Ask HN: What back end and database are you choosing for new projects in 2026?

I am looking at the architectural choices of early-stage startups and new projects. I know the standard answer is "it depends on the use case," but I am curious about what people are actually choosing today when starting from scratch.

Specifically, I want to know about your backend language/framework and your primary database choice.

If you started a project or startup recently:

1. What is your backend + DB stack? 2. What was the driving factor? (e.g., maximizing iteration speed, team familiarity, type safety, AI/vector requirements, or keeping infrastructure simple/cheap?) 3. What did you intentionally trade off or sacrifice by making this choice?

If you could start over today, would you choose the same stack?