Tracy Young Returns to Lead TigerEye After $875 million PlanGrid Exit, Reflects on Innovation and Identity

Awaken* newsletter

June 13, 2024

Tracy Young is a founder who has been on my radar for a long time. Beyond the fact that she is a successful exited founder, having sold PlanGrid to Autodesk for just under $900 million, Tracy’s family–like my own father–immigrated to the United States following the Vietnam war. With one major success under her belt, Tracy is going for a second, having recently founded a new startup named TigerEye, which focuses on AI-powered strategic planning. I sat down with Tracy to chat about lessons from PlanGrid, what she’s currently working on at TigerEye, and her identity as an Asian woman.

On Identity

I wasn’t the only one with a newsletter on the call! Tracy also recently started a LinkedIn newsletter titled Predictable Growth, a monthly Q&A with women leaders generating revenue for their businesses. I asked Tracy what the motivation behind starting it was, and what she hoped to see it accomplish:

Representation matters. In sales and go-to-market functions, women are underrepresented at the leadership level. However, many impressive, talented, and hardworking women have achieved the CRO/CMO level, and I wanted to hear their stories. So, it’s a way for us to showcase women and give them a platform to tell their stories and how they got to where they are. There are many great jobs in sales, but many women don’t realize that they’re available to them. Anyone can be good at sales, it’s not just men. Reaching the highest levels in sales gives women a lot of power to help out their families, help the economy, etc.

In previous interviews, Tracy has pointed out how women are especially underrepresented in enterprise SaaS. I asked Tracy if she had any ideas why this is the case, and how we can increase representation:

I’m not sure why that’s the case. But you can see it if you look at the stats or walk into any enterprise company. I would guess it’s systemic. I think it starts with the words we use for boys and girls, the way we treat them, and what is expected of them. This is part of our cultural history. One way to change that is to show what is possible. What Predictable Growth aims to achieve is to showcase all these women who are leaders at their companies. There’s no decision that the CEO is making without running it by them. We want to say: “This could be your future, if you want it”, for anyone reading, and hopefully, it’s a young woman reader.

Next, I wanted to get Tracy’s thoughts on how being an Asian woman has affected her experience as a founder:

My PlanGrid co-founder, Ryan, and I met in college. He’s been trying to convince me to start a company with him since I was 18. Being an Asian woman, I didn’t think it was possible. I brushed him off for many years. I thought, “I’m not a founder,” because I looked at all these other founders, and they didn’t look like me. That kept me from starting a company for a long time. Around 2007-2009, I remember Ryan really wanted me to apply for Y Combinator with him. And again, I told him, “I just don’t think it’s going to work.” I didn’t think other people would accept me, and I didn’t want to put myself through it. It wasn’t until Y Combinator put out a request for startups working on the exact problem we were working on that I felt comfortable applying. That request for startups almost gave me permission to apply to YC. But even when we got in, and we were making real revenue, and we fundraised, and we had real customers, and our product was getting better… even then, I still felt that founders should look a certain way. I don’t know how many years in we were before I finally realized how wrong I was.

In an interview eight years ago with Ron Miller at Techcrunch Disrupt, Tracy responded to a similar question very differently. I asked her what motivated her shift in perspective since then:

Back then, I really tried to separate myself from being a woman. I felt like that was not part of the equation. And again, it’s such a big part of me, I am a strong woman. For many years, I pretended that I wasn’t, down to how I dressed. What really woke me up was becoming a mom. Going through pregnancy and birth and postpartum recovery, and taking care of a baby, I think it was really at that point when I realized how strong women are, how strong our mothers and grandmothers are, and how strong my colleagues are. It was a disservice not to acknowledge that our journey is different. It’s not better or worse. It’s just different.

TigerEye

I asked Tracy how she came up with the idea for her new startup, TigerEye:

There’s no shortage of problems to solve in business software. If you talk to anyone who works for a public company, you’ll find a lot of outdated software still in use. After selling my last startup, I worked for a public company and got to use these expensive products that our company was paying for every year. I saw firsthand how they made us less productive and frustrated our team. Many areas need improvement, such as HR software, finance software, sales software, and everything in between, including development tools.

A common strategy I hear from founders is that they want to start by selling to other startups, and then grow into an enterprise software company alongside their clients. I asked Tracy how she decided to skip that and go straight for enterprise customers:

I like to solve problems that I have experienced. TigerEye comes from my experience running a fast growth company for ten years. When we reflected on our PlanGrid journey, we asked ourselves a few questions: What would have accelerated growth? What would have made the difference between us still running PlanGrid today versus needing to sell? TigerEye is that product. This is a scientific tool that would have helped us grow more efficiently, be more profitable, and would’ve enabled us to be more courageous in our decision-making by providing extra validation. It’s an AI-powered business simulator. You can test out your plans before you make your team execute it. You can test out as many plans as you want and as many scenarios as you want before you bring it to the board for sign-off. Back at PlanGrid, we had a bunch of very smart people trying to generate the same thing that took months that TigerEye is outputting instantaneously now. This is the product that I wish I had to help grow PlanGrid. And this is why we are building for the enterprise. All I know to do is build things to help me with problems I’ve faced.

