Reduce dependencies as much as possible

[jrriehl]

Prerequisites

• I checked the documentation and made sure this feature does not already exist.
• I checked the existing issues to make sure this feature has not already been requested.
• I have read the code of conduct before creating this issue.

Problem

There are currently some bulky dependencies (e.g. google protobuf) that slow down the upgrade process. We need to analyze the dependencies and see where we can eliminate some if possible.

Feature / Solution

Figure out which bulky dependencies are absolutely needed and which have lighter weight alternatives that we can adopt. Remove as many of these dependencies as possible.

Alternatives

No response

Additional Context

No response