Technical debt is the hidden expense of having to redo work that might have been avoided by opting for a more time-consuming, high-quality solution in the first place.
Technical debt may accrue “interest” and make improvements more difficult to execute in the same way that financial debt accumulates interest.
The entropy of software and the expense of subsequent rework rise when technical debt is not addressed.
Technical debt, like monetary debt, isn't always a terrible thing, and it's sometimes necessary to propel initiatives ahead.
There are also some experts who argue that the “technical debt” metaphor minimizes the consequences, resulting in inadequate prioritizing of the corrective effort
Methaphor - concept in software development that reflects the implied cost of additional rework caused by choosing an easy (limited) solution now instead of using a better approach that would take longer
In software development and other information technology fields, technical debt (also known as design debt or code debt) refers to the implied cost of additional work in the future resulting from choosing an expedient solution over a more robust one. While technical debt can accelerate development in the short term, it may increase future costs and complexity if left unresolved.
Analogous to monetary debt, technical debt can accumulate "interest" over time, making future changes more difficult and costly. Properly managing this debt is essential for maintaining software quality and long-term sustainability. In some cases, taking on technical debt can be a strategic choice to meet immediate goals, such as delivering a proof-of-concept or a quick release. However, failure to prioritize and address the debt can result in reduced maintainability, increased development costs, and risks to production systems.
Technical debt encompasses various design and implementation decisions that may optimize for the short term at the expense of future adaptability and maintainability. It has been defined as "a collection of design or implementation constructs that make future changes more costly or impossible," primarily impacting internal system qualities such as maintainability and evolvability.