Ward Cunningham introduced the concept of technical debt in the 1990s to describe what happens when developers chase fast results over thorough code. Like financial debt, it compounds when left alone—and often does so at an alarming rate. Some of this debt is on purpose, created to hit looming deadlines, while the rest crops up accidentally through oversights, mistakes, or hasty planning.
Technical debt comes in many forms, such as code and architecture debt, missing documentation, gaps in testing, neglected UI/UX improvements, or weak governance processes. Each one highlights how vital it is to have structured plans and clear workflows from the start.
External and internal influences both play their part. Tight deadlines and market pressures push teams to deliver in the short term, prioritising quick fixes over sustainable quality. Within organisations, limited resources, skill gaps, or poor forward planning can make the problem worse. Continuous changes to project requirements add yet another layer of complexity.
Culture and organisational focus also matter. When everything centres on launching new features at lightning speed, it’s easy to make decisions that cause technical debt to surge. Balancing short-term urgency with solid engineering keeps debt in check—and while some debt is inevitable, managing it mindfully minimises its toll on future growth.