I respectfully disagree. I have found great value out of database tests that did not require the overhead of end to end tests, which I've found can be brittle a

I respectfully disagree. I have found great value out of database tests that did not require the overhead of end to end tests, which I've found can be brittle and slow - especially if your service depends in some way on another application or outside piece of infrastructure. As an aside, anytime I hear "not ever" from somebody wrt design patterns, my doubt sensors jump to alert.