- Managed hosting and managed databases remove most early infrastructure decisions entirely.
- Automated backups are non-negotiable from day one, regardless of how small the product is.
- Basic monitoring and alerting should exist before the first real user, not after an outage.
- A written, even minimal, incident plan matters more early than sophisticated infrastructure.
Managed services remove most early decisions
Choosing managed hosting and a managed database service removes the need to make dozens of infrastructure decisions a first-time founder isn't equipped to evaluate anyway. This isn't cutting corners — it's the correct default for almost every early-stage product.
Backups are non-negotiable, even for a tiny product
It's tempting to skip automated backups when the product and user base are still small, reasoning there's not much to lose yet. That reasoning is backwards — a small dataset is exactly when losing it is most preventable and most embarrassing if it happens.
Basic monitoring before the first real user
Knowing the product is down before a user has to tell you is a low-cost, high-value setup that should exist before real users start relying on the product, not retrofitted after the first outage causes visible damage to a founder's credibility.
A minimal incident plan beats none at all
A one-page document naming who does what if the site goes down at 2am is far more valuable, at this stage, than elaborate infrastructure most early products don't need yet. Simple preparation beats sophisticated infrastructure nobody's trained to operate.