React Server Components in Production: Performance Patterns and Pitfalls

React Server Components are transforming how developers build performant web applications, but production deployments reveal important considerations. Teams report 40-60% reductions in client-side JavaScript while maintaining rich interactivity through strategic client component boundaries. Critical lessons include proper data fetching patterns, handling loading states, and optimizing server-client handoffs. Common pitfalls involve over-fetching data, improper caching strategies, and mixing paradigms inappropriately. The article examines real implementations at scale, sharing patterns for authentication, real-time updates, and progressive enhancement that work reliably in production environments.