css
2 posts
Critical CSS is a Hyper-optimization
I had a lovely chat with someone about critical CSS and optimizations. All optimizations come with tradeoffs, but many are acceptable tradeoffs. Algorithms might optimize for speed and Big-O complexity at the expense of memory. Websites might optimize for offline support at the expense of first load duration (needing to download an offline database). There are tricks and slight-of-hand to make optimizations feel better to users, but they're still there. Famously, the Instagram team makes it so your photo uploads silently in the background as you write the caption so that it's ready by the time you hit "Post". It's a neat trick!
Jan 22, 2026