Building Arete Health's portfolio site revealed how database migration challenges can quickly derail development timelines. When our PostgreSQL column type conflicts threatened to halt progress, we discovered that sometimes the best solution isn't pushing through migrations—it's strategically disabling them.
The PostgreSQL Column Type Conundrum
Midway through developing Arete Health's content structure, we encountered a critical issue: Strapi was attempting to enforce a 'jsonb' column type when our PostgreSQL implementation required 'text'. Each migration attempt resulted in schema conflicts, effectively blocking our ability to evolve the content model.
The common approach—manually fixing each migration—would have dramatically slowed our delivery timeline for a client needing rapid deployment. Instead, we took a more pragmatic route.
The Strategic Migration Workaround
Our solution was surgical and effective:
// In config/database.ts
settings: {
// Disable migrations
forceMigration: false,
runMigrations: false,
}This configuration change liberated our development workflow, allowing us to focus on implementing the React Server Components (RSC) and server actions that gave Arete Health's site its performance edge.
RSC & Server Actions: The Healthcare UX Game-Changers
With migration issues resolved, we could fully leverage Next.js 15's most powerful features:
- React Server Components: By rendering complex provider directories and service listings on the server, we delivered complete content to users without the client-side JavaScript overhead.
- Server Actions: Implementing form processing for patient inquiries through server actions eliminated client-side validation libraries, further reducing bundle size while maintaining security.
For healthcare organizations like Arete Health, where both content richness and performance directly impact patient acquisition, this architecture proved transformative. Server components delivered complete SEO-friendly content while server actions handled user interactions without client-side bloat.
Sometimes the most valuable developer skill isn't implementing the latest feature—it's knowing when to work around limitations to keep delivery on track.