diff --git a/src/db/db.go b/src/db/db.go
index 1035ba6..19791ce 100644
--- a/src/db/db.go
+++ b/src/db/db.go
@@ -585,10 +585,28 @@ func (it *Iterator[T]) Next() (*T, bool) {
 	}
 }
 
+// Takes a value from a database query (reflected) and assigns it to the
+// destination. If the destination is a pointer, and the value is non-nil, it
+// will initialize the destination before assigning.
 func setValueFromDB(dest reflect.Value, value reflect.Value) {
+	if dest.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
+		valueIsNilPointer := value.Kind() == reflect.Ptr && value.IsNil()
+		if !value.IsValid() || valueIsNilPointer {
+			dest.Set(reflect.Zero(dest.Type())) // nil to nil, the end
+			return
+		} else {
+			// initialize dest
+			dest.Set(reflect.New(dest.Type().Elem()))
+			dest = dest.Elem()
+		}
+	}
+
 	switch dest.Kind() {
 	case reflect.Int:
 		dest.SetInt(value.Int())
+	case reflect.String:
+		dest.SetString(value.String())
+	// TODO(ben): More kinds? All the kinds? It kind of feels like we should be able to assign to any destination whose underlying type is a primitive.
 	default:
 		dest.Set(value)
 	}
diff --git a/src/db/db_test.go b/src/db/db_test.go
index edc647e..06e4aa9 100644
--- a/src/db/db_test.go
+++ b/src/db/db_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"unsafe"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
@@ -169,3 +170,100 @@ func TestQueryBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	})
 }
+
+func TestSetValueFromDB(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("ints", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Run("int to int", func(t *testing.T) {
+			var dest int
+			var value int = 3
+
+			setValueFromDB(reflectPtr(&dest), reflect.ValueOf(value))
+			assert.Equal(t, 3, dest)
+		})
+		t.Run("int32 to int", func(t *testing.T) {
+			var dest int
+			var value int32 = 3
+
+			setValueFromDB(reflectPtr(&dest), reflect.ValueOf(value))
+			assert.Equal(t, 3, dest)
+		})
+		t.Run("int to *int", func(t *testing.T) {
+			var dest *int
+			var value int = 3
+
+			setValueFromDB(reflectPtr(&dest), reflect.ValueOf(value))
+			assert.Equal(t, 3, *dest)
+		})
+		t.Run("int32 to *int", func(t *testing.T) {
+			var dest *int
+			var value int32 = 3
+
+			setValueFromDB(reflectPtr(&dest), reflect.ValueOf(value))
+			assert.Equal(t, 3, *dest)
+		})
+		t.Run("pointer nil to *int", func(t *testing.T) {
+			var dest *int
+			var value *int = nil
+
+			setValueFromDB(reflectPtr(&dest), reflect.ValueOf(value))
+			assert.Nil(t, dest)
+		})
+		t.Run("interface nil to *int", func(t *testing.T) {
+			var dest *int
+			var value interface{} = nil
+
+			setValueFromDB(reflectPtr(&dest), reflect.ValueOf(value))
+			assert.Nil(t, dest)
+		})
+	})
+
+	t.Run("strings", func(t *testing.T) {
+		type myString string
+		t.Run("string to string", func(t *testing.T) {
+			var dest string
+			var value string = "handmade"
+
+			setValueFromDB(reflectPtr(&dest), reflect.ValueOf(value))
+			assert.Equal(t, "handmade", dest)
+		})
+		t.Run("custom string to string", func(t *testing.T) {
+			var dest string
+			var value myString = "handmade"
+
+			setValueFromDB(reflectPtr(&dest), reflect.ValueOf(value))
+			assert.Equal(t, "handmade", dest)
+		})
+		t.Run("string to *string", func(t *testing.T) {
+			var dest *string
+			var value string = "handmade"
+
+			setValueFromDB(reflectPtr(&dest), reflect.ValueOf(value))
+			assert.Equal(t, "handmade", *dest)
+		})
+		t.Run("custom string to *int", func(t *testing.T) {
+			var dest *string
+			var value myString = "handmade"
+
+			setValueFromDB(reflectPtr(&dest), reflect.ValueOf(value))
+			assert.Equal(t, "handmade", *dest)
+		})
+		t.Run("pointer nil to *string", func(t *testing.T) {
+			var dest *string
+			var value *string = nil
+
+			setValueFromDB(reflectPtr(&dest), reflect.ValueOf(value))
+			assert.Nil(t, dest)
+		})
+		t.Run("interface nil to *string", func(t *testing.T) {
+			var dest *string
+			var value interface{} = nil
+
+			setValueFromDB(reflectPtr(&dest), reflect.ValueOf(value))
+			assert.Nil(t, dest)
+		})
+	})
+}
+
+func reflectPtr[T any](dest *T) reflect.Value {
+	return reflect.NewAt(reflect.TypeOf(*dest), unsafe.Pointer(dest)).Elem()
+}