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"zero technical debt" is a pipe dream. Not all tech debt is equal; think "low-interest student loan or mortgage" vs "high-interest credit cards or payday loans"
by chrisweekly 2y ago
"zero technical debt" is a pipe dream. Not all tech debt is equal; think "low-interest student loan or mortgage" vs "high-interest credit cards or payday loans".
- hansmayer 2y agoWell, that is why I said it was an ideal, something to strive for. Since we are in lecture-mode here, ever heard of objectives and key results? Think that would be a more fitting alternative to your black-and-white metaphor of low-interest vs. payday loan ...
- nradov 2y agoIt's not an ideal. There is an optimal level of technical debt to maximize shareholder value. Eliminating all technical debt makes no more sense than eliminating all financial debt. Used effectively, debt is a powerful lever. The trick lies in finding the optimal level based on incomplete information, and many corporate managers aren't very good at this.
- hansmayer 2y agoBy stating it should be zero, it is literally, by definition an ideal. That is not something you can decide on. Maximising shareholder value? Now, that is an ideal which is a root cause of many evils today.