Debt Accumulation Cycle

Two feedback loops drive the debt crisis: a surface loop of recurring customer issues and a slower accumulation loop of increasing codebase complexity. The codebase degrades under accumulated shortcuts until it becomes difficult to comprehend, maintain, or extend. Each quick fix increases codebase complexity, which increases the time required for future changes and reduces overall team capacity, creating more pressure for further shortcuts. Both feedback loops feed each other until the system collapses into a debt crisis.