It's not just that non-technical people under-appreciate technical debt. If you put in the time and pay the money to build an awesome system that is stable and

It's not just that non-technical people under-appreciate technical debt. If you put in the time and pay the money to build an awesome system that is stable and usable for decades, there's only a small chance you'll be rewarded. First because no one notices when software is working. Second because you will probably have moved on to a different role at a different company after your wisdom is confirmed ten years later. Saving money now is what gets attention.