WATCH · Software Delivery_
The Hidden Cost of ‘Quick Fixes’ in Software Development
Saleem Beg · Founder, Teque
● 1:31 · Posted 5 months ago
KEY TAKEAWAYS_
- Technical debt compounds — a little is fine, a lot is catastrophic
- Document every shortcut: what you skipped, why, and the fix cost
- The real cost isn't the fix, it's the understanding tax years later
TRANSCRIPT_
Every business owner has said this at some point. Can't we just do it the quick way for now? And look, I I get it. You've got deadlines, budgets, a board breathing down your neck. The quick fix ships today, and the proper solution ships next month. But here's what I've learned after 20 years of building software. that temporary solution, it's still there five years later and it's
now connected to six other systems. Nobody remembers how it works and the person who built it left in 2019. Technical debt is like financial debt. A little bit strategically used is fine, but it compounds. And unlike financial debt, there is no statement telling you how much you owe. So here is my rule of thumb. If you are going to cut corners, document it. Write down what you
skipped, why you skipped it, and what it would take to fix it properly. Create a debt register. Because the real cost of quick fixes isn't the fix itself, is the 6 months your team spends two years later trying to understand what the hell past you was thinking. The best time to fix technical debt was when you created it. The second best time is before it breaks something important.
“Technical debt is like financial debt. A little bit strategically used is fine, but it compounds.”
Prefer to read? This take is also a written article.
Read the article →
