Litter Layer Dynamics
Technical debt is organizational litter. The question isn't whether you have it—you do. It's whether you're decomposing it faster than you're creating it.
In most terrestrial ecosystems, dead organic matter accumulates in a litter layer that functions as a nutrient reservoir. The litter layer creates temporal buffering: nutrients aren't released all at once but gradually as decomposition proceeds. Litter layer thickness reflects the balance between inputs (how much dead material is produced) and outputs (how fast decomposition occurs). Tropical rainforests have thin litter (<2 cm) with 90% decomposed within 1 year. Boreal forests have thick litter (20-50 cm) with only 10-20% decomposed within 1 year.
Business Application of Litter Layer Dynamics
Organizations accumulate 'litter' of failed projects and obsolete processes. The key question isn't whether you have organizational litter - you do - but whether you're decomposing it fast enough to prevent accumulation from choking new growth.