Latency Budgets on Slow Networks
Bandwidth can hide waste on good Wi-Fi, but latency always tells the truth. On poor links, every extra handshake is visible.
Start with Request and Byte Budgets
I start each feature with a request budget and a byte budget. If the page cannot paint meaningful content in one early response, the design is not finished yet.
Use Cost Framing for Tradeoffs
Developer:It is only one more request.
Kid:One more request for every user, every time.
That frame keeps tradeoffs grounded. A little visual polish is worth it sometimes, but only when the cost is known and controlled.
Treat Budgets as Creative Constraints
Latency budgets are not a restriction for creativity. They are a tool that protects the user experience when the network is unreliable.