Stop saying “technical debt” - Stack Overflow Blog

This is a great post and is so completely spot on! 💯 I feel like I've had this conversation in parts with several technology leaders over time.

Here’s the effect: the minute we trot out the term “tech debt,” everyone is upset but no one is listening. Each conversant assumes they know what we’re all talking about, but their individual pictures differ quite a bit.

Said another way, "tech debt" is a sloppy term that can mean anything to anyone. Ignore whatever definitions may be out there to ground on, and instead focus on why the person you are talking to cares. This should be required reading for all leaders of technology teams.

Next word to focus on? "Scale".