Have you ever encountered the term technical debt (or tech debt)? Some fear it like fire, not allowing it to be mentioned in front of clients or Jira. Others use it as a shield. Of course, these are two extremes. 🙂
Let’s delve into technical debt and whether it’s that scary.
What is technical debt?
Technical debt is a metaphor used in software development to describe the future costs associated with fixing short-term decisions made to quickly complete work. These decisions include simplifying architecture, using outdated technologies, writing inefficient code, or postponing testing.
Why does technical debt arise?
There are several key reasons for the emergence of debt. First, it’s the pressure of deadlines. Development teams often face the need to quickly release a product or functionality, forcing them to make compromise decisions. These decisions allow work to be completed faster but create problems in the long run.
The second reason is insufficient expertise. Developers may lack the experience or knowledge to make optimal technical decisions, creating debt.
The third factor is changing requirements. During a project’s development, requirements can change. If initial decisions were not flexible enough, this led to debt accumulation.
Another, not least, reason is the lack of proper documentation and testing. Insufficient attention to documenting code and conducting testing also contributes to increasing technical debt.
This happens with almost every project, doesn’t it?
Types of debt
Technical debt can arise for various reasons and take different forms. The most common types (with some examples) are:
- Architectural debt
- Poorly designed architecture that is difficult to scale or maintain.
- Lack of modularity or weak segmentation of the system.
- Infrastructure debt
- Using outdated tools, platforms, or software versions.
- Lack of automation or optimization of deployment processes.
- Development debt
- Poorly written or suboptimal code that can affect performance or support.
- Known bugs that have not been fixed.
- Insufficient or absent code documentation complicates its understanding and maintenance.
- Testing debt
- Lack of automated tests that cover important parts of the code.
- Reliance on manual testing instead of automated.
- Security debt
- Presence of known vulnerabilities or lack of security practices in the code.
- Insufficient number of security tests or checks.
Sometimes, you may also hear about UX, documentation, and process debt, but these are rare. Mainly, attention is focused on the types listed above.
Impact on the project
Technical debt can have serious consequences for the project. One of them is the increase in development time. Due to the accumulation of debt, fixing bugs and making changes to the code become more complex and require more time.
Debt also decreases product quality. It can cause errors and reduce the software’s performance and reliability.
Another consequence is the increase in costs. Additional resources may be needed to fix debt, increasing project costs.
Additionally, tech debt can affect team motivation. Constantly facing technical problems can negatively impact the motivation and productivity of the development team.
How to reduce debt?
Thorough planning and documentation, which apply to architecture and code, can help reduce the risk of accumulating debt.
Another effective method is automated testing. Automated tests allow you to quickly detect and fix errors, significantly reducing technical debt.
Regular code refactoring is also important. This helps maintain its quality and reduce debt accumulation.
Investing in developer training is another key factor. Improving the team’s skills allows for more informed technical decisions, preventing debt creation.
Finally, allocating time for debt is an important aspect of project management. Planning time for its resolution in each sprint or development cycle helps control the level of tech debt.
Is there life with technical debt?
Yes! Life with technical debt exists 🙂 and its presence requires a systematic approach.
First, it’s necessary to set priorities. It’s important to determine which aspects of debt have the most impact on the project and prioritize addressing these issues.
Transparency is also key. The team should be open about debt and include its discussion in planning and risk assessment.
Moreover, communication with the business is essential. It’s necessary to explain to business stakeholders the impact of tech debt on the project and justify allocating resources to fix it.
Technical debt is an integral part of software development, and with the right approach, it can be controlled and reduced. It’s important to acknowledge the existence of debt and actively work on reducing it to ensure high product quality and efficient team performance.
I hope this post helps you better understand the nature of technical debt and ways to deal with it. And remember, timely detection and fixing of tech debt contributes to the project’s long-term success. 😊