Trigger.dev is an open-source background jobs platform that developers love for running long-duration tasks without timeouts. It handles everything from queues to elastic scaling, letting developers write normal async code for tasks like video processing, AI operations, and PDF conversion.

With features like automatic retries, real-time monitoring, and durable scheduling, it's particularly popular among teams building AI applications and data-intensive services. The platform offers comprehensive observability, custom queues, and seamless integration with various frameworks.

Trigger.dev distinguishes itself in handling long-running tasks like video processing or AI workflows, simplifying complex scheduling with elegant cron syntax. Its robust logging and local testing capabilities are invaluable. That being said, the V3 migration hurdles and intricate internal architecture could deter some. Avoid it if you're averse to occasional breaking changes or prefer simpler tooling.

Founders building AI-powered applications or needing robust background processing should explore Trigger.dev's potential. If your needs are basic and you prioritize simplicity, explore alternatives. The platform's pay-as-you-go model is appealing, but the learning curve linked to V3 and potential V2/V3 code conflicts deserve consideration.

Trigger.dev is a powerful, albeit complex, solution.

Use Trigger.dev's `batchTriggerAndWait()` feature, especially when dealing with AI model training or data processing tasks that can be parallelized. Divide your dataset or training workload into smaller chunks, trigger individual task runs for each chunk using `batchTriggerAndWait()`, and then consolidate the results after all tasks have completed. This allows you to scale your processing power, reduce the overall execution time, and efficiently manage large workloads without exceeding resource limits.