Starting a Company as a Second-time Founder

I asked Tracy what she thought about distribution at PlanGrid, and how that has changed for TigerEye:

PlanGrid was always mobile first. We really benefited from timing. Steve Jobs announced the first generation iPad, and we decided to start building construction software for that device soon after. We were one of the first enterprise apps to launch on all of the app stores.

Let’s say you’re a construction person and you’ve got your new iPad or other tablet. You search for construction because that is your profession, and PlanGrid pops up as the top result. If it looks interesting, you might download it, and we had a freemium model so users could try us out. As a mobile-first company, having great SEO on the app stores was crucial for our inbound growth. That’s how we thought about distribution for PlanGrid, but that is totally irrelevant for TigerEye (although we do have a mobile version of our software). TigerEye is an enterprise-grade product, and you can’t just try it out as an individual. It is being deployed to whole departments, and that is a completely different distribution model. For many years, PlanGrid was sold on a per-seat basis. At TigerEye, we have an unlimited seat model, and it’s deployed to several teams at once, and the starting fee is five figures. It’s an enterprise-grade product. And so for us to get deployed and adopted usually takes a field sales team two or three conversations with the company, because it’s not just sales, it’s revenue operations, it’s strategic finance, and then it’s a champion at the C-suite level. It’s very different from PlanGrid’s model, where anyone with a credit card in a job site could swipe their credit card and buy PlanGrid today.

Next, I asked if she felt that being a second-time founder came with any benefits:

There are definitely benefits. For example, the first 15 people we recruited were people we had handpicked and worked with before. As a result, we were able to recruit a talented team with a strong track record and a strong work ethic. It’s difficult for first-time founders in their early 20s to attract talented individuals. The people who worked for us were our friends or recent college graduates. From our decade of experience, we’ve also seen what works and what doesn’t in terms of core values. This time, we made sure to have a set of values that we live by personally and professionally. These core values are non-negotiable and we share them with candidates we’re trying to recruit during our first phone call. We’re serious about it. Everyone says they care about their core values, but we actually hire and fire by them.

Tracy’s emphasis on core values stood out because this was the first time I had heard a founder emphasize them to this degree. I asked Tracy why this mattered so much to her:

Through my experience growing PlanGrid to 450 employees and scaling the team to 1,300 employees post-acquisition, I got to see what slows down a team. I got to see how infighting can destroy a company. There are minor things that you can put in place to mitigate this, such as basic rules of engagement. We have a document called “Our commitments to working with each other,” which outlines how we work together at TigerEye. The document clarifies our five core values. It’s very simple, you cannot misinterpret what the core values mean. I’ll give you a couple of examples: 1) I will walk it like I talk it. 2) I will never speak destructively behind my teammate’s back. 3) If I have a problem, I will go to you and talk it out because we’re professionals and I can trust that we can have the hard conversations. If everyone follows these rules, then we’re in a really good place. That means that when there are problems, we can speak openly as a team and get through it together. We were very deliberate about the culture and work environment we were creating, especially as a remote company. I think our culture is especially important because we aren’t together every single day.

Fostering a Culture of Authenticity

Throughout my research, a consistent theme Tracy touched on was being authentic as a leader. I asked her if she felt there are boundaries to authenticity and if it’s fine for CEOs to express fear or lack of confidence to their team.

There is definitely a line in terms of vulnerability and authenticity. It’s never acceptable to be disrespectful. Some might argue that they’re just being direct, but there’s a difference between being direct and being rude. It’s okay to question things and suggest new approaches. When I’m concerned about something related to the company, I share it with the team. I either present a potential solution or let them know that I’m working on one. This approach makes it easier to lead and get the team on board with the direction we’re heading. They may not always agree, but at least they understand why I’ve made certain decisions. If they understand, it’s easier for them to commit to the decision, even if they initially had reservations.

To your second question, I think it is completely okay for a leader or anyone in the company to show that they are human, and as humans we experience fear and insecurity–they are natural emotions. As a leader and a productive teammate, it isn’t beneficial to dwell on these negative emotions. It’s challenging, if not impossible, to suppress these feelings because they will eventually surface. My approach is to allow myself to experience these emotions when things are tough, but also to take control and not let them linger. For instance, I might allow myself a day to experience these feelings, but the next day, it’s time to put on a game face and figure things out together. As long as there’s movement and progress, then it’s okay. Feelings like anger, insecurity, and sadness, when prolonged, are completely useless. They don’t serve anyone any good. They’re just there making everyone feel bad and that is absolutely not okay.

