Beyond the ORM: Practical Database Optimization Strategies for Modern Developers

Database performance bottlenecks remain one of the most common sources of application slowdowns, yet many developers lack the practical knowledge to identify and resolve these issues effectively. This talk bridges the gap between theoretical database concepts and real-world optimization techniques that can be immediately applied to production systems.

We'll explore a systematic approach to database optimization that goes beyond basic indexing, covering query plan analysis, connection pooling strategies, and schema design patterns that scale. Attendees will learn how to use database profiling tools to identify performance hotspots, understand when and how to denormalize for performance gains, and implement caching strategies that complement rather than complicate their data layer.

The session includes live demonstrations of optimization techniques across popular database systems (PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB), showing before-and-after performance metrics from real applications. We'll examine common anti-patterns that developers unknowingly introduce through ORMs and frameworks, and provide actionable solutions that don't require abandoning existing toolchains.

Key takeaways include a practical checklist for database health monitoring, guidelines for when to optimize versus when to scale horizontally, and proven techniques for reducing query execution time by orders of magnitude. Whether you're dealing with slow API responses, growing datasets, or planning for scale, this talk provides immediately applicable strategies to make your applications faster and more reliable.

Target Audience: Software developers, backend engineers, and technical leads working with database-driven applications

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