Tech debt metaphor maximalism - apenwarr

(Summary via Kagi)

The author uses financial debt metaphors to explain technical debt. High-interest technical debt like code without tests allows faster shipping but should be paid back quickly. Too much technical debt slows development, so companies aim for an optimal debt-to-income ratio. When growth slows, companies take on more technical debt to keep revenue rising, but this increases risk. If growth stops, companies may have to “refinance” by abandoning projects. When a company fails, its technical debt disappears along with its financial debt in “technical bankruptcy”. However, “bug bankruptcy” destroys trust as people stop reporting bugs.