The YAGNI principle in React development

Introduction

Imagine you’re working on a new feature, and an idea pops into your head: “Maybe I should add this extra function now—it might be useful later.” It seems like a proactive approach, right? After all, future-proofing your code is a good thing, isn’t it?

Not always.

This is where You Ain’t Gonna Need It (YAGNI) comes in. YAGNI is one of the simplest yet most powerful software development principles. It helps developers avoid wasted effort, keeps code simple and maintainable, and reduces complexity and future technical debt.

Yet, many developers, especially ambitious ones, tend to ignore this rule. Why? Because we love solving problems, even ones that don’t exist yet. It’s tempting to build for every possible future scenario, but doing so often leads to bloated, hard-to-maintain code.

What is YAGNI, Really?

Don’t implement something until you actually need it.

However, many misunderstand YAGNI. Some developers think it means never planning ahead, which isn’t true. Others assume it leads to writing lazy, unscalable code, but YAGNI is actually about writing just the right amount of code: no more, no less.

Following YAGNI doesn’t mean ignoring future scalability. It simply ensures that your development process remains focused on solving immediate problems rather than hypothetical ones.

Why Do Developers Over-Engineer?

1. Fear of Future Changes

Developers worry: “What if we need this later?” This fear leads to building unnecessary features that might never be used.

2. Desire to Build the 'Perfect' System

Trying to account for every possible edge case upfront often results in overly complex architectures that slow development down.

3. Lack of Experience

New developers often equate writing more code with writing better code. In reality, simplicity is often more valuable.

Real-World Example

Let's look at some actual code where developers often do too much.

Example 1: The Button That Does Everything

Here's a button component that's trying way too hard:

interface ButtonProps {
  label: string;
  onClick: () => void;
  variant?: 'primary' | 'secondary' | ;
  size?:  |  | ;
  shape?:  |  | ;
  elevation?:  |  | ;
  animation?:  |  | ;
  customClasses?: string;
  icon?: React.ReactNode;
  iconPosition?:  | ;
  loading?: boolean;
  disabled?: boolean;
  tooltipText?: string;
  tooltipPosition?:  |  |  | ;
}

 Button: React.FC<ButtonProps> =  {
   (
    
  );
};