Slides of my XPDays session with @jbpros about technical debt. http://xpdays.net/Xpday2013/Mini%20XPDay/Program.html#session_105

1. Hard choices - Technical debt
@jbpros
@mlainez
For
Dummies
Game
included!

2. Who has a non-
technical role?

3. What is technical
debt?

4. Who is a developer/
architect?

5. What is technical
debt?

6. Building software is like
taking a loan at each change
Leaving code in a non optimal state
after a change means it will take more
time to understand or change that code
next time we add any functionality to it
We have to pay an interest, the longer
we wait to make the code optimal, the
more the interests run on

7. Cost OF
CHANGE
tIME
What happens when we
don’t deal with it?
BEGINNING
OF PROJECT
We have
accumulated
debt
Project
doomed
inspired by: http://colearningbe.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/learn-hxxow-to-manage-technical-debt-from-a-business-perspective/

8. What are the debt
builders?

9. HIT A MARKET WINDOW
LACK OF SKILLS
CHAOS
TURNOVER
CHANGES IN REQUIREMENTS
STRESS
UNPROFESSIONALISM
...

10. HOW DO WE DEAL
WITH IT?

11. Let’s play

12. Rules
The game may be played by 2, 3, or 4 people.
Movements
A player can move in any direction and may even change
directions in a single turn.
When a player crosses a “hard choices” square, he
or she must decide whether to go over the
shortcut bridge or go the long way.

13. Bridge Tiles
Bridges count as one movement, similar to squares.
A player who chooses to go over a shortcut bridge must
collect a bridge card. Each bridge card subtracts 1 from
subsequent rolls of the die.
A player who chooses to go over a shortcut bridge must
collect a bridge card. Each bridge card subtracts 1 from
subsequent rolls of the die.
A player may get rid of a bridge card by skipping a turn
anytime during the game.

14. Tools Tiles
If a player lands on a tool square:
- If the player does not already have the tool drawn on the
board, the player gets a tool card of that type.
- If the player already has a tool card of the drawn tool, the
player may play the tool card and get a free a turn OR
collect another tool card of that type.

15. Ending the game
The game ends when there is 1 player remaining on the
board or when the time is up!
The first player to reach END gets 5 points, second gets 3
points, third gets 1 point.
When a player reaches END, he or she also gets 1 point for
each tool card.
To enter the END cell the player should roll anything equal
or greater than the remaining squares.
The player with the most points at the end of the game
WINS.

16. What were the
winning strategies?

17. How can we MANAGE
technical debt?

18. source: http://colearningbe.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/learn-hxxow-to-manage-technical-debt-from-a-business-perspective/
True
story!
Draw current
solution
IDENTIFY debt
with color
code
Match with
business goals

19. How can we
measure technical
debt?

20. Code metrics
Wtf! per minute
Testability
flexibility
Scalability
Stability
Time to market
team velocity
Motivation
happiness
Product Stability

21. HOW CAN WE
Identify THE DEBT
IN OUR CODE?

24. know your debt!

25. know when to
accumulate debt!

26. Decide when to pay
for it!

27. “What's important is to try to imagine something that is just a
bit better than what you have currently. If you can target those
things, then over time you will really start to make a difference
in the code base” - Michael Feathers

28. Questions?
@jbpros
@mlainez