Technical debt
Problems that build up in code because of shortcuts taken to move fast and fixes that were postponed, to be paid later at a higher cost.
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Why it matters
Technical debt taken on consciously, for example to catch an opportunity, can be reasonable; but unpaid debt grows like interest. Every new feature takes longer, bugs multiply and security updates become harder. Regularly setting aside time to pay down debt protects development speed in the long run.
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Example
In an application, the same calculation is copied in seven different places. When the tax rate changes, the team has to find all seven and misses one; once the calculation is gathered in one place, such bugs stop.
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Common mistake
Treating technical debt as only the developers' problem. Debt affects the business directly through slower delivery and more bugs; it should be considered in management decisions too.
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