Scaling Systems: When Database Queries Become Bottlenecks

Startups often prioritize speed over scale, which is correct—until it isn't.

The N+1 Problem

One of the most common issues I see in early-stage products is the N+1 query problem. When fetching a list of items and then interacting with a related table for each item, you explode your database load.

Solution

• Eager Loading: Fetch all related data in one go.
• Caching: Redis is your friend.
• Read Replicas: Distribute the load for analytics dashboards.