Article · 15 min read

Understanding and Managing Technical Debt and Legacy Code: A Guide for Founders

Emma Williams · madewithlove Free Beginner

Written for non technical founders, this explains what you are really inheriting when an agency hands over the code and how to talk about it without pretending to be an engineer. It frames technical debt as a business decision you can manage rather than a scary black box. Useful for setting realistic expectations with yourself and your first hire.

  • Technical debt is a business tradeoff, not automatically a failure
  • Founders can manage debt through questions and priorities, not code
  • Treat inherited legacy code as an asset to steward, not a mess to flee
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The question it answers

  1. When should I stop using an agency and hire my first in-house developer?

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