TermCraft conventionFoundational
Technical Debt
Shortcuts taken now that cost more to fix later.
Definition
The future cost of a decision taken for short-term speed, which accrues until it is repaid.
Craft convention. True because the industry converged on it. Breaking it costs familiarity, not correctness.
In plain language
Shortcuts taken now that cost more to fix later.
Example
A component forked to ship a deadline, which now has to be maintained separately forever.
Continue from here
Each link says what the connection is, so you can tell a principle from an alternative from a thing people mix this up with.
Deeper reading
The full entry behind this definition.
- Sunk Cost FallacyCognitive bias
- Design System AdoptionDesign system
Nearby in the Atlas
Adjacent territory, found through shared tags rather than a stated link.