intermediate · 60–60 min
The Tech Debt vs. Features Balancing Act
Engineering and Product at odds? Align on a sustainable ratio of feature work to technical maintenance.
About this session
Engineering teams often feel weighed down by legacy code while Product Managers face pressure to ship new features, leading to constant friction over the roadmap. This session moves the group from vague frustrations to a concrete agreement on exactly how much capacity will be dedicated to maintenance versus new development.
Why it works
The process treats technical debt as a budgetary constraint rather than a technical failure, which shifts the conversation from blame to objective trade-offs. By forcing a quantitative decision on resource allocation, it ensures both sides acknowledge the long-term cost of every new feature.
What you’ll walk away with
- Clear actionable outcomes from a 3-step facilitated process
- Increased participant engagement and buy-in
- Documented decisions and next steps
- Improved team alignment on the topic
Who it’s for
Product Managers, Product Owners
Frequently asked questions
Who should facilitate this workshop?
This workshop works best when led by someone comfortable with facilitation. Ideal for Product Managers or external facilitators working with product management teams.
How long does this workshop take?
Plan for 60-90 minutes depending on group size. The 3 activities are designed to flow together smoothly.
Run this session with METODIC
Get the full agenda, activities, timing, worksheets, and a facilitator guide for “The Tech Debt vs. Features Balancing Act” — ready to run in minutes, for any workshop, meeting, or team session.