Technical Debt in the SDLC: Managing It Before It Manages You

Technical debt is the cost of shortcuts and deferred work: quick fixes, missing tests, or outdated design that slow future change. If ignored, it compounds and can block delivery. This post explains how debt accumulates across the SDLC and how to manage it in a sustainable way.

What is technical debt?

Technical debt is the implied cost of rework caused by choosing a faster or easier solution now instead of a better long-term one. Examples: