Technical Debt is a metaphor, coined by Ward Cunningham.

Express technical debt computation as a ratio. A ratio of the cost to fix a software system [Remediation Cost] to the cost of developing it [Development Cost]. This ratio is called the Technical Debt Ratio [TDR]:

Technical Debt Ratio = (Remediation Cost / Development Cost) x 100%

Both remediation and development costs are represented in time [hours]. Generally, no one wants a high Technical Debt Ratio [TDR], some teams favour values less than or equal to 5%.

• TechnicalDebtQuadrant