Tech debt isn’t a sin. It’s a tool.

Every startup takes it on. The question isn’t if—it’s how you manage it.

There’s good tech debt and bad tech debt.

Good tech debt is a strategic decision. It’s a shortcut you take with your eyes wide open. You know it’s messy. You know you’ll need to come back. And you’ve planned for that.

Bad tech debt is what accumulates when decisions are made in the dark. When architecture is overruled. When speed is prioritised over clarity—with no plan to return.

When I step into a startup, one of the first things I do is map the tech debt. Not to assign blame—but to understand what we’re carrying. Because just like financial debt, some of it is worth it. And some of it is costing us daily interest—in bugs, velocity drag, and onboarding pain.

Good engineering leadership doesn’t avoid tech debt. It manages it. Tracks it. Revisits it. Communicates it.

You wouldn’t run a business without tracking your expenses. Don’t run a codebase without tracking your debt.

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