What is technical dept and why it’s important for product?

Picture this: you have a house, and one day, you notice a small leak in the roof. At first, it might just be a little drip, and you think, "No big deal, I can deal with it later." But what happens if you ignore that little leak?

The Little Leak Gets Bigger

Over time, that small leak can become a big problem. The water might start dripping more and more, and soon, it could create a puddle in your room. The longer you wait to fix the leak, the more water comes in, and the bigger the mess becomes. Eventually, it might damage your furniture, floors, and even the walls.

What is Technical Debt?

Technical debt in a computer system is a bit like that leaky roof. When developers write code, sometimes they take shortcuts to get things done quickly. These shortcuts can cause small problems, just like the tiny leak in the roof. If these problems aren’t fixed right away, they can grow into bigger issues over time.

Why Should We Fix It Early?

Just like it’s easier to fix a small leak than to repair a big, water-damaged room, it's easier to fix small problems in the code early on. When we fix these problems right away, we prevent them from becoming big, expensive, and time-consuming issues later.

Regular Maintenance is Key

Think about how you might regularly check the roof to make sure it’s in good condition. Cleaning out gutters or replacing old shingles prevents leaks from happening in the first place.

Similarly, developers should regularly check and clean up their code. This means looking for potential problems and fixing them before they get out of hand. Regular maintenance keeps the system running smoothly.

Balancing New Features and Repairs

Now, let’s say you really want a new swing set in your backyard. But if you have a leaky roof, it’s probably more important to fix the roof first. Otherwise, your house might get damaged, and that’s a much bigger problem.

In the same way, developers need to balance adding new features with fixing existing problems. It’s exciting to add new features, but it’s also important to make sure the current system is working well and not falling apart. This is especially important when there are tight deadlines for feature development. Ignoring technical debt can slow down progress and make it harder to meet these deadlines.

Fixing technical debt is like repairing a leaky roof. If you ignore the small problems, they can turn into big disasters. Regular maintenance and balancing repairs with new features help keep everything running smoothly. Just like you wouldn’t want a leaky roof over your head, you don’t want a messy, problem-filled system. By taking care of issues early, you ensure that everything stays in good shape for the future, especially when there are tight deadlines for adding new features. Not addressing these issues can become a significant problem for the product.