This thread has (at least at the moment) serious Bob Martin Sudoku Solver energy to it. Tailscale has solved an infamously complicated problem using, for the most part, simple tools. They're not just successful; they're remarkably successful, spookily successful, upsettingly successful.
Consider whether the secret sauce here might not be au courant database choices, but rather something much harder for random teams to pick up and run with: just straight up good design and programming.
This is a thing that happens in other fields, too; some of the hardest dishes to cook seem extremely simple and have few ingredients. They're hard because there's no place to hide: your technique has to be flawless or they don't work. A famous entrance exam for new cooks at fine dining restaurants is "make an omelet". Tailscale is, thankfully (and, to me, irritatingly), more like an omelet than a truffled hash.
Consider whether the secret sauce here might not be au courant database choices, but rather something much harder for random teams to pick up and run with: just straight up good design and programming.
This is a thing that happens in other fields, too; some of the hardest dishes to cook seem extremely simple and have few ingredients. They're hard because there's no place to hide: your technique has to be flawless or they don't work. A famous entrance exam for new cooks at fine dining restaurants is "make an omelet". Tailscale is, thankfully (and, to me, irritatingly), more like an omelet than a truffled hash.