WhyIsMyBuildSlow

The Problem

Builds often feel slow, but logs rarely explain why. A command runs… nothing happens… then suddenly it finishes.

Was it the network? Dependency downloads? Docker? CI resource limits? Traditional build logs don’t answer these questions.

What I Built

WhyIsMyBuildSlow is a CLI tool that runs your build exactly as-is, captures timing events, detects idle gaps, and classifies likely bottlenecks.

• Detects where time is actually lost
• Highlights idle or waiting periods
• Classifies bottlenecks (network, cache, Docker, etc.)
• Explains results with a human-friendly animated TUI

How This Helps Developers

Faster builds don’t start with guessing they start with visibility.

• Understand why CI is slower than local runs
• Spot flaky dependency installs and network stalls
• Optimize with evidence, not assumptions
• Export JSON output for CI and automation

Install & Usage

Run your build exactly the same way — just prefix it:

whyismybuildslow run -- npm install
whyismybuildslow run --no-ui -- sleep 4
whyismybuildslow run --json -- sleep 2

No environment changes. No build modification. Just insight.