Technical debt isn’t just about messy code or slow releases—it’s a hidden cost that affects productivity, team morale, and your ability to deliver business value. For senior individual contributors, the challenge isn’t just identifying technical debt but effectively framing and addressing it in a way that gains organisational buy-in.
This workshop focuses on equipping you with the tools to tackle technical debt strategically. You’ll learn how to evaluate its broader impact on people, processes, and the business, moving beyond the code to see the bigger picture. We’ll explore how to measure technical debt in actionable ways, align efforts with business priorities, and communicate its significance across disciplines. The workshop addresses a critical pain point: technical debt initiatives often fail because they’re seen as purely technical issues rather than organisational challenges. By shifting the narrative, you’ll learn to position technical debt as a shared responsibility, helping stakeholders understand when it’s critical to act and when it’s okay to wait. Through hands-on exercises and real-world examples, this session will help you turn technical debt from a burden into an opportunity to improve systems, strengthen teams, and align technical work with business success.
crema Workshop
€100
Max. Attendees: 40
Key Takeaways
How to measure technical debt in a meaningful, actionable way.
Strategies to align technical debt efforts with business goals.
Techniques to communicate the broader impact of technical debt to diverse stakeholders.
How to identify the right timing and prioritize technical debt initiatives.
Practical steps to foster cross-functional buy-in for addressing technical debt.
Target Audience
Senior, staff, principal engineers (senior individual contributors without formal management responsibilities)
Senior engineering leaders responsible for long-term system health
Requirements
Participants should have experience working in a senior individual contributor role (e.g., Senior Engineer or above).
Familiarity with concepts like technical debt, system design, and business alignment.
A willingness to share and discuss real-world challenges from their organisation (optional but encouraged).
Duration
3 hours (approximately with a break)
Schedule
Workshop Plan (High-Level)
Welcome and Buffer Time (10-15 min)
Check-in as attendees settle in.
Introduction to the workshop structure and objectives.
Icebreaker and Grouping Exercise (10-15 min)
Ice-breaker to help attendees know each other and share their experience with technical debt.
Group attendees based on similar challenges or organisational contexts for later exercises.
Introduction and Framing (20 min)
Defining technical debt: What it is and why it matters beyond code quality.
Discussion: Common misconceptions and challenges around addressing technical debt.
Measuring Technical Debt (30 min)
Practical frameworks and methods for quantifying technical debt.
Group activity: Brainstorming metrics relevant to your organisation.
Break (15 min)
Time for attendees to get a drink, toilet break or downtime.
Business Alignment and Communication (45 min)
How to map technical debt to business outcomes and priorities.
Role-playing exercise: Framing technical debt as a shared organisational challenge.
Prioritization and Timing (30 min)
Evaluating when and how to address technical debt.
Case study discussion: Successful and failed technical debt initiatives.
Action Planning (20-30 min)
Develop actionable next steps for tackling technical debt in your organisation.
Group presentations: Sharing action plans and getting peer feedback.
