Engineering Leaders vs Tech Debt: A Realistic Conversation

Tech debt exists at the intersection of engineering, business incentives, and system architecture. In complex organizations, it becomes a multidimensional problem involving operational risk, system reliability, long-term scalability, and developer productivity. In this analytically grounded episode, Duncan and Jason dissect tech debt through the lens of system thinking.

They introduce a working model for categorizing tech debt into functional, structural, and data-related risk, explaining how each impacts throughput, incident frequency, and time-to-recovery. They also examine how vulnerabilities and poor data contracts masquerade as “bugs” but are often symptoms of deeper architectural debt. The conversation presents a practical playbook for leaders: how to assess tech debt, measure its economic impact, define acceptable thresholds, and integrate it into strategic planning.

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome!
01:34 Defining Tech Debt
09:29 Quantifying Tech Debt and Maintenance Needs
15:37 Navigating Security Standards and Tools
21:30 Testing in Production: Challenges and Solutions
27:04 Justifying Technical Initiatives and Budgeting
30:21 Strategic Planning for Technical Projects
37:43 Final Thoughts

Top Takeaways:
✅ Tech debt can be defined in various ways depending on context.
✅ Shortcuts taken to meet business needs contribute to tech debt.
✅ Tech debt is not just about code quality but also about business outcomes.
✅ Standards change over time, leading to new tech debt.
✅ Quantifying tech debt is essential for effective management.
✅ Managing tech debt requires strategic planning and documentation.
✅ Business leaders need to understand the implications of tech debt.
✅ Justifying tech debt investments is a common challenge.
✅ Effective communication with business partners is crucial for tech debt management.
✅ A structured approach to documenting tech debt can aid in prioritization.

Connect with us:
Duncan Mapes -   / duncanmapes  

Jason Ehmke -   / jasonehmke  

DevGrid.io - https://www.devgrid.io/

DevGrid on LinkedIn -   / devgrid-inc  

DevGrid on X - https://x.com/devgridinc