Stop Planning to Prioritize Tech Debt/Quality — Just Do It

Working hard to maintain a fit, healthy body is a lot like managing tech debt and product quality in a company. There's never a "perfect time" to refactor code, resolve recurring bugs the right way, or prioritize quality over speed. Everyone's too busy putting out fires or meeting deadlines to "make time."

But here's the catch: Ignoring it doesn't make it disappear — it only makes the consequences worse.

Waking up to a health scare like a heart attack or cirrhosis is a stark reminder of the cost of neglect. It's the same in tech: waking up to a broken product, unhappy customers, and churn spiraling out of control is the harsh reality of deferred quality and unresolved debt.

Like discipline in sports, taking action doesn't require a detailed plan — it requires commitment. There's no "tomorrow" for a bug that's about to blow up in your customer's face. And while being overworked is real, let's not use it as an excuse to postpone what's necessary.

Tech debt and quality are always top priorities. In my experience, the times when addressing them feels "out of sync" with immediate business goals are rare — far rarer than the moments when neglecting them leads to major problems.

TL;DR

It's not about "finding the time"; it's about realizing that time won't magically appear. Prioritize now — or pay later.