Technical debt, also known as tech debt or code debt, refers to the implied cost of future rework required when a development team chooses an easy but limited solution instead of a better approach that could take more time. It is analogous to monetary debt, as it can accumulate "interest," making it harder to implement changes. Unaddressed technical debt increases software entropy and the cost of further rework. Just like monetary debt, technical debt is not necessarily a bad thing, and it is sometimes incurred for the sake of speedy delivery. However, if it is not repaid, it can lead to various consequences, such as decreased productivity and increased defects in the product
. The causes of technical debt include unclear project requirements, bad code, and the decision to not solve a problem, among others. As technical debt accumulates, teams become less capable of focusing on growth and new features, and more concerned with implementing short-term solutions to worsening core problems
. In summary, technical debt is the result of prioritizing speedy delivery over perfect code, leading to the need for future rework and potential consequences if not addressed. It is an important concept in software development and other IT fields, with implications for the quality and maintainability of software systems.
