As Node.js matures, we tend to reuse patterns, practices, and even frameworks that we are used to. A cache layer in our minds. This is great, only some are not necessarily your best choice anymore. In this talk, we will walk through 10+ key techniques in a typical application and consider fresh alternatives that might be better sometimes. These proposed alternatives include code patterns, libraries, and design decisions. Need some examples? Typed JSON validators, trpc, Prisma, Turborepo, and more. No worries, the content is framework-agnostic - apply these ideas everywhere. It's my hope, that this talk will inspire you to embrace at least one new technique. Going beyond individual ideas, it might be that it will also change the fundamentals of how you design Node.js applications