Notes

Occasional write-ups on backend engineering, databases, and the unglamorous parts of running software.

• Backpressure is a product decision2026-09-14 · A queue is not a buffer for bad days. It is a promise about latency, and someone has to own that promise.
• A small HTTP cache in front of an API2026-07-02 · Most read-heavy APIs do not need a cache cluster. They need correct cache keys, a sensible Vary header, and one honest TTL.
• SQLite as a work queue, within reason2026-05-21 · For a single-node service, SQLite in WAL mode is a perfectly respectable queue. The constraints are the point.