Also known as: tech debt, code debt
Technical Debt
ConceptualProductOperations
Definition
Technical Debt: Technical debt refers to the implied cost of future rework caused by choosing quick, expedient solutions over better approaches that would take longer. Like financial debt, technical debt accumulates interest, making future changes increasingly expensive.
Example Usage
“We're dedicating 20% of engineering capacity to paying down technical debt from our MVP phase.”
Common Misconceptions
Technical debt is always bad. Strategic debt can help you move faster initially.
Good engineers don't create debt. Time pressure and evolving requirements make some debt inevitable.
Debt can be paid off later. If not actively managed, it compounds and becomes harder to address.
Origin: Term coined by Ward Cunningham
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