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Technical Debt A 5-minute Reality Check

This 5-minute job aid will help you sense whether technical debt is part of what’s slowing you down and how big the impact might be. Book time with us.

Ready? Let's go.

Section 1: Is Tech Debt Sucking the Soul Out of Your Team?

Speed and Momentum: It feels like getting work done is getting slower and slower.

Speed and Momentum: It feels like getting work done is getting slower and slower.
Not True At AllExtremely True

Friction: We regularly work late just to overcome things that should be straightforward.

Friction: We regularly work late just to overcome things that should be straightforward.
Not True At AllExtremely True

Rework: Small changes often trigger unexpected breakages elsewhere.

Rework: Small changes often trigger unexpected breakages elsewhere.
Not True At AllExtremely True

Patchwork Solutions: We make things work because there's "no time" to redesign or clean things up properly.

Patchwork Solutions: We make things work because there's "no time" to redesign or clean things up properly.
Not True At AllExtremely True

Organization Pressure: The business discourages fixing things that technically "work" even when they slow us down.

Organization Pressure: The business discourages fixing things that technically "work" even when they slow us down.
Not True At AllExtremely True

Emotional Cost: Engineers on my team feel frustrated, drained, or cynical more often than energized.

Emotional Cost: Engineers on my team feel frustrated, drained, or cynical more often than energized.
Not True At AllExtremely True

Section 2: Where Might the Debt be Hiding?

Gordian Knots: Parts of the system are so tangled that people fear making changes.

Gordian Knots: Parts of the system are so tangled that people fear making changes.
Not an issueMajor drag

Trap Doors: Work that seems routine suddenly derails because something foundation is missing or fragile.

Trap Doors: Work that seems routine suddenly derails because something foundation is missing or fragile.
Not an issueMajor drag

The World Moved On: We're stuck with tools, technologies, or designs that no longer fit how the world works.

The World Moved On: We're stuck with tools, technologies, or designs that no longer fit how the world works.
Not an issueMajor drag

Environmental Drag: Tool, processes, meetings, handoffs, etc. make work feel like slogging through the mud.

Environmental Drag: Tool, processes, meetings, handoffs, etc. make work feel like slogging through the mud.
Not an issueMajor drag

Section 3: Reflection

If you had 5-10 more productive hours per person each week, what would that enable your team to do?

Which kind of technical debt do you suspect is hurting you the most right now?

Section 4: About You

Your first name

Your email

Section 5: Your Results

Your Score is

0-40 You're Ahead of the Curve - What You Do Now Determines How Long This Lasts

Either tech debt is well managed — or you’ve been insulated from it. If not managed, all systems decay.

Either you’re doing something right — or you’re currently shielded from stressors that expose technical debt. Teams in this range often benefit from:

- Clear ownership and boundaries

- Thoughtful design decisions

- Leaders who allow time to fix problems before they metastasize

- A context where complexity hasn’t yet outpaced structure

That’s a good place to be. The question isn’t whether technical debt exists — it always does, but whether your current conditions will hold as:

- scope grows

- people change

- timelines tighten - external pressures increase

High-performing teams don’t wait for pain to appear before paying attention. They stay curious about where friction could emerge next.

If you want to prevent or slow the decay, talk to us to see how high-performing teams stay out of debt even as they move fast. Contact us at hello@exceptionaldifference.com.

41-60 Early Warning Signs - This is the Moment of Truth

61-80 Hidden Drag is Holding You Back

81-100 You're Running in Mud - You Must Take Action Now

The next step isn’t “fix everything,” it’s figuring out where attention would matter most. That’s where a short, focused conversation can help. Book time with us at LINK.