If you were to compare it to a homeowner, tech debt for the average startup is more like someone deciding to build their own house with neither relevant skills,

If you were to compare it to a homeowner, tech debt for the average startup is more like someone deciding to build their own house with neither relevant skills, planning permission nor expert advice and desperately trying to keep the whole thing from collapsing into the foundation while simultaneously building balconies and extensions on every floor (think of the worst episodes of that Grand Designs TV show).