What is technical debt? How to prioritize and avoid with examples

Technical debt refers to the compromises made by development teams to expedite product delivery, often at the expense of quality, resulting in tasks left incomplete that can lead to increased future costs. This concept manifests in various forms, such as code, design, infrastructure, test, requirement, documentation, process, people, architecture, and defect debts, each contributing to the backlog if not addressed timely. Technical debt can be deliberate, taken on with a strategic plan to achieve specific goals like compliance, or inadvertent, resulting from carelessness or lack of knowledge. Managing technical debt involves categorizing and prioritizing tasks to maintain a balance between speed and quality, recognizing that while quick fixes may expedite delivery, they often lead to complexity and long-term management challenges. Tools like LogRocket can assist teams by providing insights into user experience issues, helping prioritize necessary changes and streamline workflows across different departments.