The Quadrant: Not All Debt Is Equal

Martin Fowler’s Technical Debt Quadrant classifies debt by intent (deliberate vs. inadvertent) and judgment (prudent vs. reckless). This helps you talk about why a shortcut happened and the right remedy.

Example: “We knowingly hardcoded config to hit a launch date” → deliberate/prudent if there’s a follow-up ticket and owner; reckless if not.