Hanselminutes with Scott Hanselman Why Postgres? and why now? with Claire Giordano
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Nov 13, 2025 
Claire Giordano, a long-time Postgres advocate and engineer at Microsoft, shares her journey into the world of PostgreSQL. She discusses the database's unexpected rise from academia to a leading choice for startups and global enterprises. Claire highlights Postgres' extensibility, the importance of its open-source community, and its adaptability in the era of AI. She also sheds light on its welcoming community culture and how managed services have boosted its adoption. Discover the secrets behind Postgres' enduring popularity and innovative spirit!
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Career Path Through Citus To Postgres Core
- Claire discovered Postgres when she joined the Citus open source team in 2017, which is an extension to Postgres.
- After Microsoft's acquisition of Citus she shifted focus from the extension to contributing to Postgres core.
Extensibility Was Built In From Day One
- Extensibility was a core design goal from the earliest Postgres design documents in 1986.
- That extensibility enabled features like extensions and custom data types that expanded Postgres's ecosystem.
Permissive License Fueled Wide Adoption
- Postgres's permissive PostgreSQL license made it easy for universities and developers to adopt and learn it.
- That early openness seeded a large community of users and contributors worldwide.