Manage Tech Debt

Overview

Track, categorize, and prioritize technical debt using a structured register. This is an ongoing management skill, not a one-time audit. It uses Martin Fowler's tech debt quadrant to classify debt, assigns an "interest rate" (how much the debt slows us down per sprint), estimates payoff effort, and prioritizes by impact-to-effort ratio aligned with upcoming work.

Workflow

1. Read existing register -- Check for an existing tech debt register at .chalk/docs/engineering/*_tech_debt_register.md. If one exists, read it and use it as the starting point. The register is a living document -- update it, do not create duplicates.

2. Read project context -- Read .chalk/docs/engineering/ for:

   • Architecture docs to understand system boundaries
   • ADRs and RFCs to understand intentional design choices (not all suboptimal code is debt)
   • Prior audit reports that may have flagged tech debt
   • Upcoming roadmap or sprint plans to identify strategic alignment opportunities