[ttfkam]

Step 1: "SQL sucks!"

Step 2: Let's make a database engine that doesn't use SQL.

Step 3: "This is hard!"

Step 4: Make SQL access layer.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

See: PartiQL

Those who ignore the lessons of SQL are doomed to reimplement them...poorly.

[ttfkam]

Corollary:

1. "SQL doesn't scale!"

2. We made this database engine that's "web scale"!

3. "This is hard to use!"

4. Make SQL access layer.

See: Spanner

Those who blame SQL for their performance problems are doomed to repeat them using a proprietary syntax.

[int_19h]

This is completely orthogonal to having a saner query language for a relational database. SQL is like C - it does the job, but it has so many legacy warts, it's not all that hard to do better. The only real problem is overcoming how entrenched it is in the industry, which requires any replacement to be substantially better than SQL - so that the gains can justify the logistical costs of switching.