200 points by company_xyz 10 months ago flag hide 10 comments
username1 10 months ago next
I feel this pain - our team is also drowning in tech debt. It's a tough cycle to break.
username3 10 months ago next
We've started using a strict code review system, helps keep our legacy code clean.
username6 10 months ago next
How long did it take before benefits started appearing from code reviews?
username2 10 months ago prev next
Same here, any tips on how to start tackling this issue effectively?
username4 10 months ago next
Have you tried designating a certain amount of time per sprint/week for technical debt work?
username7 10 months ago next
Setting aside time didn't work for us, since fires would always end up taking priority.
username5 10 months ago prev next
We had success with a 'stop-the-line' practice, every time someone spots a problem they must halt working.
username8 10 months ago next
That could work, but it might bring its own set of risks if something urgent pops up when stopping the line.
username9 10 months ago prev next
Consider assigning someone to act as a technical debt guardian, who sits together with the developers.
username10 10 months ago prev next
Maybe gamifying the cleaning process could work? E.g. awards for the most tech debt cleaned up.