Hey Reader - Simon here 👋

Every few months I think whether native development would be better.

“Is React Native worth it?”

AI makes building with every framework easy.
Someone posts that X is better than Y.
Then someone predicts the end of React Native again.

And honestly - after using it for years, I get where some of the criticism comes from.

But at the same time, I still keep coming back to it.

🎥 Why I still use React Native in 2026

This week I wanted to answer a simple question:

Why am I still building with React Native in 2026?

Not from a fanboy perspective,
And not because I think it's perfect.

Just from the perspective of someone who wants to:

• build products fast
• ship often
• and actually enjoy the process

That's what I talk about in the new video.

👉 Watch the full video​

💭 A few thoughts this week

One thing I’ve realized recently:

The biggest advantage today isn’t writing perfect code.

It’s reducing friction between:

→ idea

→ prototype

→ shipped product

And React Native still feels unmatched there for me. Especially now with AI.

Because AI already understands:

• React
• component systems
• styling patterns
• app architecture

That combination is incredibly powerful.

At the same time, I also think a lot of developers underestimate something important:

Shipping fast creates opportunities.

Not because speed itself matters.

But because fast iteration means:

• more learning
• more feedback
• more chances to improve

That’s still the real advantage.

🛠 What I’m building

Last week I shipped the big Airport update for Tiny Harvest 🚀

The launch itself actually went really well but...

Unfortunately… there were also some nasty bugs and performance issues at the same time 😅

So this week I’m mostly focused on:

• bug fixing and performance improvements
• preparing the next Tiny Harvest season
• recording new video content

I’m also deep into building the upcoming AI voice notes project where I will heavily using agentic coding workflows again.

Honestly, it’s becoming harder and harder to imagine going back to “traditional” development workflows completely.

That’s it for this week - back to building.

Curious:

What’s the main reason you still use React Native today?

See you next week,
Simon