This is a nice but very long exploration of the tech debt metaphor, raising several excellent points. I especially like comparing it with the business uses of actual debt.

The only thing I think I'd add to it is that like actual debt, a lot of people do not behave sensibly with tech debt. One of my big tests in any new job is the first time a product manager wants to put something on credit. E.g., "We have to add feature X right now so we can land a big client. Can we cut corners to get this out the door? We'll sort out the mess later."

Despite things like this making my eyelid twitch, I'll always tell a new product manager yes the first time they ask this. But then I watch carefully to see if they're conscientious about paying down the debt. Some of them are great about it, prioritizing the deferred work. Others, though, always have a next emergency. But in my view if it's always an emergency it never is, and so I never again trust them with the tech-debt credit card.