If you're in the world of software, Agile, or Scrum, you've probably heard the term “Technical Debt.” It sounds serious. It is serious. But it’s often misunderstood, overlooked, or left for “some other sprint.”
As a Scrum practitioner, I’ve seen great teams crippled by Technical Debt—not because they were bad developers, but because they didn’t know how to manage it.
Let’s break it down in simple terms. No jargon. Just human language.
What is Technical Debt?
Imagine you’re building a house. You’re in a hurry, so instead of laying a strong concrete foundation, you use bricks and mud—“just for now.” You plan to fix it later, once the roof is on and things settle. That “fix it later” approach? That’s Technical Debt.
It’s the result of quick decisions made today that create extra work for tomorrow. In software, that could mean:
- Skipping test coverage to meet a deadline
- Writing messy or duplicated code
- Using outdated libraries or frameworks
- Hardcoding logic instead of using flexible design
Like financial debt, technical debt accumulates “interest.” The longer you delay fixing it, the harder it becomes to change or build anything new.
Why Does Technical Debt Happen?
Let’s be honest: It’s not always avoidable. But it usually happens due to:
- Time Pressure: “We need this done now.” Sound familiar? Fast delivery often trumps clean code.
- Lack of Knowledge: “We didn’t know better back then.” As teams grow and learn, early decisions may turn out to be poor ones.
- Changing Requirements: In Agile, change is expected. But sometimes, earlier solutions don’t adapt well to new needs.
- Poor Collaboration: When coders, testers, product owners, and stakeholders are not aligned, corners get cut and assumptions go unchecked.
How to Manage Technical Debt
Let’s go back to our house analogy. If the foundation is weak, you don’t ignore it. You plan a renovation. Same with tech debt—it needs active acknowledgment, planning, and paydown.
Here’s how:
- Make It Visible: If no one knows about the cracks, no one fixes them. Use a Technical Debt Register in your backlog. Label it. Talk about it in Retrospectives.
- Budget for It: Set aside a percentage of each Sprint (say 10–15%) to handle tech debt tasks. It’s like saving money every month to pay off a loan—you stay in control.
- Measure Its Impact: Track how tech debt affects velocity, defect rates, or deployment time. Show this to stakeholders. When it costs time or money, people care.
- Refactor Incrementally: Don’t wait for the mythical “refactoring sprint.” Improve the code a little every time you touch it.
- Include it in the Definition of Done: If your DoD includes “code is reviewed and clean,” “no duplicated logic,” or “unit tests written,” you reduce the chances of adding new debt.
How to Avoid It in the Future
You can’t avoid all technical debt—but you can avoid being buried under it.
- Adopt Test-Driven Development (TDD): Write tests first, then code. Forces cleaner architecture.
- Pair Programming or Peer Reviews: Two sets of eyes prevent a lot of short-sighted decisions.
- Invest in Developer Education: Better tools, better practices, fewer shortcuts.
- Avoid “Just Ship It” Culture: Speed matters, but sustainable speed wins the long game.
- Keep Your Product Owners in the Loop: Help them understand the cost of ignoring tech debt.
One Last Analogy: Technical Debt Is Like an Overstuffed Kitchen Drawer
You know that drawer in the kitchen full of random stuff—tape, batteries, a screwdriver, old keys? Every time you open it, it’s a mess. You waste time looking for what you need. You could keep ignoring it. Or… you could clean it a bit every weekend. Toss out junk. Organize the tools. Eventually, it becomes useful again.
That’s your codebase. That’s your backlog. That’s your system. Clean as you go. Don’t wait for the mess to become unmanageable.
Conclusion
Technical Debt isn’t a failure—it’s a fact of life. It’s what you do about it that matters. If you plan for it, track it, and pay it down gradually, it won’t stop your progress. But if you ignore it—just like financial debt—it compounds and limits your freedom.
Let's Discuss!
Have you experienced the pain or success of managing Technical Debt? What helped you get it under control? Let’s share and learn in the comments below!
