Servers Get Stressed Too: Subtle Ways We Overload Our Systems Without Realizing It

Every backend developer wants to build reliable, performant systems—but sometimes, without knowing it, we’re the ones stressing our servers out. From long-running processes inside request cycles to unnecessary multi-hop queries, small missteps compound to produce slow, expensive, and fragile systems.

In this talk, we’ll explore overlooked patterns that silently put strain on our infrastructure. Inspired by learnings from database internals, data-intensive systems, and years of backend experience, we’ll dive into practical examples like misused pagination, poor API design, inefficient stats aggregation, and more. You’ll leave with a checklist of things your servers wish you stopped doing—and how to fix them.