- MongoDB was created because existing databases had limitations in terms of speed, scalability, flexibility and agility for modern applications. - Relational databases were good for complex transactions and tabular data but had challenges with object-relational mapping, speed and scaling. NoSQL databases were more flexible but lacked querying and transactions. - MongoDB uses a document data model and is non-relational to allow horizontal scaling while still providing functionality like indexing and queries. The goal was to balance simplicity, functionality and scalability.