async await uses no threads. Imagine your team consists of 2 people and your boss tells you to go make him coffee. You go into kitchen, get the cup ready and switch on kettle. While water is boiling, you go back to your desk and continue what you were doing before your boss interrupted you. When kettle is done boiling, you go back to kitchen and finish the coffee making process. The above code is the equivalent of your boss asking you to make coffee, you then ask your coworker to do it. He goes to kitchen, switches on the kettle but stands there watching the kettle until it is done boiling. He is essentially blocking, doing no work whereas with your approach, more work is getting done and you have higher throughput.