Bundle size regressions rarely stem from bad code. They accumulate from small, reasonable decisions—like adding a helper or dependency—that seem fine in isolation. The author notes this problem persisted because managing size often required extra setup and friction.

What helped wasn't harder optimization, but automatic visibility during code review. Seeing size changes in the pull request shifts behavior naturally, without enforcement. This visibility encourages better decisions, making bundle health a collaborative, not punitive, focus.

The author built build-size-diff to solve this. The tool integrates with pull requests, showing size changes automatically. This approach aligns with modern development practices where monitoring and transparency drive improvement more effectively than rigid rules.