Technology
PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL is an open-source relational database known for reliability and strict data integrity. It is my default for products: accounts, payments, game results, content and analytics live in it
- Type
- Technology
- Official site
- postgresql.org
- In my work
- Projects 1 · Tools 1 · Services 3
- Published
Where I use it
QRuma: party games on one big screen with phones as gamepads
QRuma runs party games on one big screen. Players scan a QR code and their phones become gamepads, with nothing to install. It grew out of VibeCatter
ToolsQuiz Pack Builder: your own questions for Quiz Battle
Write your own question packs for Quiz Battle and play them on a big screen while players answer from their phones. Use cases, steps and limits
ServicesFrom idea to a working MVP
MVP development for startups: scope, UX, design, frontend, backend, AI and launch, by one senior engineer who has been a founder and a CTO
ServicesA fractional CTO for your startup
Fractional CTO for startups: architecture, team, code review and delivery, from a CTO who also builds. Hours a week, part-time or full-time
ServicesAI agents and LLM apps that work in production
AI agent and LLM development: agents, chatbots on your data, AI features, voice and video pipelines built into a working product, not a demo
What is PostgreSQL and why is it my default database?
A product can change its interface every week, but its data has to survive every release. PostgreSQL gives me transactions, constraints and JSON in one place, so the database itself guards the rules of the product
Key facts
How I use PostgreSQL
- Game data. Accounts, matches, leaderboards, achievements, seasons and quiz packs of my multiplayer platform are stored in PostgreSQL; new quiz questions need no new release. Read the case study.
- This site's CMS. Drafts, published versions, revisions, addresses and media of every page in four languages. A publication is one transaction, so a page never goes live half-written.
- Safe releases. On production an encrypted backup is taken before every migration. I prefer migrations that only add to the schema, so the previous release can still run.
- Flexible fields. Settings that differ from one material to another are stored as JSON next to strict columns, which keeps the schema simple without losing checks.
When I choose PostgreSQL and its limits
PostgreSQL is the right default for almost any product with users, money or history. It grows further than most products ever need, and it keeps the data consistent when several requests change it at once.
I reach for something else only for a specific job: memory for short-lived state such as a live game room, a search engine for full-text search at scale, or an analytics warehouse for very large volumes of events.
Used together with
Sources
- About PostgreSQL — The PostgreSQL Global Development Group ·
