Why I Love Technical Debt

“It’s better to know it than deny it”

Let’s face it: technical debt is the skeleton in every developer’s closet. It’s the elephant in the sprint room. And you know what? I love it. Yep, I said it. But before you grab your pitchforks, let me explain.

Technical debt, when managed properly, isn’t just a problem—it’s a tool. It’s a calculated trade-off that lets businesses thrive, products ship, and developers stay employed. The real issue isn’t technical debt itself; it’s the denial of its existence.

What Is Technical Debt?

Think of technical debt as borrowing against your codebase’s future. You cut corners today—intentionally or not—to deliver value faster. It’s not inherently bad. What matters is how you handle it.

Bad technical debt is like maxing out a credit card without a plan to pay it off. Good technical debt, on the other hand, is like taking a mortgage on a house you’re building. It’s a calculated risk with a clear payoff.

Why Denying Technical Debt Is a Disaster

Pretending technical debt doesn’t exist is like ignoring mold in your basement. It doesn’t just go away—it festers. And when it finally surfaces, the cleanup is exponentially more painful (and expensive).

Every codebase has technical debt. It’s unavoidable. The real question is whether you’re acknowledging it and managing it, or letting it spiral into chaos.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Technical Debt

1. The Good Good technical debt is intentional and strategic. It lets you move fast and hit deadlines. It’s what happens when you knowingly take shortcuts because delivering value now outweighs the cost of cleanup later. For example, you might skip full test coverage for a feature needed to close a deal. You’re aware of the debt, you’ve documented it, and you have a plan to address it when time allows.
2. The Bad Bad technical debt is the result of carelessness or lack of foresight. Think poorly written code, missing documentation, or skipping tests without a valid reason. This kind of debt doesn’t just slow down future development—it actively sabotages it. Every time you touch the code, you’re greeted by a mess that eats into your productivity and sanity.
3. The Ugly Ugly technical debt is the stuff no one wants to talk about. It’s the decade-old system no one understands but everyone relies on. It’s the “legacy” code that might as well be in hieroglyphics. Ugly debt is scary, sure. But it’s also an opportunity. Tackling it requires courage, creativity, and, let’s be honest, a strong cup of coffee.

How to Manage Technical Debt Without Losing Your Mind

1. Acknowledge It Stop pretending your codebase is pristine. Make technical debt a regular topic of conversation in sprint reviews and planning sessions. If it’s not on the radar, it’s not going to get fixed.
2. Document Decisions Every time you take on technical debt, document why. Future-you will appreciate the clarity when it’s time to revisit that code. And if someone else inherits the mess, at least they’ll know it wasn’t entirely accidental.
3. Prioritize and Plan Not all debt is created equal. Focus on paying down the debt that has the highest impact on productivity or user experience. Create a balance between delivering new features and tackling existing debt. Dedicate a portion of each sprint to refactoring, improving test coverage, or cleaning up the mess.
4. Refactor Incrementally You don’t have to rewrite the whole system in one go. Start small. Refactor the areas you’re actively working on. Over time, those small improvements add up.
5. Communicate with Stakeholders Business folks don’t always get why you need time to address technical debt. Explain it in their language: “If we don’t clean this up now, it’ll take twice as long to deliver features in the future.”

Why I Secretly Love Technical Debt

Here’s the truth: technical debt is a necessary evil, and sometimes, it’s even fun. Fixing bad code—whether it’s yours or someone else’s—feels like solving a puzzle. And when you nail it, there’s nothing more satisfying.

Plus, technical debt keeps you on your toes. It forces you to think critically, prioritize effectively, and stay sharp. Sure, it can be frustrating, but it’s also the reality of building software in the real world.

So, here’s my advice: embrace technical debt. Don’t fear it, and don’t deny it. Acknowledge it, manage it, and learn to live with it. After all, if software development were perfect, it wouldn’t be nearly as fun—or as rewarding.