Tech debt explained

After a colleague I'm working with questioned me on "why we need to address tech debt", I found myself responding with a technical justification that helped nobody.

After great reflection on that interaction, this article was born. I hope this helps you understand what tech debt is, how it's formed, and the implications of leaving it unaddressed.

The analogy

Let's start with a familiar concept: the mighty combustion engine car.

The year is 2021 and you've just purchased your new petrol car. This isn't just any car though, this car is special and you plan for it to last you at least 20 years.

But wait! It's now the year 2030 and all of a sudden the combustion engine has been banned shock and horror.

So you now decide to upgrade the car by making it electric (this is actually a thing).

Here's the problem, you've only got 2 months before the combustion engine ban comes into effect, but the entire EV conversion is going to take at least 4 months.

So what do you do? You cut corners...

You remove the combustion engine and replace it with an electric motor and a battery. However, the important thing to note is that the rest of the mechanisms supporting the combustion engine remain; things such as the fuel tank and the exhaust pipe.

You're now driving this hybrid Frankenstein around and loving life. But disaster strikes! Global warming has caused temperatures to rise and now you're sweltering in your iron tomb of a car with no hopes of happiness.

So you take it to the garage to get a sweet new AC system installed.

The problem is, the mechanic has quoted you 3 times the usual estimate, simply because it's going to be a pain in the arse to navigate around this beast. She also notices that your fuel tank which you left from your half-completed job has started leaking onto the battery.

By this time it's too late, the cost to get this sorted is going to require you to remortgage your house...

You should have completed the job sooner.

The summary

Hopefully you enjoyed this epic novel and it made the story of tech debt more relatable.

For the sake of clarity:

• The car is your product
• The combustion engine/mechanism is your existing functionality that needs to be decommissioned
• The electric motor/battery is your new functionality
• The mechanic is your developers
• Global warming is real

Get in touch

If you have any questions, comment below, and I'll get back to you.

And if you think you'd like to work somewhere like Health Place, then message me for a chat at [e-mail].

Photo by Eddie Jones on Unsplash