Common Causes of Technical Debt

Technical debt refers to accumulating extra work that needs to be done in the future due to shortcuts taken or compromises made in software development.

Technical debt can either be intentional or unintentional. An example of an intentional debt is when a developer is aware that there's a software package update required but decides not to do it because it still works fine at the moment, and there are other critical changes needed before a launch. On the other hand, a good example of unintentional tech debt is a system built without anticipating growth, which then faces performance or scalability issues when the product’s user base expands faster than expected. The most problematic type is the latter because it's harder to identify or track.

Common Causes of Technical Debt

1. Lack of skills

   When hiring developers, ensure you have a mix of both senior and junior developers so that the senior ones can guide the team on the best practices for writing great code.

   
   

2. Tight timelines

   We’ve all experienced times when we do things in a shortcut way to get them done faster because time is against us. It mostly happens when the planning of the work does not account for any technical improvements, and everything is focused on some feature(s). This is why great prioritization skills are required in planning software development work.

1. Rushed development cycles

   In executing any SDLC, proper communication and transparency are always key. Also, it’s good to be reasonable with the amount of work you decide to have in any cycle and always leave an allowance for changes.

   
   

2. Unexpected technical challenges and new requirements

   Technical challenges happen all the time; for instance, there’s a new hire who is yet to catch up with the development work because either the software’s architecture is too complex or they don’t have enough skillset yet. Any new requirements need to be communicated early to allow enough thought processes before incorporating them into development.

   
   

3. Insufficient testing

   Software testing is a crucial part of the SDLC. When it comes to testing, a lot of aspects need to be considered because testing the visual elements is never enough. If some of the critical testing aspects are ignored or left out for some reason, it may accumulate to a huge technical debt.

Implications of technical debt

• Increased maintenance cost

• Low-quality products

• Reduced productivity

• Increased risk

• Decreased team morale

Managing Tech Debt