[dondraper36]

Yes, I would probably phrase it like this. "Under the current load, I would go super simple and use X, which can work fine long enough until it doesn't. And then we can think about horizontal scaling and use Y and Z". Then proceed with a deeper discussion of Y and Z, probably.

After all, interviewing and understanding what your interviewer expects to hear is also a valuable skill (same as with your boss or client).

[no_wizard]

Even better would be to clarify under the current load and if reasonably expected future load is similar, I would use X for Y reasons.

Sometimes the “trick” is in todays load is not tomorrows