technical debt
expressionops cultureprogramming
The future cost of choosing a quick solution now over a better one later.
Ward Cunningham's metaphor: shortcuts borrow time today and charge interest tomorrow, in the extra effort every later change requires. A little can be a sensible trade; left unpaid, it compounds until the code resists all change.
Also known as: tech debt, technical-debt, tech-debt
Sources
- Ward Cunningham, 1992