I asked Tracy what actions she takes to make sure everyone on her team is comfortable being authentic and vulnerable with each other:

We do this fun activity. We all take the Enneagram test. New teammates will take the test and present their enneagram results sometime within the first few weeks. The presentations are basically: “This is when I’m at my best. This is how I am at my worst. This is how I want to get feedback.” This helps us understand who we are as people because there are all kinds of different personalities, and conflict comes from two personalities at their worst coming together. If we can acknowledge and understand that might happen, it’s easier to get through it together. Essentially, it’s having self-awareness and giving your team a blueprint of being aware of who you are.

For those who don’t know, Enneagram is a popular personality test that emphasizes how you interact with other personality types, making it a popular choice for teams. I am normally skeptical of these kinds of tests, but even I am a big fan of Enneagram, and I think it has helped me better understand myself and my interactions with others. For those curious, Tracy is Enneagram type 1, “The Reformer”. A fitting type for a person with such ambition and vision.

Shoutouts

If you are a leader in sales, RevOps, finance, or marketing, TigerEye has built a go-to-market planning tool to help you track, plan, and predict your go-to-market performance. The tool analyzes every change in your CRM using artificial intelligence to guide decisions and show you where you’re headed.

If you are interested in checking out what Tracy and TigerEye. have built, please drop her a note on LinkedIn or on X (f.k.a. Twitter) @Tracy_Young. Thank you Tracy for the interview!

Development

How CMS Development Services Can Save You Time and Money?

Are you finding it hard to balance growing your business while managing your website? When you’re focused on scaling, the task of maintaining an up-to-date website can quickly become overwhelming. From marketing campaigns to team management and customer satisfaction, your plate is full. On top of that, your website—a core part of your digital presence—requires constant updates and attention. This is where CMS development services come in. They simplify website management, saving you time and cutting costs. Think of a Content Management System (CMS) as your virtual assistant, helping you organize, edit, and scale your website effortlessly without needing a developer at every turn.

By partnering with experts like AHN Group, you can ensure your CMS is tailored to your unique business needs. In this blog, we’ll explore how CMS development services streamline your processes, reduce expenses, and set your business up for long-term success.

What Are CMS Development Services?

CMS development services are focused on creating and customizing a Content Management System to meet the specific needs of your business. These services typically include:

Platform Selection: Choosing the right CMS (e.g., WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal) based on your goals.

Designing a User-Friendly Interface: Ensuring that the CMS is intuitive and easy to navigate.

Integrating Plugins & Tools: Adding necessary functionalities, such as SEO, social media sharing, or e-commerce.

Security & Scalability: Making sure your CMS is secure and can grow with your business.

By partnering with a professional web development company like AHN Group, you can create a CMS solution that is efficient and user-friendly for your team.

The Practical Benefits of CMS Development Services

Now that we’ve explored what CMS development services are, let’s dive into the specific benefits they offer your business. Each of these advantages helps save time, cut costs, and streamline your website management.

1. Streamlined Content Management

A CMS makes website updates simple, even for non-technical users. Whether adding a blog post, updating product descriptions, or changing images, you can do it all in just a few clicks.

Key Benefits:

Instant Updates: Add or edit content whenever needed.
Lower Costs: Reduce reliance on developers for routine changes.
Ease of Use: Intuitive design makes it accessible for everyone.

With the right services, your platform will be tailored for efficiency, allowing you to focus on growing your business instead of worrying about website maintenance.

2. Improved Team Collaboration

A CMS fosters teamwork by enabling multiple users to work on the website simultaneously. Departments can have distinct roles—marketing can post blogs while sales updates pricing—all without stepping on each other’s toes.

How It Helps:

Assign roles and permissions for better workflow.
Reduce miscommunication between teams.
Save time by centralizing content updates.

By using a professionally developed CMS, you ensure a smooth, collaborative process for all teams.

3. Built-In SEO Features for Visibility

Most CMS platforms come equipped with SEO tools to improve your website’s search rankings. From optimizing keywords to managing meta descriptions, these features are essential for driving organic traffic.

With CMS Development Services, You Can:

Automate key SEO tasks like creating XML sitemaps.
Optimize for mobile responsiveness.
Ensure page speed and performance are up to standards.

A web development company like AHN Group can fine-tune these features, helping you attract more visitors without spending heavily on paid ads.

4. Scalability for Business Growth

Your business is evolving, and your website should keep up. A CMS lets you easily add new features, pages, or integrations as needed.

Why It Matters:

Avoid expensive website overhauls.
Seamlessly add e-commerce or customer support portals.
Stay competitive with the latest tools and trends.

