A retrospective on famo.us, a 2012-era JavaScript rendering engine that raised $30 million by using GPU-accelerated CSS 3D matrix transforms to bypass the browser's layout engine. The framework promised native-like performance across all devices but ultimately failed due to browsers catching up with GPU compositing improvements, the rise of React and Three.js, a complex API requiring deep math knowledge, and unsustainable business economics. Despite its failure, famo.us is credited with pushing the industry's expectations for web performance and UI ambition forward.
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