Explore the intricacies of gRPC metadata limits in this 10-minute conference talk by Alisha Nanda from Google. Delve into the importance of configuring metadata size limits for optimal performance and security in gRPC applications. Learn about the potential pitfalls of metadata configuration, including scenarios where clients inadvertently send excessive metadata or when proxies set lower limits than servers. Gain insights into protecting applications against these issues, with a specific focus on the C++ stack. Discover the benefits and challenges of using gRPC metadata for authentication, tracing, and application-specific features, and understand how proper limit configuration can prevent performance degradation.