The compiler one read to me like a reminder to not ignore the lessons of compiler design. The premise being that even though you have small scope project compared to a "real" compiler, you will evolve towards analogues of those design ideas. The databases and k8s pieces are more like don't even try a small scope project because you'll want the same features eventually.

I suppose I can see how people are taking this piece that way, but I don't see it like that. It is snarky and ranty, which makes it hard to express or perceive nuance. They do explicitly acknowledge that "a single server can go a long way" though.

I think the real point, better expressed, is that if you find yourself building a system with like a third of the features of K8s but composed of hand-rolled scripts and random third-party tools kludged together, maybe you should have just bit the bullet and moved to K8s instead.

You probably shouldn't start your project on it unless you have a dedicated DevOps department maintaining your cluster for you, but don't be afraid to move to it if your needs start getting more complex.

I had a hard time putting my finger on what was so annoying about the follow-ons to the compiler post, and this nails it for me. Thanks!