MongoDB represents to me a very good way to build a product. There has always been so much derisive criticism about MongoDB opting to prioritize convenience of customer workflows above all else, and to go back and add best practices, basic data safety, etc., on a piecemeal basis after the fact. Customers are surprisingly willing to put up with problems as long as usability and user experience is high, and they will wait for other features. Meanwhile, plenty of other database projects may start out with a more deliberate focus on classical database safety and guarantees, yet hardly build any customer base.

Even though I may like e.g. Postgres features more, there is still something to be respected about how MongoDB has operated, and the constant vitriol about their chosen priorities has always sounded hollow to me, even accounting for stories about data loss, etc.

Incidentally, I once had the chance to tour the MongoDB office near Times Square, and boy, I can tell you it is not an office environment for me. Extremely loud, and they even have things like scooter parking slots and signs for “scooter etiquette” for rolling around the office on a scooter.

I’m not sure how they are able to focus on any engineering work, but kudos to them for finding a way.