The wrong reasons to build an MCP server

We’ve built multiple MCP servers—enough to know where they shine, and where they hurt. MCP is powerful: it standardizes how LLMs connect with tools, prompts, and resources. But here’s the hard truth: not every use case deserves an MCP server. Sometimes it’s just overhead, slowing you down when a plain SDK or direct API call would have worked better.

In this session, we’ll share lessons learned from real MCP builds: the wins, the painful over-engineering, and the “wish we hadn’t done that” moments. Most importantly, we’ll give you a practical checklist to decide when MCP is worth it—and when it’s simply the wrong tool. You’ll walk away with clear guidance, battle-tested stories, and the confidence to avoid the mistakes we made.