Hello everyone!
I’m Miko Pawlikowski, and in this #55 episode of The Hockey Stick Show, I sat down with Denis Magda to talk about one of the most widely used databases in the world: Postgres.
Denis recently published a book called Just Use Postgres through Manning, and our conversation explored why this decades-old technology continues to power modern applications, often replacing entire categories of specialized databases.
Rediscovering Postgres
Many engineers have a complicated relationship with Postgres.
For some, it’s the dependable database that’s always there. For others, it can feel like an aging piece of infrastructure overshadowed by newer and more specialized alternatives.
Denis first started using Postgres in 2009 while working on social networking applications. Over the years, it became his preferred database because of its reliability, maturity, and flexibility.
His perspective deepened when he joined Yugabyte, a company building distributed Postgres solutions. There, he began exploring capabilities that many developers overlook, including JSON support, full-text search, and vector similarity search.
Those discoveries ultimately inspired him to write Just Use Postgres.
Beyond a Relational Database
One of the central themes of our discussion was the difference between the “best” tool and the “right” tool.
Postgres may not outperform every specialized database in its respective niche. Dedicated document databases, search engines, or vector databases often offer deeper functionality for specific use cases.
That doesn’t mean you should automatically add them to your stack.
Denis advocates starting with a proof of concept to determine whether Postgres can meet your requirements before introducing additional infrastructure. In many cases, it can.
This philosophy isn’t about replacing every database with Postgres. It’s about reducing unnecessary complexity and making informed architectural decisions.
The Swiss Army Knife of Databases
Throughout our conversation, Postgres increasingly resembled a Swiss Army knife.
Its extensible architecture allows developers to add capabilities through a rich ecosystem of extensions. Whether you need geospatial functionality, scheduling capabilities, advanced indexing, or AI-related features, chances are there’s already an extension available.
This adaptability has helped Postgres remain relevant through multiple generations of technology trends.
Rather than trying to reinvent itself every few years, it continues to evolve while maintaining the stability that production systems depend on.
A Community-Driven Success Story
Another fascinating topic was the governance model behind Postgres.
Unlike many popular technologies, Postgres isn’t controlled by a single vendor. Instead, it thrives through a community-driven approach that prioritizes collaboration and long-term sustainability.
Denis compared its ecosystem to Linux. Multiple companies contribute to the project, but no single organization dictates its direction.
This balance has allowed Postgres to maintain exceptional quality, resilience, and independence while continuing to innovate.
According to Denis, that community stewardship is one of the key reasons why Postgres has remained relevant for so long.
Message Queues, Job Scheduling, and More
One of the more surprising parts of our discussion was how far Postgres can stretch beyond traditional database workloads.
Denis explained that Postgres can serve as a job queue or lightweight messaging system for many applications.
It’s not intended to replace platforms like Kafka for large-scale event streaming, but for simpler workloads, it can often handle job scheduling and message processing effectively.
Features such as partitioning, indexing, and extensibility make these use cases practical without introducing additional operational overhead.
Why Simplicity Matters
A recurring theme throughout the episode was simplicity.
Every new component added to a system introduces operational costs, maintenance requirements, and potential points of failure.
Denis argues that engineers should challenge the assumption that every problem requires a new database or service.
Sometimes the simplest solution is already running in production.
Sometimes the answer is simply: “Just use Postgres.”
Final Thoughts
Denis’s book offers a fresh perspective on a technology many developers think they already know.
Whether you’re a long-time Postgres user or simply curious about what modern Postgres is capable of, Just Use Postgres is packed with practical insights and real-world examples.
You can find the book through Manning, Amazon, and other major booksellers.
To follow Denis and his work, connect with him on LinkedIn and X, where he regularly shares thoughts on databases, distributed systems, and software architecture.
It was a pleasure having Denis on the show, and I hope you enjoy the episode as much as I enjoyed the conversation.
Thanks for reading, and see you in the next one.
