Is Your Machine-Learning Implementation Debt-Free?

Debt of any kind--if not addressed--is a time bomb waiting to explode. We can easily relate to this with reference to finance. The comparison between technical complexity and debt was first drawn in 1992. In an experience report, Ward Cunningham alerted the industry to the problem and in doing so, coined the term "technical debt." "Shipping first time code is like going into debt. A little debt speeds development so long as it is paid back promptly with a rewrite… The danger occurs when the debt is not repaid. Every minute spent on not-quite-right code counts as interest on that debt. Entire engineering organizations can be brought to a stand-still under the debt load of an unconsolidated implementation, object-oriented or otherwise."--