Checklist
Launch on bad networks
A preflight list for shipping where connectivity is a privilege.
Use this when
- Your users are on mobile data, not Wi‑Fi.
- Your audience shares links on WhatsApp, not Hacker News.
- “Just update the app” is not a realistic instruction.
Checklist
Product
- Define the core task (one sentence) and protect it from complexity creep.
- Add a text-only fallback route for the critical content.
- Make sure error states explain what the user can do next.
- Test on 2G/3G throttling, not your laptop.
- Budget page weight (JS + images) and enforce it in CI.
- Avoid third-party embeds on first load.
Offline + resilience
- Ensure the core flow works with airplane mode on (even if it’s “capture then sync”).
- Add an explicit “save offline” option for key pages.
- Cache the shell and the last visited pages intentionally (don’t “hope” a service worker works).
Distribution
- Ensure the Open Graph image renders fast and looks good in WhatsApp.
- Provide a one-tap “copy for WhatsApp” snippet (title, hook, link).
- Make URLs stable and readable, people copy/paste them.
Support
- Write a short “what to do when it breaks” section for users.
- Add a low-friction feedback loop (email works, forms often don’t).
Definition of done
- A first-time user on a slow phone can load a page and understand what to do next.
- The happy path is still possible after a network drop.
- You can explain your offline story without hand-waving.