Summary
After using Next.js for over a year, I've learned this:
"Rendering strategy is about balancing business requirements and costs."
- SEO important, content doesn't change → SSG
- SEO important, content changes frequently → ISR
- SEO important, need real-time data → SSR
- SEO not needed, lots of interaction → CSR
- Want to optimize everything → RSC + Streaming
And this choice can vary by page, even by component. Next.js's real strength is this flexibility.
I started with a simple understanding of "Next.js is an SSR framework," but now I think of it as "Next.js is the Swiss Army knife of web rendering." You just pick the right tool for the situation.
Finally, RSC is a true game changer. Bundle size reduction, hydration optimization, simplicity of backend integration. It's still in the stabilization phase, but I'm convinced it will become the standard for web development.
The most impactful realization from this process was "technology is about tradeoffs." There's no silver bullet. Choose based on the situation, measure, and improve. That's the developer's job, and that's what I came to understand.