Technical Debt
Technical debt is a metaphor in software development that describes the implied cost of additional rework caused by choosing an easy or limited solution now instead of using a better approach that would take longer. It represents the trade-off between short-term gains (like faster delivery) and long-term code quality and maintainability. Ignoring technical debt can lead to increased bugs, slower development, and higher costs over time.
Developers should learn about technical debt to make informed decisions about code quality versus delivery speed, especially in agile or fast-paced environments where quick fixes are common. Understanding when to incur debt (e.g., for prototyping or meeting deadlines) and when to pay it down (e.g., during refactoring cycles) helps balance productivity and sustainability. This is crucial for maintaining scalable and reliable software in long-term projects.