With a scalable CMS, your website can grow alongside your business, saving you both time and future expenses.

5. Robust Security Features

Cybersecurity is a top priority in the competitive digital market. CMS platforms offer built-in features to protect your website from potential threats.

Key Security Features Include:

Automatic software updates.
Two-factor authentication for added protection.
Regular backups to safeguard your data.

When you partner with a web development company, they ensure these features are properly configured, giving you peace of mind without additional costs.

6. Cost-Effective Maintenance and Support

Maintaining a website doesn’t have to drain your resources. A CMS automates many routine tasks, such as updates and security patches, reducing the need for constant technical support.

How CMS Saves on Maintenance:

Handle basic updates yourself.
Reduce dependency on external developers.
Ensure smooth operation with automated processes.

7. Faster Content and Feature Deployment

In a fast-moving digital world, agility is key. A CMS allows you to quickly adapt to market trends, deploy new content, and introduce features without delay.

Advantages:

Speedy response to customer demands.
Stay ahead of competitors by implementing updates faster.
Save time by automating repetitive tasks.

This agility enables you to stay relevant and cost-effective in your industry.

Why Choose AHN Group For Your CMS Needs?

At AHN Group, we specialize in delivering tailored CMS development services that save you time and money. Our team works closely with you to:

Understand your unique business needs.
Develop a CMS that’s secure, scalable, and easy to use.
Provide ongoing support to ensure optimal performance.

When you choose us, you’re not just getting a CMS—you’re gaining a partner dedicated to your success.

Conclusion

If you want a website that feels like a trusted partner, AHN Group is here to help. We don’t just offer CMS development services—we provide tailored solutions designed to meet your business goals. As a leading web development company, we ensure your CMS is not only efficient and user-friendly but also a powerful tool for sustainable growth.

It’s time to take the stress out of website management and focus on what matters most: scaling your business.

Contact AHN Group today, and let’s create a website that works as hard as you do!

Mar 12, 2025
6 min read

Ideas

How much do web development services cost in 2025?

Are you looking to build a new website or revamp an existing one in 2025? One of the first things to consider is the cost of web development services. The price can vary greatly depending on several factors, from the development team’s location and experience to the project’s complexity and scope. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the average hourly rates for web development services in 2025, the factors that can affect the cost of a website project, and some tips for budgeting for ongoing maintenance and support. So, let’s dive in and find out exactly how much you can expect to pay for web development services in 2025.

The Average Hourly Rates for Web Development Services in 2025

In 2025, the average hourly rate for web development services can range anywhere from $20 to $150 per hour, depending on the development team’s location, their experience level, and the specific technologies and tools required for the project.

Ukraine, Poland, and Belarus are some of the best countries to hire offshore developers. These countries offer some of the most affordable hourly rates for web development services, ranging from $20 to $50 per hour.

In addition to the location of the development team, the specific technologies and tools required for the project can also affect the hourly rate for web development services. For example, developers with expertise in more specialized technologies such as React JS or Node JS may have a higher hourly rate than those with expertise in more standard and widely-used technologies such as PHP or HTML/CSS.

The Cost of a Website Project: Basic vs Complex

Basic websites, also known as informational websites, are typically smaller in scope and are designed to provide basic information about a company or organization, such as contact information and a list of services. These types of websites can often be built for as little as $1,000 to $5,000.

On the other hand, complex websites are typically larger in scope and may include features such as e-commerce functionality, custom databases, and advanced user interfaces. These types of websites can often cost anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000 or even higher, depending on the specific requirements and features included.

When determining the cost of a website project, it’s essential to consider the specific needs of your business and the types of features and functionality necessary for your website to succeed. While a basic website may be sufficient for some companies, others may require a more complex solution to meet their needs fully.

Savvy Strategies for Cutting Costs on Web Development in 2025

Web development can be a significant expense for any business, but there are ways to save money without compromising on quality. Here are 6 tips to help you cut costs when developing a website or application.

Have a clear plan and scope of work: Define your project’s requirements, goals, and objectives before beginning development. This will help you identify the features and functionalities that are essential to your project and avoid unnecessary costs. I recommend you write a web design brief which is a document that outlines the specifics of a website design and development project.
Use open-source software: Leverage open-source software, such as WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal, to reduce the development cost.
Outsource to a cost-effective location: Outsourcing web development to countries such as Ukraine or Poland can be cost-effective and save you money on development costs.
Use pre-designed templates and themes: Using pre-designed templates and themes can save you time and money on design costs.
Avoid customizing unnecessary features: Only customize features that are essential to your project. Customizing unnecessary features will add to development costs.
Use a project management tool: Using a project management tool to keep track of progress and timelines can save you money on development costs.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Web Development Services

Here are 8 factors that can affect the cost of web development services:

