Technical debt is often invisible to business stakeholders, until it slows down everything. This talk demystifies what technical debt really is, how it accumulates, and how it directly impacts delivery speed, team morale, and business outcomes.

Presented by two developers: one offering a behind-the-scenes view, the other translating the impact into business terms. This session uses real examples, simple metaphors, and practical frameworks to explain why codebases “get slower” and what to do about it.

We’ll explore:
- What technical debt looks like in real software projects
- Why it happens (even in good teams)
- The business costs of letting it grow unchecked
- How to manage and reduce debt without halting feature delivery

You’ll walk away with a clear understanding of how to ask the right questions, support your development team in maintaining sustainable velocity, and build products that scale without falling apart.

No technical knowledge required, just curiosity and a desire to ship better software, faster and more reliably.

Target Audience:
- Project managers
- Product owners
- Engineering leads
- Non-technical executives

Key Takeaways:
- A clear, business-friendly understanding of technical debt
- The real-world costs of ignoring code quality
- Practical ways to manage technical debt in your roadmap

Speaker Format:
Two-speaker presentation (developer duo) with alternating segments:
- Dev A: Technical context and stories
- Dev B: Business translation and guidance

30-40 minutes talk