How to Remain Agile with DynamoDB

Amazon DynamoDB is built to deliver single-digit millisecond performance at any scale. It is built to store Terabytes of data. It is built to support Amazon’s Cyber Monday traffic.

However, this scalability comes with an overhead. No matter what resource you look up, you will be constantly reminded that “You Must Know Your Access Patterns In Advance”. Amazon Marketplace had been running for years before they migrated to DynamoDB so they were well equipped to know how they needed to access their data and fully reap the rewards of a NoSQL setup.

In contrast, a new startup with an exciting new product wants to build an MVP quickly. They don’t know how their app will grow over time. They want to be agile and react to their users to develop their product accordingly. They can’t know all their access patterns in advance.

This no doubt poses an issue, but not an insurmountable one.

Being able to map your access patterns in as much detail as possible will translate to a smooth DynamoDB adventure. However, building a startup is about disrupting the market so you can’t be afraid of a little turbulence along to way to reach your goal.

If you use DynamoDB from the start you will never have to worry about the scalability of your product. If your app gets a massive social media spike, you won’t have to scramble to prevent your site going down. And reaching that scale is what all startups aspire to so how can we build towards this while limiting the turbulence?

Check out my full article on our Serverless Transformation Blog.