Product Debt: Why It Matters More Than Technical Debt

Every decently-run company tracks technical debt. Fewer track the debt that really limits growth: product debt.

Product debt is what happens when features outlive their usefulness but stay anyway. When the product gets cluttered with exceptions, edge cases, and “just one more toggle” requests. It’s what happens when your product no longer reflects your strategy.

The symptoms:

• Customers using 20% of the product but paying for 100%.

• Internal teams unsure which version is “right.”

• Product managers afraid to remove anything, so they just keep adding.

  
  

Technical debt slows developers. Product debt slows everyone.

Paying it down starts with leadership courage:

1. Acknowledge it. Run a “product debt audit” every quarter.

2. Measure it. Identify features that no longer align with your current ICP or strategy.

3. Remove or redesign. Simplify experiences that create friction.

   
   

CEOs should demand visibility into this debt, just like they do with engineering velocity. Ask your product team: “What can we remove that no longer adds value?” "How are we managing taking on more product debt going forward?"

The best products don’t just evolve by adding — they also evolve by subtraction.