Have you ever worked with query optimization? Where does optimization generally start?

Query optimization begins with analyzing the current situation: understanding which queries are slow and why. The process typically includes the following steps:

1. Metrics collection and profiling — measuring query execution times, database load, and index usage.
2. Execution plan analysis — studying how the DBMS executes the query (EXPLAIN, EXPLAIN ANALYZE).
3. Identifying bottlenecks — pinpointing operations with high costs (table scans, sorts, joins).
4. Optimization — adding indexes, rewriting queries, denormalizing data, caching.
5. Testing and monitoring — checking how changes affect performance.

Optimization is an iterative process that starts with understanding the problem and ends with verifying the results.