Why Does Technical Debt Exist?
Andrew Brown
Expleo
Technical debt is a well-documented endemic problem within software development. However, to understand why high levels of technical debt exist within most organisations, we need to change the way we think about this problem. We already understand more than enough about our software development processes and the various causes and types of technical debt involved in the trade-off between functionality and technical debt. What we do not understand well, and need to understand better, is how our mind makes that trade-off decision and why technical debt fares so badly in that trade-off.
Key Takeaways:
- The causes of technical debt are well understood.
- However, the levels of technical debt are uncomfortably high
- To change the levels of technical debt, we need to understand how our mind makes trade-off decisions.
About Me!
I am principal technical consultant at SQS. Recently, I have developed an independent line of research into understanding why we humans make the mistakes that lead to software defects. This research has produced a new view of defect reduction, several papers and a revamp of training and induction at SQS.
I have 25 years’ experience in the software industry. Previous roles include Head of QA at HMV, Head of QA at a financial software house and a test manager in Japan.
I hold a degree in Physics and Maths, an MBA from Warwick Business School and a doctorate from Imperial College.