Monolith vs Microservices Decision

Format: Given a scenario, argue whether to choose monolith or microservices.

Decision Framework:

Answer the following questions, score 1 point for each "yes":

□ Does the team have more than 20 people?
□ Do different modules have very different update frequencies?
□ Do different modules need different tech stacks?
□ Do you need to scale a specific module independently?
□ Do you have a dedicated DevOps team?
□ Does your team have microservices experience?

0-2 points: Monolithic architecture
3-4 points: Modular monolith (monolith with clearly separated internal modules)
5-6 points: Microservices may be worth considering

Exercise Scenarios:

1. A 3-person startup team building a SaaS product
2. A 50-person company refactoring a 10-year-old system
3. A solo indie developer building an AI tool

Core Lesson: Nearly all successful microservices systems started as monoliths and were only split apart when truly needed.