Technical Debt, Product Debt or Business Debt: The Different Types and How To Deal With It.
In the first part of the article, I define what tech debt is and its origin. I also highlighted it extends beyond developers, software development practice, engineering or architecture issues.As such, it’s crucial for us as leaders and members of organizations to broaden our perspective on debt and how it affects our work. The starting point is to identify the types of debt we may encounter.As previously discussed, debt can manifest in various forms- code debt, design debt, product debt, or even requirements. Understanding these various types is pivotal for crafting a comprehensive strategy aimed at growth and improvement.Understanding where it originates is essential as it shapes our mindset and informs our next steps. The origination will always end up as a final result in the product and the code.
We can broadly classify into two categories: Controlled-based and Out-of-Control-Based Debt.When lacking the skills to execute the tasks effectively, individuals will be inefficient, ineffective or work on the wrong things. It comes from the entire team, from Product Managers to Engineering managers to software developers. It results in various forms- debt in products, decision debt, maintenance debt, code base, or unknown dependencies between features.The urge to make quick decisions-driven by social pressures, personal constraints, or tight deadlines can lead to its accumulation. Each hurried decision acts like a new domino in a chain of events, most often self-imposed.
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