I Am a Sucker for Conventions. Why Django’s Defaults Work, Until They Don’t

Conventions are one of Django’s greatest strengths.

They simplify our day-to-day work, reduce cognitive load, and let teams move fast with confidence. By following well-established defaults, we spend less time debating structure and more time solving real problems.

But every convention is also a decision - and every decision has trade-offs.

Who decided these conventions? Why were they chosen? And what happens when your problem doesn’t quite fit the “Django way”?

In this talk, we’ll explore Django’s conventions as both a feature and a constraint. We’ll look at where they shine, where they leak, and how experienced developers can respectfully bend (or break) them without fighting the framework. This is a talk for anyone who loves Django — especially when they disagree with it.