Technical Debt: How to Identify, Prioritize, and Communicate It as a PM

In this episode of The Product Handbook, we break down the concept of technical debt — what it is, why it matters, and how product managers can handle it without drowning in metaphors.

You’ll learn:

• What technical debt actually means, and how to spot it in your product or team
• The trade-offs that create debt — from time pressure to outdated technology — and why it compounds like interest
• How to prioritize repayment alongside new features without losing stakeholder trust
• Communication strategies for explaining technical debt to non-technical audiences and getting buy-in to address it

If you’ve ever struggled to defend refactoring or tech investment on your roadmap, this episode gives you the language and tools to make technical debt a visible, manageable part of your product strategy.