Location of the development team: The cost of living and average wages in a given location can affect the hourly rate for web development services. Generally, web development services in countries with a higher cost of living, such as the US and Europe, tend to be more expensive than those in countries with a lower cost of living.
The development team’s level of experience and expertise: Developers with more experience and expertise may charge a higher hourly rate for their services. On the other hand, full-stack web developers can spend less time on a project and provide more quality services that are essential for enterprise web projects.
Specific technologies and tools required for the project: Projects that require specialized knowledge and experience in certain programming languages or frameworks may have a higher hourly rate compared to those that use more common and widely-used technologies.
Project complexity and scope: The complexity and scope of the project can affect the amount of time and resources required to complete it, which can, in turn, affect the cost.
Design and branding: The cost of web development services can be affected by the cost of design and branding elements, such as the cost of creating a custom logo, selecting color schemes and layouts, and other visual elements that are unique to the project.
Third-party integrations: The cost of web development services can be affected by the cost of integrating third-party tools or services, such as payment gateways, analytics, and other features that are not included in the core development services.
The level of customization required: Customized solutions will require more time and resources to develop, resulting in higher costs.
The need for SEO and marketing: Implementing an SEO strategy and a marketing plan can add to the development costs. This may include optimizing website structure, content, and meta tags for search engines, building backlinks, developing an ongoing content marketing strategy to improve search engine rankings, and developing a marketing strategy to increase visibility and attract users to the website.

Budgeting for Ongoing Maintenance and Support in Web Development Services

Website maintenance is essential to keeping your online presence up to date and running smoothly. The cost of website maintenance can vary greatly depending on your website type and the level of maintenance required. In this case, we will explore the different types of websites and the corresponding maintenance costs you can expect to incur.

Basic websites: These are simple websites that typically consist of a few pages, such as a home page, about us page, and contact page. The maintenance cost for these types of websites is usually low, averaging around $30 to $50 per month.
E-commerce websites: These types of websites allow customers to purchase products or services online. The cost of maintenance for e-commerce websites is typically higher than basic brochure websites, averaging around $50 to $100 per month.
Custom websites: Custom websites are tailored to a specific business or organization and often require more complex features and functionality. The cost of maintenance for custom websites can range from $100 to $200 per month.
Content Management System (CMS) websites: CMS websites are built using platforms such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. The maintenance cost for these types of websites can range from $50 to $100 per month.
Social media websites: Websites that are focused on social media interactions, such as forums and message boards, require regular updates and maintenance to keep content fresh and users engaged. The maintenance cost for these types of websites can range from $50 to $150 per month.

It is important to note that these costs are approximate and can vary depending on the specific needs of your website. Additionally, getting a quote from a website maintenance company is always recommended before committing to a contract. By understanding the different types of websites and the corresponding maintenance costs, you can make an informed decision when it comes to maintaining your online presence.

Sum up

In conclusion, the cost of web development services can vary greatly depending on several factors, including the development team’s location and experience, the project’s complexity and scope, and the specific technologies and tools required. In 2025, the average hourly rate for web development services can range anywhere from $20 to $150 per hour. Basic websites can often be built for as little as $1,000 to $5,000, while complex websites can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000 or even higher.

To save money on web development costs, businesses can consider outsourcing to cost-effective locations, using open-source software and pre-designed templates and themes, and avoiding customizing unnecessary features. It is also essential to have a clear plan and scope of work before beginning development and use a project management tool to keep track of progress and timelines.

Mar 12, 2025
8 min read

Technologies

How to improve the website loading speed

Many people know that improving the website loading speed by 0.5 sec is invisible to the users. But it’s still one of the essential search engine factors they use in their ranking algorithms. Also, many web users may use a slow Internet connection, even in the USA and Europe. That is why improving website loading speed is a high-priority task for web development teams. How to improve the website speed?

What is website speed?

Technically the term website loading speed is incorrect because it is about page loading speed.

In short, website loading speed refers to how quickly the content and UI elements of the specific page load when a user visits it.

Several factors can influence specific page speed:

The amount and size of the images and videos are contained on the page
UI animations
Themes and plugins are installed on the site
Front-end and server-side technologies are used
The code quality
Hosting or server

But you must know that the user’s Internet connection also affects the web page speed.

Start with website speed testing

You may start the website speed test with your smartphone and mobile Internet connection. Does your site load quickly enough? Does your site look mobile-friendly? This test helps you to identify critical speed issues and how responsive the design of your website is.

But using a smartphone test can’t tell about a website’s score in terms of the website loading speed. Also, it can’t help to identify the causes of slow website loading. That is why you should use tools to test and measure your website’s loading speed.

The most used tool is Google Pagespeed Insights. It is easy to use and provides you with the most critical information. Look at the snapshot for our website.

