Hello everyone.
When you first started web scraping, did you use a simple proxy setup and gradually evolve it, or did you invest in a more advanced solution from the beginning? I'm interested in how your proxy strategy changed as your projects became larger or more complex.
As you can see, there are many factors to weigh before choosing the right approach, from scalability to reliability. Did scaling introduce new challenges with IP quality, request success rates, or infrastructure costs? If you were starting over today, what would you do differently, and which practices have had the biggest impact on long-term reliability?
I'd love to hear real experiences, lessons learned, and any overlooked factors that newcomers should consider before choosing a proxy solution.