Hey fellow dev — let's tackle the choice that keeps us up at night: which database should you use?
I've boiled down the major database archetypes into a practical field guide so you can make the right call for your next project or system design interview. For each archetype you'll get: a real-world example, core characteristics, pros/cons, common pitfalls, and concrete product examples.
Before You Even Look at a Database, Answer These 6 Questions
Every database choice I've made that turned out well started here. Every bad choice skipped at least one of these.
What shape is your data? Rows and columns with fixed fields? Nested JSON documents? Nodes and edges? Timestamped measurements?