AHN’s team developed this site. You can see good scores and no critical issues that could affect the website loading speed.

If Google Pagespeed Insights identifies issues, it will provide recommendations for increasing the website’s performance.

This free tool allows testing the site’s mobile and desktop versions. You can use the Lighthouse tool that is built-in Chrome browser—Press F12 to run web developer tools and choose the Lighthouse tool to test the page.

Also, web developers may use other tools like GTmetrix, Pingdom, or Performance Budget Calculator.

Some tools are free, but other tools can be payable. Many web professionals use Lighthouse and Core Web Vitals reports because it is usually enough.

Guidelines to improve the website loading speed

The Lighthouse tool (Google Pagespeed Insights) assessed your site as poor (score is less than 50) or as a website that needs improvements (score from 50 to 89). A web developer must look at the tool’s recommendations and fix issues.

This guide will help you to understand which factors influence website speed and how to increase it.

Optimize the images

Surprisingly, images are one of the most common issues affecting website loading speed. The main reason is that content managers do not pay attention to the size and format of the images when uploading them to the website.

There is a typical image optimization process.

Reduce the image size.

Photos, images, or graphics on the web pages improve engagement. But if you use large files, the images slow down a website.

Compressing images using tools is one way to reduce image size without affecting quality. Another way to reduce the image size is to adjust the image size based on user display properties.

Choose the right image format.

Look at this image. It shows the difference between a zoomed-in vector image L and a raster image R.

As you can see, vector images are preferable options as they are resolution-independent and always deliver excellent results.

If you use raster images, a web developer should serve different image sizes to other devices. But bear in mind that serving desktop-sized images to mobile phones can use 2–4x more data than needed.

Use WebP images

When Facebook switched to WebP, they noticed a 25-35% filesize savings for JPEGs and an 80% for PNGs.

How to convert images to WebP? Usually, web developers use the cwebp command-line tool (for simple projects) or the Imagemin WebP plugin(for complex projects).

Replace animated GIFs with video.

GIFs aren’t a good choice when you need a fast website because their size can be 10-15 MB.

It takes a lot of time to upload a GIF file. That is why web professionals convert GIFs into video files (MPEG or WebM).

Use image CDNs to optimize images.

Image content delivery networks (CDNs) specialize in transforming, optimizing, and delivering images. They are excellent at optimizing images and can yield a 40–80% savings in image file size. Image CDNs work like API, making it easy to create variations of an image for different use cases by indicating parameters like size, format, and quality.

Use lazy loading

Lazy loading is a technique that defers the loading of non-critical resources while the web page loads. In practice, the image lazy loading loads lightweight placeholder images at page load and replaces them with lazily-loaded images when they’re scrolled into the viewport.

Using lazy loading makes sense if you use many media files on your site.
Web developers can use a variety of ways to implement lazy loadings, such as browser-level lazy loading, Intersection Observer (JavaScript), or CSS. If your website is built on WordPress, you can use plugins.

Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

Content delivery networks (CDNs) improve site performance using web servers distributed across various locations. These servers retrieve content from the website server and provide website content to users with regard to their location. CDNs reduce server load and handle traffic spikes.

Also, CDNs allow caching resources on their servers. As a result, the resources are delivered more quickly. Cashing also reduces the load on the website server.

To choose a good CDN, you should focus on its performance, security, analytics features, support, and pricing.

You need to know that CDN performance can vary significantly depending on geography, time of day, and different events. That is why predicting the exact performance you’ll get from a CDN is difficult.

Choosing a good CDN depends on the type of your site (e-commerce, corporate website, blog), user locations, and your budget.

Prioritize loading resources

Not every website resource has the same degree of importance, which is why browsers attempt to make a guess at the most important resources to load first. The problem is browsers could use the wrong priority for website resources. For example, loading scripts before CSS.

Web developers can use different ways to influence browsers’ priority-making process.

If a web developer adds the <script> tag in the page’s <head>, Chrome will load at a high priority. But using the async attribute changes it to low priority.

Also, a web developer can use <link rel=”preload”> (informs the browser that a resource should start getting fetched as soon as possible), <link rel=”preconnect”> (informs the browser that you’d like the process to start as soon as possible), and <link rel=”prefetch”> (it tries to make something non-critical happen earlier if there’s a chance) for other resources.

To make everything right, a web developer should know the browser’s priority for each resource. For example, to know Chrome’s priority, you need to press F12 to run DevTools and find the Network panel.

These priorities help to understand how much relative importance the browser attributes to resources. A web developer can influence the browser to assign a different priority. For example, if an image is a part of the initial render, a web developer prioritizes it higher than an image that starts offscreen.

Optimize CSS code

CSS code must be loaded before the browser renders the website page because it is a render-blocking resource. If these web pages contain unnecessarily large CSS code, it takes longer to render them.

