without fully understanding the API responses. I have seen this cause a lot of rework.
Now I always try to discuss API structure with backend developers early. It saves a lot of time later.

Final thoughts
One thing I learned is that building production apps is very different from small demo projects.
Clean code structure, good communication and simple UI decisions make a big difference.

I’m still learning and improving every day. If you have faced similar challenges while working with React or React Native, I would love to hear your experience.
Thanks for reading.