A practical checklist to evaluate whether your software shows symptoms of technical debt, security risks, or scalability issues. If you identify with 3 or more signs, it is time to take action.
What used to take days now takes weeks. The code has become so complex and interconnected that every small change has unforeseen ripple effects. This is a clear symptom of accumulated technical debt.
There are modules or functions that the team avoids modifying for fear of breaking something. They are usually critical components with no automated tests or documentation, written by people who are no longer with the company.
Every time a new version is deployed, the team crosses their fingers. There is no confidence that the changes will not break anything because automated tests are missing and CI/CD processes are immature or nonexistent.
When there are promotions, marketing campaigns, or simply more users than usual, the system fails to respond. The infrastructure is not sized to scale and the architecture does not support load peaks.
If you cannot remember the last time an external expert reviewed the security of your software, there are likely undetected vulnerabilities. Attackers actively target companies that do not audit their security.
Technologies such as PHP 5, AngularJS, Python 2, Java 8, or frameworks without active maintenance represent a security risk and make it harder to hire talent. Every day without migrating increases the cost.
If more than 60% of the technology budget is dedicated to maintaining what exists instead of innovating, technical debt is consuming your capacity to grow. It is the clearest symptom of software that needs modernization.
The documentation does not reflect the current state of the system, or simply does not exist. The knowledge sits in the heads of a few people. If those people leave the company, the operational risk is enormous.
Any unexplained incident is a warning sign. If the team cannot quickly determine the root cause of a problem, it means the system's observability is insufficient and deeper problems may exist.
If your company is in the middle of an M&A process, fundraising, or the valuation of technology assets, an independent audit is essential. Investors and buyers are increasingly demanding more technology due diligence.
Don't wait for an incident to force you to act. Our initial diagnosis is free, confidential, and with no commitment. In 30 minutes we tell you exactly what risks you have and how to address them.
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