The document introduces Micronaut, a modern JVM-based framework optimized for microservices and cloud-native applications, emphasizing its compile-time processing for faster startup and lower memory usage compared to Spring Boot. It discusses key concepts like ahead-of-time compilation, compile-time dependency injection, and the importance of avoiding runtime reflection for performance benefits. The document also highlights scenarios where reflection is still necessary and provides comparisons between Micronaut and Spring Boot in their operational characteristics.