10 Performance Hacks for Faster Python

What are the steps to get started building a FastAPI application? What are the different types of concurrency available in Python? Christopher Trudeau is back on the show this week, bringing another batch of PyCoder’s Weekly articles and projects.

We discuss a recent Real Python step-by-step tutorial about programming a FastAPI example application. You practice installing FastAPI, building your first endpoints, adding path and query parameters, and validating endpoints using Pydantic.

Christopher covers updates to his Real Python video course about concurrency in Python. The course digs into what concurrency means in Python and why you might want to incorporate it in your code. He describes the different methods and demonstrates how to approach coding using threading, asyncio, and multiprocessing.

We also share several other articles and projects from the Python community, including a news roundup, the PSF fundraiser campaign for 2025, where Python stores attributes, performance hacks for faster Python code, a project to transform functions into a web interface, and a Python disk-backed cache.

Topics:

• 00:00:00 – Introduction
• 00:02:18 – Django Security Release
• 00:02:46 – Django Is Now a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA)
• 00:03:53 – An Annual Release Cycle for Django
• 00:04:12 – PEP 810: Explicit Lazy Imports (Accepted)
• 00:04:27 – PSF Board Office Hour Sessions for 2026
• 00:05:42 – PyCon US 2026: Call for Proposals Open
• 00:06:15 – PSF Fundraiser campaign for 2025
• 00:10:12 – A Close Look at a FastAPI Example Application
• 00:16:36 – Speed Up Python With Concurrency
• 00:21:08 – __dict__: Where Python Stores Attributes
• 00:25:59 – Video Course Spotlight
• 00:27:17 – 10 Smart Performance Hacks for Faster Python Code
• 00:29:56 – FuncToWeb: Transform Python Functions Into a Web Interface
• 00:32:48 – python-diskcache: Python Disk-Backed Cache
• 00:34:07 – Thanks and goodbye

News:

• Django Security Release: 5.2.8, 5.1.14, and 4.2.26
• Django Is Now a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA)
• An Annual Release Cycle for Django - Buttondown
• PEP 810: Explicit Lazy Imports (Accepted)
• PSF Board Office Hour Sessions for 2026
• PyCon US, Long Beach CA, 2026: Call for Proposals Open
• PSF Fundraiser campaign for 2025
• Connecting the Dots: Understanding the PSF’s Current Financial Outlook

Show Links:

• A Close Look at a FastAPI Example Application – Set up a FastAPI example app, add path and query parameters, and handle CRUD operations with Pydantic for clean, validated endpoints.
• Speed Up Python With Concurrency – Learn what concurrency means in Python and why you might want to use it. You’ll see a simple, non-concurrent approach and then look into why you’d want threading, asyncio, or multiprocessing.
• __dict__: Where Python Stores Attributes – Most Python objects store their attributes in a __dict__ dictionary. Modules and classes always use __dict__, but not everything does.
• 10 Smart Performance Hacks for Faster Python Code – Some practical optimization hacks, from data structures to built-in modules, that boost speed, reduce overhead, and keep your Python code clean.

Projects:

• FuncToWeb: Transform Python Functions Into a Web Interface
• python-diskcache: Python Disk-Backed Cache

Additional Links:

• Become a Member of the PSF - Python Software Foundation
• FastAPI
• Welcome to Pydantic
• Quiz: A Close Look at a FastAPI Example Application – Practice FastAPI basics with path parameters, request bodies, async endpoints, and CORS. Build confidence to design and test simple Python web APIs.
• Diskcache, more than caching - Bite code!

Level up your Python skills with our expert-led courses:

• Python REST APIs With FastAPI
• Python Descriptors
• Speed Up Python With Concurrency

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