I see this as interest on debt. When you have $1K of credit card debt, a $500 payment goes a long way. When you have $20,000, that same $500 is mostly covering

I see this as interest on debt. When you have $1K of credit card debt, a $500 payment goes a long way. When you have $20,000, that same $500 is mostly covering interest, so you pay down the principal slower. The additional complexity and work that comes with tech debt is the interest you pay on it.