There are two main techniques that web developers use.

The first is deferring non-critical CSS. Many non-critical styles apply to content that’s not immediately visible, for example, paragraphs inside the accordions. A web developer can defer this non-critical code.

The second is minifying CSS. Minification CSS files is a technique that reduces unnecessary code, comments, whitespaces, and indentation in CSS files. A professional web developer can safely remove unnecessary characters and reduce CSS file size without affecting website rendering.

If web developers minify CSS files, you will see that recommendation “Minify CSS” moved to the “Passed Audits” section of the Lighthouse report.

Optimize JavaScript code

JavaScript code is a critical part of modern website design. On the other hand, using JavaScript code may slow down a website’s loading speed.

A web developer should analyze the Lighthouse report to fix JavaScript issues and speed up a website. There are most common issues and solutions.

First, the JavaScript code used on the website is a significant source of tasks. What is a task? A task is any discrete piece of work that the browser does and impacts the website’s performance. It can be rendering, parsing HTML and CSS, and running JavaScript code.

Some tasks can be too long (that take more than 50 milliseconds), and a web developer should break up such tasks. In other words, a web developer needs to divide a long task into smaller tasks that take less time using one of the task management strategies like the async attribute, manually defer code execution, yield only when necessary, and others. Choosing a strategy depends on the main website features you’d want to consider when managing tasks because it is about usability and how users interact with a website.

Minification JS code is another way to improve a website’s speed. To minify JS code a web developer should remove whitespace and any code that is not necessary to create a perfectly valid code file.

JS code compression is the process of modifying data using a specific algorithm. Most web developers use Gzip for server and client interactions, but Brotli is a newer compression algorithm that helps to achieve even better compression results than Gzip.

Also, we recommend using modern JavaScript to avoid reducing the website’s loading speed.

Modern JavaScript means syntax supported by all modern browsers such as Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. But using modern Java Script requires high-skilled web developers who have experience in advanced front-end and web app technologies.

Move a website to better hosting.

In some cases, the leading cause of slow website speed is hosting. A website owner must choose fast hosting to optimize the website’s performance.

Several solutions can be used to host a website.

Shared hosting is the most popular solution because it is cheap. But shared hosting means that you share the server’s CPU and RAM with many other sites that are also hosted on this server. If you need more RAM and CPU because your site attracts many visitors or use one of the modern frameworks, you need Virtual Private Servers (VPS) hosting or a dedicated server.

Virtual Private Servers (VPS) and dedicated servers are faster than shared hosting. VPS is fit needs of many business and e-commerce sites because it uses multiple servers for content distribution and provides your own part of the virtual server.

Using a dedicated server is the most expensive solution because you need to rent or buy a server and pay for the system administrator’s services.

Now alternative solutions are also available for website owners. You can use cloud solutions like Microsoft Azure, Google, or AWS. Cloud providers provide quality services that can scale on demand for your needs.

Another alternative option is the serverless approach.

Choosing a hosting provider is not easy but worth the effort.

Conclusions

Currently, a website’s loading speed is a vital factor that search engines assess, affecting website traffic and, as a result, business revenue.

You can test your website speed using one of the tools to know if improvements are needed. 89 score and below means your site’s performance needs to be improved. Image optimization and minification of CSS and JS can speed up a website. But as you can see, it is not an easy task.

Also, hiring skilled web developers who can write quality, optimized code is important. Because it is an almost impossible job to optimize a website that was created by low-skilled web specialists. Re-developing the website from scratch becomes easier, faster, and cheaper in this case.

Mar 12, 2025
11 min read

Stories

Cheryl Mainland on Making Chinese Cool and Empowering the Next Generation

“Over time, I realized that speaking and understanding Chinese wasn’t just a ‘useful skill’—it is my superpower and key to belonging,” says Cheryl Mainland, Founder & CEO of Dragon Academy. Her fluency in Chinese has been a source of identity and has played a key role in her journey—from understanding her cultural heritage to excelling at Harvard in East Asia Studies and negotiating successful global business deals.

Recognizing the power of language to bridge cultures and connect with 1.3 billion native Chinese speakers, Cheryl is now committed to creating an engaging and interactive multi-media platform for children and adults worldwide to learn Chinese through Dragon Academy.

At its core, Dragon Academy is an epic tale of nine multicultural teens journeying through six mystical realms brimming with ancient legends, mythical beasts, and dragons – all united in a quest to bridge worlds. This story is told across multiple media formats and channels, including a book series, social media content, an AI animation series, and other cultural initiatives. Complementing their adventure is a highly gamified app that transforms Chinese language learning into an exciting, immersive, (and even addictive) experience.

