This document outlines a four-step strategy for tackling technical debt at scale: 1) Establish metrics to measure what matters, 2) Create your own path by intentionally evolving legacy systems, 3) Create an open platform by introducing business-aligned boundaries and self-serve APIs, and 4) Transition from project-based to product-based development by establishing long-standing product teams focused on user and business needs. The overall goal is to thoughtfully and continuously optimize technical systems while minimizing disruption.

1. TACKLING TECHNICAL
DEBT AT SCALE
A Four-Step Strategy
Zhamak Dehghani
@zhamakd
zdehghan@thoughtworks.com

2. There are three constants in
life - change, choice and
principles.
- Stephen Covey
!
“
“

3. COSTOFCHANGE
T I M E
INTEREST
OF
TECH DEBT
Missed Opportunity
BIG UPFRONT
DESIGN
CONTINUOUS REFACTORING
LOCAL
OPTIMIZATION
GLOBAL
OPTIMIZATION
RESPONSIBLE
OPTIMIZATION
HACK IT!

4. THE SHAPE OF TECHNICAL DEBT

5. THE BALL
OF MUD
MONOLITHS

6. TOXIC CODE
HIGH CYCLOMATIC
COMPLEXITY
FRAGILE CODE

7. SNOWFLAKE
INFRASTRUCTURE
MANUAL / GUI BASED
ADHOC
ENVIRONMENT
PROVISIONING

8. CONFUSED
ARCHITECTURE
ENTERPRISE
ARCHITECTURE

9. TACKLING
TECH DEBT
METRICS
PROCESS
TECHNOLOGY
LEADERSHIP

10. TEMPO STABILITY

11. Lead Time for
Change
Deployment
Frequency
Change Fail Rate
Mean Time to
Recovery

12. MEASURE WHAT MATTERS
“globally”
1

13. TACKLING
TECH DEBT
METRICS
PROCESS
TECHNOLOGY
LEADERSHIP

14. New Feature
|
Enhance Capability
Build
New
Modify
Legacy
Evolve
Integrate
With
Legacy
Replace & Retire
Legacy
Extend Legacy
Pay the Principal
&
Interest
Escape Previous Debt
&
Build New Debt
Pay Off Debt
Leverage
High Value / IP
Assets
Experimentation
New Business Unit
Replatform
Infrastructure

15. CREATE YOUR OWN PATH
“intentionally”
2

16. TACKLING
TECH DEBT
METRICS
PROCESS
TECHNOLOGY
LEADERSHIP

17. TOUCH POINTS !
USER EXPERIENCES AND JOURNEYS!
CORE BUSINESS CAPABILITIES AND
DATA!
INFRASTRUCTURE
Replace
& Redirect
Monolithic
Decomposition
...
Modernization
PaaS
Cloud Migration
…
Extend
& Integrate
Open API Platform
Microservices

18. TOUCH POINTS !
USER EXPERIENCES AND
JOURNEYS!
CORE BUSINESS
CAPABILITIES AND DATA!
INFRASTRUCTURE
SHARED
COMPLEX MACHNIERY
HIGHLY COUPLED
LEAKY BOUNDARIES
INTRODUCE BUSINESS
TRUTHFUL
BOUNDARIES
BUILD SELF-SERVE APIs
FOR THE BOUNDARIES

19. CREATE AN OPEN PLATFORM
“delightfully”
3

20. TACKLING
TECH DEBT
METRICS
PROCESS
TECHNOLOGY
LEADERSHIP

21. FROM
PROJECTS
TO
PRODUCTS
SHORT LIVED PROJECTS LONG LIVED PRODUCTS
EPHEMERAL TEAMS LONG STANDING CUSTODIANS
PROJECT MANAGER ROLE: TELLING | LEADING
PRODUCT OWNER ROLE: INFLUECING | FACILITATING
SYSTEMS AS TECHNICAL DELIVERABLES CAPABILITIES AS SELF-SERVE PRODUCTS

22. KNOW UX | BUSINESS | TECH
“passionately”
4

23. We cannot solve our
problems with the same
thinking we used when we
created them.
- Albert Einstein
“
“

24. THANK YOU
Zhamak Dehghani
@zhamakd
zdehghan@thoughtworks.com