Stripe's Strategy for Achieving 99.999% Uptime
Hello!
I’ve rounded up some must-read articles for you to enjoy. Discover how to shift platform engineering from reactive to proactive, how to improve Google Pagespeed Insights on Next.js websites, and learn from Stripe’s scalable database architecture.?
We’ll also explore how AI is changing dev platforms like Vercel, Netlify, and Fastly, Shopify’s masterclass preparation for the busiest time of the year, and why technical audits are essential for boosting productivity and reducing costs.
Christmas is just around the corner and like many of you, I'll be wrapping up the year and celebrating with family. Since this is the last issue of Frictionless in 2024, I wish you all a joyful holiday season and a merry Christmas.
Here's to an inspiring and successful 2025 ??
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Reduce Friction
A Field Guide to Team Dynamics and Conflict
Improving team dynamics and handling conflict starts with recognizing patterns and addressing tension. Focus on three states: Flow, where trust and balance drive performance; Productive Conflict, where curiosity leads to solutions; and Unclear States, where trust and clarity resolve ambiguity.
How To Launch High-Impact Engineering Projects
Releasing high-impact engineering projects takes leadership, clear communication, and strong teamwork. Roles like a launch captain keep everyone aligned, tackling risks early and ensuring the team is ready, while specialized tools help coordinate actions, track progress, and avoid surprises, so projects land smoothly.
FAQ: OKR Not Working in My Company
Many teams need help with OKRs because they focus on outputs instead of outcomes. Shifting to outcome-based OKRs, with clear metrics and achievable quarterly targets, can make a big difference. Prioritizing research and discovery helps teams measure real user or business impact rather than just completing projects.
Problem Driven Development
The best solutions come from understanding the problem first. By taking a step back to define the issue clearly, teams can avoid wasted efforts and ensure their work creates a meaningful impact.
Deepen Your Expertise
Improve Your Google Pagespeed Insights on Next js Websites
A faster Next.js site and better PageSpeed scores start with smart tweaks: reducing re-renders, trimming bundle sizes, lazy loading images and scripts, and using tools like next/image for optimized visuals. Focus on modern image formats, code splitting, and cleaner JavaScript to keep things smooth, fast, and user-friendly.
Debunking the Myth: SSR Isn't Expensive
Server-Side Rendering (SSR) isn’t as expensive as it’s often made out to be. Modern frameworks like Next.js keep it fast and efficient, reducing costs by consolidating requests and improving performance. For anything beyond simple static sites, SSR often saves money.
The Evolution of Infrastructure in the Cloud Era
Cloud abstraction layers are simplifying IT infrastructure, cutting costs, and helping teams innovate faster. Tools like S3 Tables let developers focus on building while business users access tech that once required IT expertise.?
6 Steps To Shift Platform Engineering From Reactive to Proactive
Platform engineers can have a bigger impact by thinking like product managers. Focus on understanding developer pain points, prioritizing high-impact solutions, and building iteratively with real feedback. Using metrics like DORA to measure success and collaborate with security and operations helps create scalable, developer-friendly platforms.
Managing Complexity of Software Systems
Software complexity can’t be avoided, only managed. Based on the ideas of Amazon’s CTO, Werner Vogels, we can divide complexity into two categories: intended (simplifying user experience) and unintended (technical debt and poor design). To manage them, break systems into modular parts, design for evolvability, and automate to keep scaling smooth.
Increase Scalability
The Architecture of Stripe's Document Database
Stripe's DocDB combines MongoDB with custom optimizations for scalability and high availability. Features like dynamic rebalancing, automated sharding, and seamless migrations ensure minimal downtime and 99.999% uptime.
How Shopify Built Its Live Globe for Black Friday
Handling the chaos of Black Friday is no small feat, and Shopify’s tactic is a masterclass in preparation. Their smart scaling, rock-solid infrastructure, and focus on reliability show how to keep things running smoothly when site traffic hits an all-time high.
Building Healthcare Platforms with Next.js
Next.js is a great choice for healthcare platforms, offering fast performance, strong security, and scalability. With hybrid rendering, serverless functions, and tools like NextAuth, it promises smooth development and data protection.
Technical Audits: Optimizing Cost, Performance, And Productivity
Every 100ms of latency can reduce sales conversion by up to 8% for e-commerce apps, costing millions in revenue. According to Vercel, technical audits can help find hidden bottlenecks, like slow page loads and inefficient caching, improving performance, speeding up builds, and optimizing costs to improve app efficiency.
How Dev Platforms Like Vercel, Netlify and Fastly Use AI
AI technology is changing how dev platforms like Vercel, Netlify, and Fastly approach productivity and collaboration. By automating tasks, optimizing workflows, and improving customer support, AI is helping teams work faster and more efficiently.
Just Cool
WordPress Forces Users to Agree That Pineapple Is Good on Pizza
WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg made users agree that "pineapple is delicious on pizza" before logging in, amid a growing feud with WP Engine. The legal battle over trademarks and platform access took a turn when a federal judge ruled in favor of WP Engine, halting Automattic from blocking its access to WordPress.org resources.
?? Let’s Stay in Touch!
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