This is not just about the code, but also about the feature this code implements. A feature implemented through "indebted" code tends to be buggier and less pe

This is not just about the code, but also about the feature this code implements. A feature implemented through "indebted" code tends to be buggier and less performant. There are exceptions, of course, but by-and-large this has been my experience. So the "interest" is not repaid by just the programmers, but also by the users, over and over again as they use the feature.