diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 64a1d279ec12..f25523693531 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -21,3 +21,6 @@ blog-test-project/*
 .pnp.*
 *.code-workspace
 .nova
+
+# For esbuild.
+**/meta.json
diff --git a/packages/create-redwood-app/.babelrc.js b/packages/create-redwood-app/.babelrc.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 3b2c815712d9..000000000000
--- a/packages/create-redwood-app/.babelrc.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-module.exports = { extends: '../../babel.config.js' }
diff --git a/packages/create-redwood-app/build.mjs b/packages/create-redwood-app/build.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9fbf8d0a0ab9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/create-redwood-app/build.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import fs from 'node:fs'
+
+import * as esbuild from 'esbuild'
+
+// There's minimal bundling going on here by design. Only "src/create-redwood-app.js" and "src/telemetry.js"
+// are bundled into a single "dist/create-redwood-app.js" file.
+// As we audit more of this package's dependencies, we'll remove them from a handcrafted "external" list,
+// instead of using the catch-all `packages: 'external'` option.
+const result = await esbuild.build({
+  entryPoints: ['src/create-redwood-app.js'],
+  bundle: true,
+  platform: 'node',
+  target: ['node18'],
+  // See https://esbuild.github.io/getting-started/#bundling-for-node.
+  packages: 'external',
+  outfile: 'dist/create-redwood-app.js',
+  minify: true,
+
+  // For visualizing the bundle.
+  // See https://esbuild.github.io/api/#metafile and https://esbuild.github.io/analyze/.
+  metafile: true,
+})
+
+fs.writeFileSync('meta.json', JSON.stringify(result.metafile))
diff --git a/packages/create-redwood-app/jest.config.js b/packages/create-redwood-app/jest.config.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 7ff8f7d4bdf5..000000000000
--- a/packages/create-redwood-app/jest.config.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-/** @type {import('@jest/types').Config.InitialOptions} */
-module.exports = {
-  testMatch: ['**/__tests__/**/*.[jt]s?(x)', '**/*.test.[jt]s?(x)'],
-  testPathIgnorePatterns: ['fixtures', 'api/src', 'web/src'],
-  moduleNameMapper: {
-    '^src/(.*)': '<rootDir>/src/$1',
-  },
-  testTimeout: 15000,
-}
diff --git a/packages/create-redwood-app/package.json b/packages/create-redwood-app/package.json
index 2c1bcca90111..ac2eafe9b957 100644
--- a/packages/create-redwood-app/package.json
+++ b/packages/create-redwood-app/package.json
@@ -13,15 +13,11 @@
     "template"
   ],
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "yarn build:js",
-    "build:js": "babel src -d dist",
+    "build": "yarn node ./build.mjs",
     "build:watch": "nodemon --watch src --ignore dist,template --exec \"yarn build\"",
-    "prepublishOnly": "NODE_ENV=production yarn build",
-    "test": "jest src",
-    "test:watch": "yarn test --watch"
+    "prepublishOnly": "NODE_ENV=production yarn build"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@babel/runtime-corejs3": "7.21.0",
     "@opentelemetry/api": "1.4.1",
     "@opentelemetry/exporter-trace-otlp-http": "0.37.0",
     "@opentelemetry/resources": "1.11.0",
@@ -31,7 +27,6 @@
     "chalk": "4.1.2",
     "check-node-version": "4.2.1",
     "ci-info": "3.8.0",
-    "core-js": "3.30.0",
     "envinfo": "7.8.1",
     "execa": "5.1.1",
     "fs-extra": "11.1.1",
@@ -40,9 +35,7 @@
     "yargs": "17.7.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@babel/cli": "7.21.0",
-    "@babel/node": "7.20.7",
-    "jest": "29.5.0"
+    "esbuild": "0.17.15"
   },
   "gitHead": "3905ed045508b861b495f8d5630d76c7a157d8f1"
 }
diff --git a/packages/create-redwood-app/src/__tests__/web-template.test.js b/packages/create-redwood-app/src/__tests__/web-template.test.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 06c4fc340247..000000000000
--- a/packages/create-redwood-app/src/__tests__/web-template.test.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-import fs from 'fs'
-import path from 'path'
-
-test('Web/src/App should contain App', () => {
-  // This test is here to ensure we don't accidentally break auth setup commands
-  // They rely on the presence of certain strings, so if we change them
-  // packages/cli/src/commands/setup/auth/auth.js should also be changed
-
-  const indexContent = fs
-    .readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, '../../template/web/src/App.tsx'))
-    .toString()
-
-  expect(indexContent).toContain('const App = () => (')
-})
diff --git a/packages/tui/.babelrc.js b/packages/tui/.babelrc.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 3b2c815712d9..000000000000
--- a/packages/tui/.babelrc.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-module.exports = { extends: '../../babel.config.js' }
diff --git a/packages/tui/build.mjs b/packages/tui/build.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e03cfb6f86b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/tui/build.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import fs from 'node:fs'
+
+import * as esbuild from 'esbuild'
+
+// Since this is a library, there's no bundling going on here by design.
