The Hitchhiker’s Guide to PostgreSQL Hacking: Don’t Panic, Just Start Small

Hacking on PostgreSQL can feel overwhelming: a massive codebase, a rigorous review culture, and a patch queue that never seems to shrink. Many aspiring contributors ask the same questions: Where do I begin? What should I work on?

This talk offers a practical roadmap for entering PostgreSQL development. Rather than starting with large features or ambitious rewrites, we focus on a disciplined approach: reviewing patches, fixing small bugs, testing edge cases, and building intuition for the codebase.

We explore how small improvements—clarifying a review comment, or isolating a bug—compound into deeper understanding and meaningful contributions. We will also discuss the psychological side of hacking: navigating imposter syndrome, learning from reviews, and turning feedback into momentum.

PostgreSQL is not conquered in a single patch. It is learned incrementally. This talk demonstrates how sustained, focused effort transforms confusion into contribution.

What Attendees Will Learn

• How to choose a first patch
• How patch review builds architectural understanding
• How small changes lead to larger infrastructure work
• How to navigate PostgreSQL’s review culture effectively
• How to turn feedback into growth instead of frustration