To me 'managing it' means managing risks, which often means managing long-term expectations. Debt can't exist without risk, even the technical debt mentioned h

To me 'managing it' means managing risks, which often means managing long-term expectations. Debt can't exist without risk, even the technical debt mentioned here. The way you manage that risk really depends on project-specific variables - timeline, budget, staffing. You might allow a grievous hack to get something to market now, with the expectation that you will have more staffing to clean it up later. Or you may invest in a robust design now because the expectation is for staffing to be cut to 1/2-head for the next 3 years, and you need something that can adapt under that risk profile.