Listen "What does it really mean to pay off technical debt?"
Episode Synopsis
We often talk about “paying off technical debt” as if it were a one-time event, but is that even possible? In this episode, Maxim Silaev and Nikita Golovko dive deep into what it truly means to address technical debt and why the language of "paying off" can be misleading.Through personal stories, hard lessons, and client case studies, they will examine when refactoring creates real value, and when it is just polishing code, and why debt reduction must be tied to business outcomes. They discuss cultural practices, leadership framing, and the traps teams fall into when they chase perfection instead of progress.Topics we have covered:Why "debt payoff" is not always the right metaphorHow to prioritise debt work so it will create a business valueThe difference between strategic refactoring and wasteful refactoringHow teams can measure progress beyond code metricsStories of successful debt reduction and painful failuresPractical strategies for aligning debt work with product goalsSend us a textReach us @ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxim-silaevhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-nikita-golovko
More episodes of the podcast Technical Debt: Design, risk and beyond
What do we mean by Architecture?
08/09/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.