Every engineer has written “temporary” code that was supposed to be replaced later.
Most of it is still there.
Quick fixes feel efficient. They solve today’s problem with minimal friction. But they quietly introduce structural instability. Over time, these shortcuts accumulate into technical debt that slows everything down.
The real cost isn’t just messy code. It’s hesitation.
Engineers hesitate to refactor because they’re unsure what might break. They hesitate to ship because they don’t trust edge cases. They hesitate to onboard because nothing feels obvious.
High-performing teams aren’t perfect. They just treat quick fixes as liabilities, not victories. They schedule cleanup. They document assumptions. They reduce complexity before it spreads.
Speed without structure eventually becomes slower than deliberate progress.
If your team feels like it’s moving fast but getting nowhere, the issue may not be velocity, it may be unresolved shortcuts.
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