There's a fine line between iterative development ("first do it, then do it right, then do it fast") and actual technical dept caused by bad practices (e.g. cop

There's a fine line between iterative development ("first do it, then do it right, then do it fast") and actual technical dept caused by bad practices (e.g. copy-and-edit instead of re-use). The former method is well-aware of shortcomings and heading towards eliminating them eventually, so I'm not sure if it should even be called technical debt. Actual technical debt (like real life debt) has the problem of "interest" attached to it, so it grows exponentially. So if you're not constantly working to reduce it, it may grow out of hand quickly.