Totally get your frustration :)

I encourage folks to adopt this approach to keeping up with the JavaScript ecosystem: first do it, then do it right, then do it better.

First do it: Take a breath and acknowledge that you’re totally new to a space. It’s okay not to use everything. In fact, it’s better if you don’t. Get a simple prototype built that does the trick. Nothing wrong with straight-up using HTML/CSS/JS.

We don’t acknowledge enough that it takes time, experimentation and skill to master the fundamentals of any new topic. Beginners shouldn’t feel like they’re failing if they’re not using the library-du-jour or reactive-pattern of the week. It took me weeks to get Babel and React right. Longer to get Isomorphic JS, WebPack and all of the other libraries around it right. Start simple and build on that base.

Then do it right: Iterate. Improve on what you’ve got. See a problem that you keep having to solve? Maybe layer in a small library/module to help with it. There is zero reason to be worrying about rewriting your project in another language or framework nor adopting any more tooling unless it helps you move the needle forward on your project. Everything you add to your project should really be offering value. If it’s complicating things or making it harder for you or your team to get a job done, get rid of it.

Then do it better: master your craft. Once you’re comfortable navigating the waters of the tools and libraries you know for sure add value to your workflow, you’ll find that including them as a default “just make sense”. I’m heavily using 9–10 different tools in my project these days but I’ve learned enough about how to avoid their rough edges that they save me time. I would never suggest a beginner use most of the things in this post right off the bat. It’s a recipe for pain. Instead, get the basics right. Slowly become familiar with tools that add value and then use what helps you get and stay effective.

It’s also worth noting: everyone — even the people writing the tools and libraries mentioned in this post — go through the same feelings of fatigue and frustration learning, debugging and staying up to date with modern JavaScript. I’d encourage folks to remember we’re all in the same boat and our tools are here to help us. If they’re not doing that, we should get them out of the way :)