Learn MySQL Performance

Every year new cohorts of programmers, DBAs, managers, and more learn MySQL. After MySQL and HeatWave Summit 2025 a few weeks ago, I realized what job needs to be done for these people and how I could help them make progress: revamping this website to focus on “the path”.

The path started as a conference presentation based on my book, Efficient MySQL Performance. But not everyone reads books or needs to read a whole book on a subject. Sometimes, people just need a lay of the land and some pointers on where to go first, second, and third.

So I revamped this website to focus on the path:

The path appears in various forms throughout this website: home page, top menu drop-down, and related pages like this one:

“Learn MySQL Performance 2” above the bird means this page is related to path “2. Indexes and Indexing.” Click the number to go back to the path.

Whereas before Hack MySQL was a random collection of articles, now it has a focus and a purpose: to help visitors learn MySQL performance by following the path, however far or deep they need to go.

To that end, each of the nine path pages has more (new) information than previously found on this site:

• Context: why learn this topic?
• Key Points: if you know nothing else, at least know these
• Pitfalls: be aware of and avoid these
• Hack MySQL Articles: articles here along the page
• Additional Resources: curated links to accurate and credible sources

While revamping this website, I was reminded how difficult it is to truly and effectively learn MySQL performance. Notwithstanding the need to filter out all the half-baked misleading clickbait, it’s really quite difficult to find good resources on these nine topics—except 2. Indexes and Indexing that experts like to write about. It’s all covered in detail in my book, but again: not everyone reads books or needs to read a whole book on a subject.

When you or someone you know needs to learn MySQL performance, now there’s an easy answer that’s actually helpful and effective:

Go to hackmysql.com.