A Database That Rewards Respect and Curiosity

PostgreSQL feels like a database built by people who have been on call. It is conservative where it should be and powerful where it matters.

What sets PostgreSQL apart is not one feature, but composition. JSONB, CTEs, window functions, partial indexes, and extensions work together without undermining relational principles. This makes PostgreSQL a natural foundation for evolving systems.

PostgreSQL rewards engineers who read the documentation. Many “scaling problems” are solved by features that already exist. This aligns closely with [[Performance]] and [[System Design]] thinking.

Some lessons PostgreSQL teaches quietly:

• Defaults are conservative for a reason
• Autovacuum is not optional
• Indexes are only useful if queries use them
• Transactions are cheap; broken assumptions are expensive
• Correctness compounds over time

PostgreSQL’s strictness is a feature. Constraints are enforced. Transactions behave predictably. Failures are visible. This makes it an excellent foundation for systems where data trust matters more than raw throughput.

Not all logic belongs in application code. Some invariants are better expressed as constraints, computed columns, or database-level rules. The skill lies in knowing when to do this.

PostgreSQL works best when treated as a collaborator, not a dumping ground. Systems built on it tend to be calmer, simpler, and easier to reason about over time.