alt Hacker NewsTech debt is such a flawed concept. There is no world where requirements 10 years later are the same as the MVP, or even foreseeable. You can never pay it off. Software is always changing.
Even if it were debt, debt is a tool to get you what you need today. And then you likely roll it into something down the line. Maybe you pay it off (and even then the asset still requires maintenance) Like a starter home, then upgrading to a larger home to start a family, etc, etc. Requirements and resources are in constant flux.
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i take out debt to build a thing that satifies today's requirements. its irrelevant whether the requirements change. the debt is still taken out in the code or whatever other solution
debt for requirements that arent there anymore should be forgiven, and the system deleted. thats different than paying off the debt
tech debt is rarely "payed off" all at once, its more like paying it off over time so your "monthly bill" (productivity loss/slowdown) doesn't bankrupt your project
this is precisely why over time you pay off that debt - that keeps your project rolling at a good pace - is the point