I think you've missed the point. The thesis of the flowchart isn't that there's just one way to build React programs, but rather that it's the opposite: one reason people get sad with React is that they cargo-cult things from other projects that aren't relevant to their own project, and another reason is that people are missing things from other projects that might help.

Using React without having a clear understanding of why is cargo-culting.

I don't think that's true, or if it is, the first time you use any new tool you're probably cargo-culting.

I'm with tptacek here. I think the point is to try different things, especially for dif use cases. For learning, get a holistic view, for production consider X instead of Y.

I found react to be really complicated and heretical personally. I don't like mixing languages, but if I do, I would like them to be tightly coupled. I have started to mess with vue.js which is really awesome. Even in as a meta point it would be like:

> using vue.js? > give react a try again. It has changed a lot in 2 years.

That's actually not what it's saying. It says if you're not in production and you are using a bundler, get rid of it. If you are in production and not using a bundler, start using it.

If you're in production using it and still sad, or if you're not in production and not using it and still sad, move to the next step.