Tech Debt can have a negative stigma attached, as in, “we must do everything possible to avoid tech debt”.

However I am starting to look at tech debt differently, more like the way I look at financial debt.

For example, taking out a loan for a major purchase is not necessarily a bad thing. It enables major life upgrades very quickly. It just requires careful planning an budgeting.

Similarly with software projects. It is not inherently bad to absorb tech debt, if that quantity is known and is paid down over time. For example, allotting developer time every week to addressing tech debt that was taken on for a specific goal. This is like paying off a credit card in full every month.

Another analogy is taking on a small amount of debt and just paying down the interest every month (and not the principal). Not an inherently bad thing in the short term, but can be crippling if left too long. For example, drowning in debt to the point where you are just maintaining existing debt and unable to move forward with any new purchases. In software that would be akin to spending all your time maintaining subpar software just to keep it afloat, with no time for new features.

My point is that tech debt can be a tool in software development that allows for rapid progress. It is a dangerous tool but one that can be used mindfully to accomplish goals.