The useless useCallback: React performance myths unpacked, with Dominik Dorfmeister

Dominik Dorfmeister unpacks the pitfalls of React’s useCallback and useMemo, revealing how these hooks often introduce more complexity than performance gains. He explores the promise of the React Compiler, the practical power of the “latest ref” pattern, and strategies to boost code readability and maintainability at scale. Learn why overusing useEffect and manual memoization can do more harm than good, and how teams can level up their PR reviews and performance practices using tools like the ESLint React Compiler plugin. Links Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tkdodo.eu Github: https://github.com/tkdodo X: https://x.com/TkDodo Resources The Useless useCallback: https://tkdodo.eu/blog/the-useless-use-callback Chapters 00:00 Why talk about useCallback and useMemo 00:40 Are useCallback and useMemo actually useless? 02:00 When (if ever) memoization is worth it 07:30 Pitfalls of overusing memoization in PRs and team guidelines 12:10 Latest ref pattern as an alternative 18:40 React Compiler and ESLint support 23:30 Why self-reviews help catch unnecessary memoization 28:10 Do React docs encourage over-optimization? 33:00 Advice for React developers We want to hear from you! How did you find us? Did you see us on Twitter? In a newsletter? Or maybe we were recommended by a friend? Fill out our listener survey (https://t.co/oKVAEXipxu)! Let us know by sending an email to our producer, Em, at [e-mail] (mailto:[e-mail]), or tweet at us at PodRocketPod (https://twitter.com/PodRocketpod). Follow us. Get free stickers. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, fill out this form (https://podrocket.logrocket.com/get-podrocket-stickers), and we’ll send you free PodRocket stickers! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surfaces the UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Start understanding where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr) Special Guest: Dominik Dorfmeister.