+// Instead we plan for this library to be bundled by leaf packages so-to-speak like create-redwood-app.
+const result = await esbuild.build({
+  entryPoints: ['src/index.ts'],
+  format: 'cjs',
+  platform: 'node',
+  target: ['node18'],
+  outfile: 'dist/index.js',
+
+  // For visualizing the bundle.
+  // See https://esbuild.github.io/api/#metafile and https://esbuild.github.io/analyze/.
+  metafile: true,
+})
+
+fs.writeFileSync('meta.json', JSON.stringify(result.metafile))
diff --git a/packages/tui/package.json b/packages/tui/package.json
index 4daa004c9e45..6ba9bfe1a775 100644
--- a/packages/tui/package.json
+++ b/packages/tui/package.json
@@ -13,8 +13,7 @@
     "dist"
   ],
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "yarn build:js && yarn build:types",
-    "build:js": "babel src -d dist --extensions \".js,.ts,.tsx\"",
+    "build": "yarn node ./build.mjs && yarn build:types",
     "build:types": "tsc --build --verbose",
     "build:watch": "nodemon --watch src --ext \"js,ts,tsx\" --ignore dist --exec \"yarn build\"",
     "prepublishOnly": "NODE_ENV=production yarn build",
@@ -28,16 +27,13 @@
   },
   "gitHead": "3905ed045508b861b495f8d5630d76c7a157d8f1",
   "dependencies": {
-    "@babel/runtime-corejs3": "7.21.0",
     "boxen": "5.1.2",
     "chalk": "4.1.2",
-    "core-js": "3.30.0",
     "enquirer": "2.3.6",
     "stdout-update": "1.6.8"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@babel/cli": "7.21.0",
-    "@babel/core": "7.21.3",
+    "esbuild": "0.17.15",
     "jest": "29.5.0",
     "typescript": "5.0.3"
   }
diff --git a/tasks/run-e2e b/tasks/run-e2e
index 1f13dbb4b05b..d1eb7cef73bf 100755
--- a/tasks/run-e2e
+++ b/tasks/run-e2e
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ const buildRedwoodFramework = () => {
 const createRedwoodJSApp = ({ yarn1 }) => {
   try {
     execa.sync(
-      'yarn babel-node src/create-redwood-app.js',
+      'yarn node dist/create-redwood-app.js',
       [
         REDWOOD_PROJECT_DIRECTORY,
         '--no-yarn-install',
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index b9e76c3d6d8a..1c503e44dc02 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -7319,13 +7319,10 @@ __metadata:
   version: 0.0.0-use.local
   resolution: "@redwoodjs/tui@workspace:packages/tui"
   dependencies:
-    "@babel/cli": 7.21.0
-    "@babel/core": 7.21.3
-    "@babel/runtime-corejs3": 7.21.0
     boxen: 5.1.2
     chalk: 4.1.2
-    core-js: 3.30.0
     enquirer: 2.3.6
+    esbuild: 0.17.15
     jest: 29.5.0
     stdout-update: 1.6.8
     typescript: 5.0.3
@@ -14430,9 +14427,6 @@ __metadata:
   version: 0.0.0-use.local
   resolution: "create-redwood-app@workspace:packages/create-redwood-app"
   dependencies:
-    "@babel/cli": 7.21.0
-    "@babel/node": 7.20.7
-    "@babel/runtime-corejs3": 7.21.0
     "@opentelemetry/api": 1.4.1
     "@opentelemetry/exporter-trace-otlp-http": 0.37.0
     "@opentelemetry/resources": 1.11.0
@@ -14442,11 +14436,10 @@ __metadata:
     chalk: 4.1.2
     check-node-version: 4.2.1
     ci-info: 3.8.0
-    core-js: 3.30.0
     envinfo: 7.8.1
+    esbuild: 0.17.15
     execa: 5.1.1
     fs-extra: 11.1.1
-    jest: 29.5.0
     systeminformation: 5.17.12
     terminal-link: 2.1.1
     yargs: 17.7.1