optimize_skill

Overview

This skill helps founders optimize SaaS apps after real usage reveals problems. It focuses on four dimensions: Speed (page load and API latency), Code (dead files and maintainability), Database (indexes, orphaned data), and Dependencies (package bloat and vulnerabilities). Use it when performance, cost, or security issues appear, not during MVP development. The goal is measurable improvements that reduce user churn and operating cost.

How this skill works

The skill runs structured audits and produces prioritized, actionable fixes. It measures key metrics (page load, API response, slow queries, bundle size, unused packages), then recommends and sequences changes: caching, indexes, dependency cleanup, image and bundle optimizations, and safe code removal. It also creates prevention checks to catch regressions: monitoring thresholds, CI dependency audits, and cleanup jobs.

When to use it

• Users complain about slow pages or APIs
• Bundle size or security alerts appear
• App performance degrades compared to launch
• Hosting costs rise unexpectedly
• You have > ~100 active users and measurable problems

Best practices

• Only optimize after measuring — run an audit first
• Prioritize speed, then dependencies, then database, then code
• Make one change at a time and run build/tests after each
• Backup databases and test migrations in staging before schema changes
• Use monitoring and CI checks to prevent regressions

Example use cases

• Measure and reduce page load from 6s to under 3s by lazy-loading images and code-splitting
• Audit dependencies to remove unused packages and replace heavy libraries with lighter alternatives
• Add indexes and caching for slow API endpoints to cut response times below 500ms
• Find and remove dead components after multiple feature rewrites
• Create automated alerts for API calls > 500ms and DB queries > 100ms