Top tips: Three ways developers can avoid incurring technical debt

Top tips is a weekly column where we highlight what’s trending in the tech world and share ways to stay ahead. This week, we’re exploring how developers can avoid incurring technical debt—by writing cleaner code, reviewing their work consistently, and taking a more deliberate approach to shortcuts.

With new tech and processes seemingly popping up by the day, it can get overwhelming to keep track of the many innovations enterprises come across—especially where software development is concerned. Sometimes, you may be tempted to take a shortcut, but never forget: Shortcuts are always compromises.

You might ship sub-optimal code that works for now but barely meets requirements. By taking the easy way out, you may also be committing to a less-than-ideal process or tool, which could lead to issues later. This is how technical debt arises, and because of the complications it can cause your business, you should seek to minimize this as much as possible. Before we go over how you can avoid technical debt, let's look at exactly what it is.

Technical debt is the long-term cost of choosing quick or sub-optimal solutions in software development, often resulting in greater maintenance demands and increased risk down the line. Now that we're all on the same page, here are three ways you can avoid technical debt.

1. Write clean, simple code from the start

Always exercise prudence when you code. Don’t take a task-only approach. Think about how every line you write will function in the future: Is it easy to modify? Can it integrate smoothly with other functions, whether planned or existing? Prioritize modular development, as well, by creating separate, reusable modules for specific functions or purposes that can be deployed across different platforms or applications.

2. Review your work regularly

Regular reviews are a great way to iron out issues in your code. A timely examination of your code can mean the difference between detecting a potential problem area early versus being blindsided by a more significant issue a few years down the line because of an earlier oversight with a specific faulty line of code.

3. Document existing debt

Just like financial debt is unavoidable, some technical shortcuts that lead to debt are part and parcel of an enterprise’s operations. It is imperative to prevent these shortcuts from turning into critical problems that may be time-consuming or expensive to fix in the future. A practical way to do this is to document these shortcuts or potential debt areas early and make plans to reduce their impact on your broader development processes.

Some shortcuts simply aren't worth it

Debt is never an ideal situation, but it is sometimes necessary. Similar to how well-managed financial debt can benefit an organization, taking a strategic approach to technical debt can provide short-term gains while remaining manageable in the future. That being said, always ensure any shortcuts you take are planned and deliberate. Sometimes, a shortcut may create more trouble than it’s worth.