Databases often focus excessively on benchmark performance, overlooking the fact that a subjectively better user experience is often more important. The rate at which a database improves, ease of use, and how it integrates into existing workflows are all factors that can be more important when choosing a database over just raw performance. Focusing on a streamlined user experience that empowers quick analysis can sometimes offer a better edge than single-metric performance gains.

Jaana Dogan, a Principal Engineer at Google, wrote a post about database-related issues commonly overlooked. It emphasizes the importance of understanding nuances like ACID compliance, isolation levels, and data consistency. It also talks about the pitfalls of auto-incrementing primary keys, optimistic locking, write skews, and clock skews.