[cockroachdb here] Yes! In addition to being highly scalable, CockroachDB also comes with built-in replication. That means that even with a smaller project that hasn't scaled yet, you still get the benefit of a more resilient database.

Also, CockroachDB is super easy to install and get started with!

I've come across many projects that are easy to get started with, but the main stuff to look for is in the details. Although MySQL might be easy to get into, for example, it takes time to learn the intricacies for query optimizations, and importantly, what to do when SHTF, like when a table gets corrupted.

My question is, in your opinion, what does it take to become proficient in CockroachDB sufficiently enough to be comfortable using it in a high volume, high-uptime-required environment?

Thanks.

I can't speak for others, but at least for me the main attraction of CockroachDB is getting foolproof HA straight out of the box. That is something I think anyone can appreciate regardless of their dataset size.

Note that I haven't actually ran CockroachDB yet, so I can't confirm if it really delivers on that promise, but I'm hopeful.

"getting foolproof HA straight out of the box"

This is a minimal requirement for any modern database.

No, HA straight out of the box is a minimal requirement. Foolproof HA is not a requirement, since neither MySQL or Postgres offer "easy" HA setup.

Galera cluster works "out of the box", that might be the closest SQL competitor in that regard.

What is HA?

High Availability

Here we see a cornerstone of HA: redundancy

High Availability

High availability :)