Overview
What this challenge is about.
Pick 3 well-known debt items (e.g., flaky tests blocking deploys, manual tenant provisioning, a legacy notification service). For each, model the carrying cost in engineer-hours-per-sprint and translate to lost feature velocity. Design a debt-paydown allocation framework (e.g., 15 percent of every sprint, or one full sprint per quarter). Prep a negotiation deck framing the trade as 'this much feature velocity in Q4 in exchange for this much extra in Q1 + Q2'. Run a 90-minute simulation with stand-in CPO/CFO reviewers. Deliver the framework, the modeling spreadsheet, the deck, and a 4-page debrief of the negotiation outcome.
The Brief
What you'll do, and what you'll demonstrate.
Get a CPO who has refused debt paydown for 4 quarters to commit to a 15 percent allocation for the next 2 quarters, backed by carrying-cost evidence.
Earning criteria — what you'll demonstrate
- Translate technical debt into product-velocity language a CPO can act on
- Design a paydown allocation that survives roadmap planning
- Prep and run a high-stakes negotiation with finance + product peers
- Model carrying cost without overclaiming or underclaiming
Program Fit
Where this fits in your program.
Sharpens the same skills your degree expects you to demonstrate.
Skills
Skills you'll demonstrate.
Each one shows up on your verified credential.
Careers
Roles this prepares you for.
Real titles. Real skill bridges. Pick the one closest to your trajectory.
Product Manager
Product managers who co-own debt allocation become the trusted partner engineering leadership consults on shaping each roadmap.
This challenge sharpens
- roadmap-planning
- stakeholder-communication
- refactoring-budgets