The podcast discusses successful Postgres-related startups and their funding, as well as the growth of the Postgres ecosystem. They highlight new content sources like Postgres TV, Tobias Petry's tips, Hussein NASA's YouTube channel, and the Postgres weekly newsletter. The hosts delve into middleware options and the benefits of application side sharding. They explore the potential threat to Postgres and the concept of branching in databases, specifically in PostgreSQL. Lastly, they discuss the latest features in Postgres, serverless use cases, and the OOTP project for native database branching.
Startups in the Postgres ecosystem have achieved significant fundraising success, creating open source alternatives and expanding the user base.
Postgres-specific content platforms like Postgres TV and Postgres FM, along with educational resources like Tobias Petri and Hussein Nasser's contributions, have played a significant role in disseminating Postgres knowledge.
Notable advancements in sharding solutions and the introduction of database branching have addressed scalability and development challenges in the Postgres ecosystem.
Deep dives
Postgres ecosystem sees strong startups and fundraising
The Postgres ecosystem has witnessed the emergence of strong startups and remarkable fundraising results. Companies like Ivan, Hasura, Timescale, Superbase, and Hidra have raised significant amounts of money, with Ivan achieving a 2 billion evaluation and raising $420 million this year. These startups offer value propositions that revolve around being open source alternatives to established platforms like Firebase, Aurora, and Snowflake, all built on top of Postgres. The success of these startups not only brings in financial resources but also contributes to the growth of the Postgres community and ecosystem, inviting more minds to develop innovative projects and expand the user base.
Increase in Postgres-related content creation and community engagement
Postgres TV and Podcast FM offer abundant Postgres-specific content, engaging experts and providing useful talks and interviews. These platforms have seen increased activity and have become valuable resources for the Postgres community. Additionally, individuals like Tobias Petri and Hussein Nasser have made significant contributions by creating beginner-friendly content and explanatory YouTube videos about Postgres for developers. The Postgres weekly newsletter has been consistently delivering informative updates and insights on various Postgres-related topics. The availability of diverse content platforms has greatly contributed to the dissemination of knowledge and engagement within the Postgres community.
Advancements in sharding and database branching
This year has seen notable progress in the development of sharding solutions for Postgres. Citus, an open-source distributed database, has fully released its platform under Microsoft's sponsorship, while new projects like SPQR and PG-CAD have emerged, providing simple yet powerful sharding capabilities. Another exciting development is the rise of database branching, which allows users to work with independent databases and experiment with different data without impacting the underlying production environment. Companies like Database Lab and Neon have embraced this concept, bringing branching and cloning functionalities to Postgres. The continuous advancements in sharding and database branching promise to solve challenges related to scalability, testing, and development in the Postgres ecosystem.
Increased availability of managed Postgres services
The availability of managed Postgres services has surged this year, with major cloud vendors like AWS, Google Cloud, and Oracle Cloud offering their own managed options. Even Google Cloud introduced AloyDB, a cloud database that shares similarities with Postgres and provides features for hybrid transactional and analytical processing. This wide range of managed services and self-managed options in the form of Kubernetes operators has given users numerous choices when it comes to selecting the appropriate Postgres solution. It has sparked healthy competition and further cemented Postgres' position as a leading database engine.
Postgres continues to improve with annual major versions
Postgres has maintained its strong development momentum, delivering an annual major version release. The continuous improvement and expansion of Postgres features and capabilities remains a top priority. Most recently, Postgres 15 introduced numerous enhancements, both big and small, showcasing the dedication and commitment of the Postgres community. The ongoing evolution of Postgres ensures that users have access to a robust and reliable database engine for their diverse needs, while also positioning it favorably in a competitive database landscape.