Well said.
All the smart things I ever read about technical debt basically describe debt and add the word "technical" - because that's what it is. It's not maintenance, it's not refactoring, it's just pure and simple debt.
All the smart things I ever read about technical debt basically describe debt and add the word "technical" - because that's what it is. It's not maintenance, it's not refactoring, it's just pure and simple debt.
Technical debt in software is unavoidable. Every variable and function and design decision can invariably be rebranded as technical debt soon enough.
The implication of "technical debt" is that there is a perfect state to reach with no debt, but there isn't. It also implies that debt could be avoided but it can't be, it's inherent to development.
"Repaying" technical debt is implementing the missing features, removing the temporary hacks etc.
Not taking it can be an option, if you have full funding upfront for example. It's just not always the best option. Just like borrowing money, getting into some technical debt can be worthwhile.