Technical Debt Through the Lens of a Regional Japanese Banker
In banking, we focus on "Amortization"—how long an asset remains valuable. If you are building a "Pop-up store" (a prototype), moving fast with AI-generated code is good business. But if you are building a "Shrine" (a core system) meant to last 20 years, the cheapest way is actually the "Forging" (鍛錬, Tanren) approach.
In Japan, the best katanas are forged by folding the steel thousands of times. I believe software logic follows the same principle: you must "fold" the logic again and again—building from scratch—until it becomes part of you.
I recently shared these thoughts on Reddit, and I was genuinely surprised by the reaction. The post reached over 74,000 views and was shared more than 100 times. Through that intense discussion, I received numerous professional opinions from engineers and founders, which helped me refine my thinking into what I call an "Ethical OS."
Here is what I’ve learned from that collective wisdom:
1. Technical Debt as a "Strategic Loan": Speed is an essential investment in the early stages (MVP). It is okay to "borrow" speed, provided you have a clear plan to repay it.
2. The "Shrine" vs. "Cathedral": Don’t over-design before you understand the soul of the product. Building a small "shrine" first and listening to users is the key to avoiding toxic debt.
3. Forging is about "Understanding": Writing code is easy now, but "Forging" is the process of truly mastering the logic. Re-writing is not a waste; it is how you master the foundation.
4. Leadership is Debt Management: A good leader values the time spent "repaying" technical debt. Blindly chasing "one-hit reversals" while ignoring the foundation is a gamble that leads to bankruptcy.
5. Avoid the "Museum Piece" Trap: No matter how much soul you forge into a blade, it loses its life as a tool the moment it stops being a "weapon for battle." True "Forging" must be aligned with reality (PMF).
6. Strategic Survival vs. Capitalist Pivot: Giants can afford to "Pivot" easily. But for small founders, a single project is often their whole life; there is no second chance. An exit strategy must be intentional.
7. Debt is like Alcohol: It gives a temporary high, but the "hangover" (interest/debt) is inevitable. Success depends on the "care" you take before, during, and after drinking.
I am taking these insights back to my bank in Gunma to further integrate them into my philosophy. In an era where AI makes "writing" easy, are we losing the value of the "Forging" process? I would love to hear your thoughts.