Debt is not a synonym for code you dislike
Teams call everything debt: old code, ugly code, slow code, unfamiliar code. The useful version names the cost: slower delivery, more incidents, harder onboarding, or missed product options.
The useful signal is usually already there.
Leadership bugs are system bugs too. Pull context out and the team graph starts wobbling.
Quantify the drag
Attach debt work to a visible cost and a near-term opportunity. "Clean up billing" is weak. "Make pricing experiments one-day changes again" is a business case.
A debt register should read like a decision tool, not a shame list.
Pay down debt near the work
The best debt work often rides with feature work that already touches the risky area. Big cleanup seasons are harder to protect.
Flip the switches and watch the story turn into a tiny operating model.
Debt conversations need economics
When you can explain the interest rate, debt work stops sounding like polish and starts sounding like risk management.