How To Tackle Tech Debt Without Slowing Innovation
Below, members of Forbes Technology Council share practical strategies they've used or observed to reduce technical debt without slowing development. From disciplined processes to small, consistent improvements, these approaches show how thoughtful planning can support innovation and sustainability across systems.
1. Plan For Debt As You Would For Features
One strategy that works: Plan for tech debt as you plan for features. We assign small, intentional cleanup tasks alongside major work so it's not an afterthought. This way, quality improves steadily and the team never has to pause progress just to 'fix things later.' It keeps velocity up and the codebase up to the mark. - Nidhi Jain, CloudEagle.ai
2. Make Small Improvements During Feature Work
Implement a 'boy scout rule' under which developers are encouraged to make small improvements to existing code during feature work. This maintains development momentum while gradually improving code quality, and developers are more motivated to clean up code they're already actively working with. - Kevin Cushnie, MC Systems
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3. Analyze User Engagement To Pinpoint Friction
Proactively analyze user engagement metrics to pinpoint friction points where users spend excessive time. Prioritize these areas for targeted debt reduction, aligning technical improvements closely with meaningful user experience enhancements. This strategic approach ensures teams efficiently address critical technical debt, boosting productivity and product value without slowing down development. - Antara Dave, Microsoft Corporation
4. Bring In Someone From A Different Team
If your team wants to maintain velocity, consider adding someone from another team to the mix. They can bring fresh eyes and, potentially, newer architectures or development practices to your group. A senior engineer can usually spot opportunities for improvement pretty quickly, and even the act of explaining the code to a new team member can make areas for improvement obvious. - Luke Wallace, Bottle Rocket
5. Hand Over Tasks When Someone Takes Vacation
Pre-vacation handovers are an excellent opportunity to reduce tech debt. Planning and carrying out handovers before we take a holiday are crucial to maintaining smooth IT operations. Giving your employees the choice to hand tasks over to automation or a human colleague can help reduce tech debt and automate tasks. Critically, it utilizes time already allocated for addressing this work. - Kevin Korte, Univention
6. Implement A 'Fix Forward' Approach
A 'fix forward' approach helps ensure the absence of critical technical debt in a product or platform. Additionally, holding regular hackathons outside the standard release schedule incentivizes extra participation among developers and offers learning opportunities for individuals not directly involved in specific modules or features, thereby promoting collaboration. - Satyabrat Chowdhury, CORESTACK Inc.
7. Make Sure The Product And Engineering Teams Are Aligned
Resolving technical debt is development. The Shangri-la of 'no tech debt' does not survive contact with reality. It's a balance of doing what's right for the business. Making sure the product and engineering teams are on the same page is critical. You should have sprints where tech debt is the focus. - Patrick Emmons, DragonSpears, Inc.
8. Start Every Build With An Assessment
The best approach is to embed assessments early. Before jumping into builds, take time to evaluate: What do we remove, migrate or rebuild? Most failures stem from skipping this upfront evaluation, not from the execution itself. That prework keeps the team from dragging legacy systems forward and saves you from cleaning up later. - Benjamin Niaulin, ShareGate by Workleap
9. Have A Plan To Avoid Tech Debt Altogether
Tech debt needs to be avoided at all costs. Everything needs to be planned, mapped and strategized without having an option for accumulating tech debt. It's harder to get rid of a 'patch job' than it is to take the time to build a solid solution. - Sabrin Freedman-Alexander, Cloudvoid
10. Tackle Tech Debt As Part Of Each Sprint
Dedicate 10% to 20% of each sprint to technical debt. This ensures debt reduction is ongoing without disrupting feature delivery, balances priorities in the backlog, and prevents long-term buildup. It fosters a culture of quality and ownership while maintaining development speed and ensuring healthier, more sustainable code over time. - Dileep Rai, Hachette Book Group
11. Thoroughly Vet New Tools Before Adding Them
One strategy that works is to evaluate new tools, especially AI, with a disciplined lens before adding them. Too many teams chase AI without asking if it supports their mission or just adds complexity. To avoid tech debt, focus on three things: integration, consolidation and whether your team is ready to support it long-term. - Todd Fisher, CallTrackingMetrics
12. Get Executive Buy-In And Investment
Tech debt cannot be a 'taboo subject' hidden from view—you'll never make progress. One strategy that is a must-do is to get the executive team's buy-in (go to the board if necessary) so that proper investment and resources can be allocated to tech debt reduction. The dev team needs to explain the risks associated with ignoring it—the execs will listen closely and support. - Bruce Kornfeld, StorMagic
13. Leverage 'Context-Driven Debt Fixing'
Implement 'context-driven debt fixing'—when developers get stuck debugging legacy code during feature work, they must refactor that specific problem area before continuing. Why this is effective: Frustration becomes the trigger for improvement. Devs naturally want to fix what's blocking them, so the refactoring feels productive rather than like overhead. Compound improvements happen organically. - Stoyan Mitov, Dreamix
14. Adopt A 'Progressive Refactoring' Mindset
One strategy I've seen successfully employed is adopting a 'progressive refactoring' mindset within Agile sprints that is driven by clear ownership and measurable impact. Developers become responsible not just for delivery, but also for code quality and future maintainability in their area. - Diganta Sengupta, Oracle Corp.
15. Focus On Strategic Goals And Flexibility When Selecting Solutions
There are two important things, really—a focus on bigger, strategic goals when selecting tools and solutions and an emphasis on flexibility and customization. Most software tools only get teams and organizations 80% of the way to a solution, but it's that 20% that can be the difference between success and failure when choosing to add to your tech stack. Embrace flexible tools that are easy to build and scale. - Ed Jennings, Quickbase
16. Take Advantage Of The Overlap Between Releases And/Or 'Clean As You Go'
I employ two strategies: Use the overlap between releases for focused debt reduction, ensuring smooth production while clearing debt before new work begins. Alternatively, dedicate 20% of each sprint (that is, one dedicated developer) to addressing technical debt concurrently with new feature development. This 'clean as you go' approach prevents tech debt accumulation and keeps the codebase healthy. - Uttam Kumar, American Eagle Outfitters
17. Bundle Debt Work With Related Feature Work
One effective strategy I've used to reduce technical debt without slowing development is to bundle debt work with related feature work. If you're touching the code anyway, pay down nearby debt while you're in there. It's like fixing that leaky pipe while you renovate the kitchen—not six months later when it floods your basement. - Andrew Siemer, Inventive
18. Make Tech Debt Reduction Part Of Digital Transformation
Technical debt reduction should be defined as a part of any transformation. There is a cost associated with sunsetting applications, but there is a benefit as well. - Bhushan Parikh, Get Digital Velocity, LLC
19. Embed Identity Governance Into The Software Development Lifecycle
One effective strategy is embedding identity governance into the SDLC using digital twins to simulate access policies before deployment. This prevents access sprawl and identity debt (both forms of technical debt) without slowing delivery. It's a lightweight, proactive approach that keeps security aligned with speed. - Peter Hill, Gathid
20. Configure 'Debt Heatmaps'
Use 'debt heatmaps' to identify pain points, then apply a sprint 'debt tax' to clean up the worst offenders during normal dev cycles. It's strategic and continuous and keeps the team shipping without backlog bloat. - Mark Mahle, NetActuate, Inc.
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