As we began developing our new AI-powered classification product, we knew managing technical debt from the start would be crucial for long-term success and delivering real value.
Central to this was putting the user at the heart of everything and fostering a culture of transparency, frequent communication, and calculated risks. We sat down with our CCS Product Owner, Dejan Manojlovski, to share insights from his experience.
Let's start with the basics. What exactly is technical debt, and what tends to cause it?
Technical debt refers to the implied cost of rework down the line that's caused by choosing an easy or limited solution now instead of a better approach that might take longer. It's like financial debt – those shortcuts accrue "interest" you'll have to pay later through maintenance and refactoring. Or, as I sometimes think of it, it's like consistently skipping leg day at the gym – you might feel faster initially, but eventually, it catches up with you!
Several things cause it. Time constraints are a big one; rushing deadlines often means cutting corners. Changing requirements are another factor – frequent shifts can lead to quick patches rather than well-thought-out integrations. And especially when building something new with new technology, a lack of deep expertise can lead to initial architecture or coding choices that don't scale well. That initial learning curve can bake in debt if you're not careful.
Knowing those risks, what strategies did you implement to try to circumvent technical debt?
The key challenge is typically convincing everyone that being more deliberate now actually makes you faster tomorrow. With that mindset, we adopted various strategies.
First, we embraced a modular approach wherever possible, building components as independent modules. This really helped keep things manageable, allowing parts to be developed, tested, and maintained separately. We also made a conscious decision, and frankly fought hard, to start completely fresh, avoiding the constraints of old codebases or data models. Building from the ground up ensured we started with a modern, maintainable foundation.
Internally, we fostered a strong quality culture through rigorous code reviews and pair programming. We even have a dedicated developer "Refactoring Meeting" focused solely on tackling technical debt. This wasn't just about code quality; it was crucial for knowledge sharing. Automated testing was also non-negotiable, providing a safety net to catch defects early.
Critically, we engaged with our customers and internal stakeholders early and often. We were fortunate to have a close partnership throughout development. This constant feedback loop ensured we were building the right thing and could adapt quickly.
What are some risks of ignoring technical debt?
Ignoring it is something you really don't want to do, as the risks are significant and severe. For one, maintenance costs can skyrocket as poorly written code becomes exponentially harder and more expensive to fix over time. Your agility plummets: accumulated debt makes implementing new features or changes incredibly difficult, sometimes impossible. At that point, innovation is practically dead.
You also face system instability. Code riddled with debt is often prone to bugs and crashes, leading to unreliable systems. This isn't just a technical problem; it hits developer morale hard. Working constantly with tangled, difficult code is incredibly frustrating. And ultimately, all of this impacts the customer experience. Instability and a lack of improvement lead to dissatisfaction and potentially lost business. It's a serious blow.
So, how should teams best go about addressing it proactively?
It requires a structured, ongoing effort. In each sprint, we make sure to allocate specific time for refactoring – cleaning up and improving existing code is part of the regular workflow, not an afterthought. While it might not be the most glamorous task, maintaining thorough and clear documentation is also crucial, so everyone understands the system. And finally, you need an efficient way to track technical debt, making it visible and allowing you to prioritize paying it down as an integral part of your development cycle.
Building something brand new, isn't that intimidating?
Definitely not, it's actually exciting! Personally, I don’t find building something brand new intimidating. With the right mindset, good organizational support, and a healthy dose of curiosity, it’s genuinely exhilarating. I often see it like raising a child or starting a new relationship – you don’t know exactly what will come out of it, but you look forward to the next day with anticipation.
Sure, some might find the uncertainty daunting, but I see it as a prime opportunity to innovate. Having a well-defined vision helps immensely. Working with a skilled and collaborative team alleviates pressure – you learn to trust your team when things get tough. As the saying goes, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."
Breaking the project into smaller, manageable pieces makes the overall task less overwhelming. And as I mentioned, building strong partnerships with customers and stakeholders, along with a culture of transparency and fast feedback, helps identify and address issues early, keeping things on track.
Lastly, creating a culture of transparency and encouraging fast feedback loops helps identify and address issues early, ensuring a more efficient and effective development process.
In Conclusion:
After talking to Dejan one thing clearly stood out to us. Tackling technical debt proactively isn't just a 'nice-to-have'; it's essential for building sustainable, high-quality products. Our journey in creating the new classification platform reinforced that investing time upfront in solid architecture, clean code, and continuous improvement pays dividends later on, allowing us to innovate faster and better serve our customers in the long run.
