In Germany, there’s a saying: “Besser um Vergebung bitten als um Erlaubnis fragen” (“Better to ask for forgiveness than permission”) or “Gleich mal Fakten schaffen” (“Make decisions fast and set facts”). These phrases often glorify quick action, suggesting that speed leads to progress and success.
Well, I can tell you right now — I really hate that mindset. It may look like a shortcut to success, but in reality, it often creates a mess that no one talks about. The consequences are rarely considered in the rush for fast decisions, and I’ve seen more harm than good come from it. What starts as quick success ends up piling up technical debt, inefficiencies, and unseen costs that will have to be dealt with – sooner or later. And like financial debt, technical debt piles up quietly, and the longer you delay paying it back, the more difficult it can get.
But the price tag is not just financial. Especially when the team dealing with the technical dept is different from the one getting the credit for the quick success. Trust me, the financials are your least problem when you run into that situation.
Technical Debt: The Unseen Cost of “Quick Success”
Now, don’t get me wrong: sometimes accepting technical debt is necessary..
There are times when speed or a brave decision is required to meet tight deadlines or respond to immediate business needs, or when there are no processes in place yet or when there might be various changes ahead (be it organizational, technical, …). In these cases, technical debt should be a calculated decision. It’s not about ignoring the debt, but acknowledging that it will need to be addressed in the future.
The problem arises when technical debt is deliberately created, often with no plan or even the intention to manage or repay it. This is where things go wrong. It’s one thing to accept debt with the intention of addressing it later, but it’s another to build systems without any thought for how they’ll be maintained or how changes will be implemented. This leads to a chaotic mess that no one wants to clean up.
Can It Be Done Better?
If you need to take shortcuts, be upfront about it. Acknowledge the technical debt you’re incurring and have a plan for it. If you cut corners today, ensure there’s a strategy in place to address the fallout tomorrow.
Rather than blindly moving forward, build with the understanding that adjustments will be needed. Anticipate that changes will be costly and communicate this. By setting expectations early, the company can prepare for these future costs – and weigh them against the immediate benefits.
Missing DevOps might even exacerbate the Problem
If your company is not doing DevOps, the consequences of fast decision-making can become even more problematic:
Without a culture of shared responsibility, people avoid (or simply aren’t aware of) the long-term consequences, leaving others to clean up the mess. Not only does this drive up costs, but it also damages team morale.
But beware: DevOPS is not a silver bullet! Even a DevOPS team can ignore technical dept for a long time until it’s inevitable to deal with it.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, acting quickly isn’t inherently bad. The real problem comes when speed is prioritized over responsibility. Quick success may seem appealing, but if it’s achieved by piling up technical debt without a plan to address it, it’s just setting the stage for future problems. Like any kind of debt, the longer you ignore it, the more costly it becomes.
If you need to move fast, do so with awareness. Accept technical debt when necessary, but only if you’re ready to deal with the consequences down the road.