authentik is an open source authentication project built on Python and Django that was initially started as a hobby project in 2018 and later developed into a business called Authentik Security with funding from Open Core Ventures. The project's primary differentiator is its self-hosted delivery model, which appeals to developers who want to customize their authentication solutions. Building authentik with Python and Django enabled the team to hire more developers familiar with these languages, supporting the project's growth. However, the choice of Python and Django also imposed a speed limitation, which was prioritized over performance due to its impact on iteration speed and ease of development. The author argues that speed is not as critical for business applications, especially B2B software, where users often have different expectations and requirements. Instead, the team focused on building a robust product with good architecture, scalability, and user experience design, which has enabled them to make tradeoffs in performance without compromising their core differentiator. The author emphasizes that technology stacks are not static and that migration can be an option if needed, while also stressing the importance of architecting applications well to ensure scalability and long-term performance.