A mother of three, serial entrepreneur, lifelong adventurer, and avid surfer, Cheryl has become an inspiration to many. She has been featured in top media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Vogue, Tatler, WWD, and numerous other prestigious publications.

Cheryl Mainland, Founder & CEO, Dragon Academy (Image Source: Samanta Katz)

The Struggle of Language and Identity

Cheryl embodies the essence of a third-culture kid. Born in Taiwan, she is half-Chinese, half-American, and raised across Asia, she navigated the complexities of identity, language, and belonging from an early age.

Cheryl with her maternal and paternal grandmothers Taipei, Taiwan, 1983 (Image Source: Cheryl Mainland)

“Like many of us, I grew up straddling two worlds. The ultimate translator of languages, cultures, generations. I carry with me the collective memory of (boring) Saturday Chinese school, the struggle of keeping up with my Chinese lessons, and the challenge of celebrating my heritage while forging my own path,” Cheryl says. “After having kids, I witnessed their similar struggles – nothing has changed.” She recognized that the traditional methods of learning Chinese – endless hours of copying hanzi characters on square grid paper (田字格) – have experienced minimal change over the centuries, relying on rote memorization rather than engagement.

Not wanting her children to face the same language learning struggles she faced (and hundreds of thousands of other Chinese learners), Cheryl is embracing this as an opportunity to spark a cultural movement that breathes new life into the Chinese language and culture. Dragon Academy’s strategy ignites a passion for learning through an epic narrative delivered via a highly gamified app, an AI mini-series, a book series, social media content, and a future film adaptation. Each of the multimedia platform components captures the story-based enthusiasm, teaching Chinese through nine proprietary building block methods that make learning Chinese fun, engaging, and truly relevant.

Dragon Academy Universe: the foundation of a highly gamified Chinese language learning app, book series, cartoons, feature films, documentaries, merchandise, and console games. (Image Source: Cheryl Mainland)

Cheryl’s Entrepreneurial Journey: Empowering the Masses

Throughout Cheryl’s entrepreneurial ventures, a constant theme has been empowering communities by identifying unmet needs and transforming the “uncool” into “cool” through innovative solutions. From dressing corporate women in clothes that boosted their self-confidence in the boardroom (The Fold London), to inspiring tweens and teens “to wear their invisible crown” on all special occasions (PromGirl.com), to reimagining sun-protective fashion—proving that staying safe in the sun doesn’t mean sacrificing style (Mott50)—her work consistently uplifts and inspires.

Most recently, to celebrate the launch of Dragon Academy Book 1 during Lunar New Year 2025, Cheryl partnered with artist Archie Geotina to honor the 46 million-strong Chinese diaspora through Pearls, an art series. Chinese Pearls features three generations of female surfers from diverse Chinese heritage – Indonesian Chinese, Singaporean Chinese, mixed-Chinese families, adoptees, and expats – riding Bali’s iconic waves in modern QiPao, empowering the community and highlighting its resilience, heritage, and unity.

A Future for the Community

“As an Asian American entrepreneur, Asian American mom, and a lifelong advocate for bridging cultures, I resonate deeply with AHN’s mission to uplift and empower the global Asian diaspora,” Cheryl affirms.

She draws a parallel between Dragon Academy’s goal to reignite the next generation’s connection to their heritage and AHN’s commitment to rewriting narratives and celebrating Asian excellence. When asked about her future plans, Cheryl confidently states, “We are on an ambitious mission to increase the percentage of the world that speaks Chinese by 5% over the next five years.”

An estimated 5 million people started learning Japanese because of Manga, 15 million took up Korean because of K-pop, Dragon Academy is set to start a Chinese language movement. By juxtaposing storytelling and technology, Dragon Academy is approaching Chinese language learning from an “obsess, learn, master” order.

“Imagine a world where kids want to learn Chinese because they see it as their ultimate superpower and key to belonging. That’s the future we’re building,” exclaims Cheryl.

And the journey is just beginning. Dragon Academy Book 1 launched at the beginning of this year. The highly gamified learning app, immersive AI mini-series, and a host of exciting cultural initiatives are currently in development. The first round of external investment has commenced – seeking visionary, like-minded investors to join this transformative movement. Dragon Academy is poised to redefine the landscape of Chinese language learning and cultural exploration.

DRAGON ACADEMY “Traditional Scene.” The OG Dragon Keepers, ancestors of the 9 multicultural teenage protagonists of the Dragon Academy Universe. (Artist: Andrew Archer)

Learn More about Dragon Academy

Website: https://dragonacademy.com/

Instagram: @dragonacademy_official

Book 1: www.amazon.com/dp/B0DM4YDLL3

Connect With Cheryl Mainland

Instagram: @cherylmainland

LinkedIn: Cheryl Mainland

Email: Cheryl@dragonacademy.com

Mar 1, 2025
5 min read