November 17, 2025

When your ORM says no — use a CTE anyway

Hi there,

This week wraps up the CTE trilogy — and it’s all about using them when your ORM says “no.”

Because sometimes, the fastest path isn’t through another abstraction layer — it’s through understanding what the database can already do for you.

→ Read now:
Using CTEs When Your ORM Says No (The Lazy Developer’s Survival guide)

Why this matters

• When your ORM blocks recursion, SQL doesn’t

• Cleaner joins, smaller queries, faster execution

• Freedom to debug, tune, and reason in plain SQL

“Lazy is not careless — it’s strategic.”
Part 3 of the “Readable. Recursive. Realistic.” SQL series.

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📚 Previously on Efficient Laziness

• Part 1 — Your ORM is Lying to You About SQL (CTEs Explained)

• Part 2 — Recursive CTEs: Because Writing Nested Loops for Trees Is Psychopathic (and a Little Masochistic)

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🧭 Coming Thursday on Efficient Laziness

WordPress → Hugo: Lightning Fast Sites in 2025
Why moving from dynamic to static isn’t just about speed — it’s about control, reliability, and peace of mind.

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Efficient Laziness — Think once, well, and move forward.