The Java Startup Problem Java’s performance story has always had one weak spot: startup time. When a JVM starts, it: Loads and verifies class bytecode Interprets bytecode (slow) Profiles which methods are called most (warm-up) Compiles hot methods to native code via JIT (takes time and CPU) Eventually reaches peak throughput This process takes seconds for large applications. For a Spring Boot application, typical warm-up to peak throughput can take 10–30 seconds.