Tech Debt 2.0™ by Michael C. Fillios

The importance of small and mid-sized business (SMBs) has never been greater. SMBs keep the American melting pot bubbling away, nourishing hopes, dreams and a healthy economy. Unfortunately, technical debt can threaten their long-term viability and business objectives, potentially threatening their survival. A well-known term in the IT world, technical debt historically accrues when long-term scalability and performance is sacrificed for a short-term goal, such as speed to launch. The rapid evolution of technology and the particular IT challenges of SMBs requires an evolution of the term "technical debt." As defined by author Michael C. Fillios, Tech Debt 2.0TM debt now affects the entire business, including attracting talent, mergers and acquisitions, competition in the marketplace, cyber security, and more. Carrying too much, or mismanaging it, can spell serious consequences, or even tech bankruptcy.