SELECT * FROM list ORDER BY pos LIMIT 3
If there's an index on pos, there's no cost to the sort.
If there's an index on pos, there's no cost to the sort.
Now I want a full select of those 800 users with their first three to-do items in neat columns next to the user.
Your select doesn't do that.
items[0].text + items[1].text + items[2].text
items.slice(0,2).map((e) => e.text).concat('');