In a recent overhaul of the Flightcontrol dashboard, the team transitioned from using the Next.js Pages Router to the App Router to accommodate a more sophisticated design and advanced functionality, such as nested routing and shared layouts. This shift was driven by the need for better UI design, which was not feasible with the previous setup, and the desire to explore modern technologies like React Server Components (RSC) despite their complexity. Although the App Router offered benefits like improved loading states and server-side data loading, it brought significant challenges, including poor developer experience due to server performance issues, complex error tracing, and limitations in routing and animations. The team faced frustrations with the slow and unstable dev server, which led some to reconsider alternative frameworks like Remix, which they found more flexible and user-friendly. Despite some improvements with an upgrade to Next.js 14, the experience left a lingering dissatisfaction, highlighting the trade-offs between adopting cutting-edge technologies and ensuring reliable, efficient development workflows.