Data
PostgreSQL is the default. Add the rest only when the data needs it.
PostgreSQL is our default operational database. It is the most capable open-source relational database, supports JSON, full-text search, geospatial, and row-level security, and the ecosystem of tooling is unmatched. Almost every project we ship starts with Postgres.
Redis covers caching, queues, rate limiting, and ephemeral state. BigQuery (or Snowflake) plus dbt covers analytics and reporting when the data volume or query patterns outgrow Postgres. We add specialty stores — InfluxDB for time-series, Elastic for full-text at scale — only when justified.
Tools we reach for
PostgreSQL
Default relational database. Powerful, well-tooled, and supportable.
Redis
Cache, queues, rate limits, and ephemeral state.
BigQuery
Analytics warehouse for queries against large historical data.
dbt
Transformations and modeling layer on top of the warehouse.
Snowflake
Analytics warehouse alternative when you are already on it.
InfluxDB
Time-series database for IoT or monitoring workloads.
When we reach for it
- New apps with relational data (Postgres)
- Caching, rate limiting, queues (Redis)
- Analytics or reporting against high-volume historical data (BigQuery + dbt)
- Time-series telemetry from devices or systems (InfluxDB)
When we don't
- NoSQL when relations actually matter (Postgres usually wins)
- Adding a warehouse when Postgres + materialized views still cover the workload
Frequently asked
Why Postgres over MySQL?
Postgres is more capable for the work we typically do — JSON, full-text, geo, RLS, partitioning, and a richer extension ecosystem. We will work with MySQL if you already have it.
When do you add a separate analytics warehouse?
When operational queries are slowing down your transactional database, when you need joined data from multiple sources, or when historical query patterns no longer fit your OLTP store.
Do you do schema migrations safely in production?
Yes. Online migrations with expand-contract patterns, zero-downtime, with rollback plans. We never ship a destructive migration without backups and a documented rollback.
Need a team that ships in this stack?
Tell us the workflow. A one-page summary back within 48 hours and a proposal within a week.