I actually think debt is the better analogy, but the problem is, lots of folks seem to think it only applies to tech they don't like. I think this is the wrong

I actually think debt is the better analogy, but the problem is, lots of folks seem to think it only applies to tech they don't like. I think this is the wrong way to look at it. The truth is, maintaining pretty much any tech system is debt. You're going to need to update that code, patch that system, and run that JML process. This will incur an going cost. Like any corporate debt, you borrow to make profit. If you maintain the debt whilst making profits, everything makes sense and you're good to continue. If you fail to maintain it, eventually you'll find yourself the unable to make payments and this will manifest as downtime, fines, or an inability to change the software to keep up with the market.