API Design Patterns 2026 — Resource-Oriented vs Action-Oriented vs RPC
Three API shapes you’ll see in 2026: resource-oriented (REST), action-oriented, and RPC. The strengths of each, when hybrids work, and the design choices that age well.
Backend
GraphQL vs tRPC vs gRPC vs REST in 2026 — How to Pick an API Layer
When to use REST vs GraphQL vs tRPC vs gRPC vs Connect in 2026. The tradeoffs each makes, where each shines, and a decision guide based on your client/server combination.
Zig in 2026 — A Backend Developer's Look at the Language Bun Was Built In
A practical look at Zig in 2026 — language fundamentals, why Bun chose it, how it compares to Rust and Go, the current ecosystem, and concrete cases where it earns the call.
Temporal and Durable Execution in 2026 — The Reliability Layer
Durable execution explained. Why Temporal became standard infrastructure in 2026, when to reach for it, and concrete patterns for AI agents, payment workflows, sagas, and any long-running process that must survive crashes.
DuckDB in Production — Embedded Analytics Eating the Data World
DuckDB has become the embedded analytics engine of 2026. Why it replaces Pandas, where it fits next to Postgres / ClickHouse / Snowflake, the DuckLake extension, and concrete patterns for SaaS, notebooks, and edge analytics.
Authentication in 2026 — Passkeys, OAuth 2.1, OIDC, and What to Actually Ship
A practical guide to authentication in 2026 — passkeys as the primary factor, OAuth 2.1 + OIDC for federation, sessions vs JWTs, the right stack for FastAPI / Django / Hono / Next.js, and the security mistakes I keep seeing.
SQLite at the Edge in 2026 — Turso, Litestream, Cloudflare D1, and When It Beats Postgres
Why SQLite has become a serious production database in 2026. Turso/libSQL, Litestream replication, Cloudflare D1, embedded replicas with microsecond reads, the workloads where it beats Postgres, and the ones where it doesn’t.
SSE vs WebSockets in 2026 — Streaming AI Apps, Chat, and Real-Time UIs
A practical comparison of Server-Sent Events and WebSockets in 2026. The protocol differences, AI token streaming, chat with cancellation, code in FastAPI, Hono, and Axum, scaling and CDN/proxy behavior, and a clear decision rule.
Caching Strategies in 2026 — Redis, Valkey, and the Patterns That Actually Work
Production caching strategies — cache-aside vs write-through vs write-behind, stampede prevention, hot keys, TTL design, the Redis-vs-Valkey split, and a checklist for adding caching that doesn’t bite back.
Idempotency, Retries, and the Exactly-Once Illusion
Production patterns for idempotency keys, retry strategies, the outbox pattern, and the truth about exactly-once delivery. The patterns every backend engineer needs to handle network failure correctly.