MCP Servers Beyond 101: Good Practices, Design Choices and Their Consequences

The Model Context Protocol has emerged as a critical bridge connecting large language models to external tools and data sources. However, creating a functional MCP server represents only the initial step. The genuine challenge lies in architectural decisions: choosing between generic or specialized implementations, balancing openness with security constraints, and trading flexibility for safety guarantees.

Drawing on practical experience, this presentation examines design patterns and common pitfalls as MCP adoption accelerates. Through live demonstrations and architectural analysis, the speaker explores how specific technical choices influence developer experience, system performance, and security posture.

The talk connects lessons from REST API evolution to the MCP landscape, while acknowledging heightened stakes given that "agents are acting directly on our systems." The presentation provides a mental framework for designing robust MCP servers alongside actionable guidelines for immediate implementation.